As in other languages, French has its own little words or names to call a loved one. How does calling your wife “My flea” sound to you? It’s one of the most popular French love nickname!
There are other ways in French to show your love for someone than saying I love you – in French “je t’aime”. Why not use a French love nickname with your loved one?
This free French lesson – like many on French Today’s blog – features audio recordings. Click on the link next to the headphones to hear the French pronunciation.
Note that most of these French love names can be modified by petit + boyfriend nickname, or petite + girlfriend nickname, making it even sweeter to talk to your loved one.
We very often add mon petit + masculine love nickname or ma petite + feminine love term to talk to a child.
I often call Leyla, our daughter mon petit coeur and Olivier calls her ma petite puce (my little flea !!! – no kidding, it’s a very popular love nickname in France).
Some of these French love nicknames look really bad in English: Doudou, ma biche 🤣🤣🤣 However they are very common in French!
10 French Love Nicknames
Here is a list of French love nicknames which can be used for a man or a woman. Note that these terms are also used to lovingly call a child, boy or girl.
- Mon amour – my love
- Mon ange – my angel
- Mon trésor – my treasure
- Mon coeur – my heart
- Mon canard – my duck – yes, I know… wait, it gets worse…
- Mon chou – my sweet bun (un chou à la crème is a cream filled puff pastry) – “mon petit chou” is also quite common… Another origine is that before, kids were told they were born in a cabbage (“un chou” in French).
- Mon chouchou – comes from “mon chou”
- Doudou – no literal translation – it sounds very bad in English but we use it a lot in French! The origine is Creole French and it means sweety, darling…
- Mon lapin – my rabbit
- Mon poussin – my chick
Even though you’d be talking to a girl or a woman, you would still use the French possessive adjective “mon” with all these love terms because the love term is masculine (un amour, un ange, un trésor…).
I call my husband “Doudou”. I know it sounds really bad in English but it’s a very, very common love nickname in France. Être doux means to be soft to the touch.
Un doudou is often how a kid calls his special blankie or sleep toy / teddy…
11 French Boyfriend Nicknames
All these French terms of endearment mean my darling more or less and are use to talk to romantic boyfriends. Some may be used with a child as well – I noted the ones that can’t.
- Mon chat – my cat (do not say the final t)
- Mon chéri – my darling
- Mon beau – my beautiful one
- Mon choupinet – no translation – but comes from “mon chou”
- Mon gros – my fat one (I wouldn’t use this term of endearment with a child… or an adult actually… I don’t really care for it but it is used)
- Loulou – no translation but it probably comes from “loup”
- Mon loup – my wolf (I wouldn’t use this French term of endearment with a child)
- Mon ours – my bear (I wouldn’t use this French love term with a child)
- Mon nounours – my teddy bear (I wouldn’t use this French love name with a child)
- Minou – kitty
- Roudoudou – no translation although it was the name of a hard caramel candy… (I wouldn’t use this French love nickname with a child)
To learn truly useful French vocabulary in context, check out my downloadable French audiobooks, featuring different speeds of recording and enunciation, and focussing on today’s modern glided pronunciation, exclusively on sale on French Today. Spoiler: there are a couple of romances!
À Moi Paris Audiobook Method
A new approach to learning both traditional and modern French logically structured for English speakers.
More Details & Audio Samples
23 French Nicknames For Your Girlfriend
All these French terms of endearment are used to talk to French women or girls and mean my darling more or less but – some have specific translations which are sooooo funny!!
Can you imagine sweet calling your wife “my flea” or “my shrimp” in English? Give it a try and let me know how it turns out 🤣
- Ma belle – my beautiful one
- Ma beauté – my beauty
- Ma biche, ma bichette – my doe – yeah, I know it looks bad in English!
- Mon biquet, ma biquette – my goat kid
- Ma caille – my quail
- Ma chatte – my cat (be careful with this one as well : it means pussy, with exactly the same double meanings as it has in English)
- Ma chérie – my darling
- Ma choute – no translation – again comes from “mon chou”
- Choupinette – no translation – again comes from “mon chou”
- Ma cocotte – no translation but it has to do with hen
- Ma colombe – my dove
- Ma crevette – my shrimp (no, not the worse one)
- Ma gazelle – my gazelle
- Lolotte – no translation
- Ma mie (very very old fashion – I wouldn’t use that French love term with a child)
- Minette – kitty
- Moumoune – no translation (I wouldn’t use that French love name with a child)
- Ma poule, ma poulette – my hen
- Poupounette – no translation
- Ma Puce – my flea (yes, I know, it’s embarrassing) – also “Pupuce”… Very common love nickname in France… Actually that’s how Olivier call our daughter Leyla!!
- Ma sardine – my sardine (no comment)
- Ma souris – my mouse
- Mon sucre d’orge – my little candy
I wouldn’t like to be called Ma chatte but it’s very common in France – so is Ma Puce.
Now you are ready to surprise your loved one with some cute French love nicknames for Valentine’s Day.
And you? How do you call your loved ones? I’d love to know: let me know in the comments!
If you know more common French love terms, please add them in the comments and I will add them to this list (they need to be PC though).
Joyeuse Saint Valentin à tous !
More posts on this topic:
- The many ways to say I love you in French
- 💕 Flirting in French – Vocabulary & Tips
You’ll find exclusive mini lessons, tips, pictures and more everyday on French Today’s Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages – so join me there!
