# Terms of endearment/affection



## Sophie Elizabeth

Hey everyone

Just wondering what are the affectionate names commonly used in France, particularly among young people? I know already "mon cher" but are there any others. I'm looking for terms like "babe" and "sweety". Any ideas? I've got to leave now as the office is closing and obviously we all have a 4-day weekend - hurray! But I'll be logging back in on Monday so any responses would be very much appreciated!

Thanks loads

[*Moderator note*: several threads have been merged to create this one.]


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## Amityville

My friend calls her daughter 'ma puce'. Another friend calls his girlfriend 'ma belle' - that doesn't seem very newsworthy except that it wouldn't be said in English.
There are some nice ones in English I think, and I too would like to know more of them in French. 'Treasure' I like, and all the ones that appear in newspapers on Valentine's Day. Bunnykins, and the like.


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## josephboen

I like _mon lapin_


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## Amityville

Yes it's sweet but it's not bunnykins.
Do you have any made-up ones, joseph ?


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## zazie

There's also "mon chou," which literally means "my cabbage."  But I've heard it actually originates from "pâte à chou," a sort of pastry.


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## josephboen

But it is common and has that _bunnykins_ idea. It is used between sweethearts as well.

Another one I often use is "mon grand/ ma grande"


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## Amityville

Oh, joseph, I didnt mean to denigrate your lapin, it's just bunnykins is way more bunnykins than rabbit is, if you understand me.
'Mon grand', that's strange - how can it be an endearment ? Does it mean the person is important to you ?


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## josephboen

Well, I can't think of a "bunnykins" in French that would meet your bunnykins standards whatever those may be. LOL! Unless you say "mon petit lapin." My sweetheart often calls me "mon lapin" or "mon grand". Now "mon grand" can also be used between very close friends at times. I have a good friend who calls me that sometimes and I call him that.


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## Amityville

I believe you, joseph, and to you it means closeness but it seems such a nondescript word to mean that. iI anything it seems to be like 'old bean' in English which is matey in a jokey way but not close. Is it a word that has special significance between just you and your intimates or is it more widespread (I haven't heard it before).


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## josephboen

Now to go back to "mon lapin." The first time I was called that, I cringed because I thought I was getting the _bunnykins_ treatment. I got over it and now I like it. It isn't used between friends. It is a relatively strong term of endearment.

Now that I have revealed more than I would have liked about my personal life here! LOL!


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## tab226

Every time I hear the "lapin" term, it's in the masculine. Would one call a girl "ma lapine"?


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## Cath.S.

Amityville, how do you like mon lapinou-minou? 

We also have _mon poulet, ma poulette, mon coco, ma cocotte, mon (gros) loup, ma biche, bichette, mon cœur, mon petit cœur en sucre, chouchou etc._


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## Amityville

Hope I'm not prying - to even things up I call my daughter all kinds of funny things, like potato-bag or cushion-lump which on the face of it are not endearments but she knows what I mean. But we better stick with the mainstream ones.


That was to joseph


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## Cath.S.

tab226 said:
			
		

> Every time I hear the "lapin" term, it's in the masculine. Would one call a girl "ma lapine"?


No, we only use mon lapin, because _ma lapine_ is a sort of kakemphaton. At least, I think that's the reason.


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## Amityville

egueule said:
			
		

> Amityville, how do you like mon lapinou-minou?
> 
> We also have _mon poulet, ma poulette, mon coco, ma cocotte, mon (gros) loup, ma biche, bichette, mon cœur, mon petit cœur en sucre, chouchou etc._


 
Oh wow, a positive abundance, egueule.

Yes I do like lapinou-minou, a kind of pussy-bunny ?

mon petit coeur en sucre, yes, and all kinds of other sweets.

Biche I have to steer clear of, as once said 'ma bique' instead by accident, and with it's negative connotations in English it doesnt work too well for me.

Merci bien, ma poulette.


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## Amityville

egeule, I have checked what kakemphaton might be on wikipedia and cannot relate its examples to lapine. Can you explain please ?


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## Cath.S.

Amityville said:
			
		

> egeule, I have checked what kakemphaton might be on wikipedia and cannot relate its examples to lapine. Can you explain please ?


   _la pine = le pénis_ in slang.


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## Isotta

Ah, reading this has tickled me--I've never heard "bunnykins!"

"Ma poupette" is rather cute ("my little doll"), and "ma belle" is always nice to hear. 

I never cared much for many French terms of endearment. They seemed to be such ordinary things, like vegetables or barnyard animals. When I was small, my English-speaking mother called me "her precious angel," while my French-speaking godmother called me "her cabbage" or "her flea" in French. Never did it for me.

Isotta.


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## Amityville

Thanks,egueule - they are everywhere lately, just when you least expect it.


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## la grive solitaire

Mon ange, mon minou, mon trésor... Plusieurs mots doux trouvés ici


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## Cath.S.

la grive solitaire said:
			
		

> Mon ange, mon minou, mon trésor... Plusieurs mots doux trouvés ici


Brilliant site, LaGrive!
No one's ever called me "ma petite crotte",   though - I'm not sure I missed out on anything essential.


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## la grive solitaire

I found ma petite crotte = my little sausage in a Valentine's Day issue   of French-word-a-day.


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## Kelly B

I could swear there's a line in some movie, spoken with a thick, laconic southern accent: "his name is [whatever], but we jus' call him Booger"

...ooooh, that's sooo romantic.... 

...to the French, too, eh?


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## Lodi585

Hello, i want to know common terms of endearment in french. For example, usually in english boyfriends and girlfriends call eachother, baby, babe, my darling, or something along those lines. If anyone can help by providing commonly used terms of endearment in french that'd be great. Thank You.


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## sioban

I first think about the animal names. The most common ones are canard, poussin, chaton, biche, lapin, puce...


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## CARNESECCHI

Hello,
belette, chatoune, doudou, 
Some ideas here
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=52808
Hope it helps


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## Applehead

what about "ma choupitte", does that expression really exist because I could swear I heard it somewhere before.


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## lexiconnaissance

What are some currently used terms of endearment in France besides mon chou et ma puce?


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## BMR

Mon chéri (ma chérie), mon amour, 
my love


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## pieanne

Mon petit loup, chouchou, mon coeur...

ma caille, mon lapin, mon petit chat...


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