French Baby Talk - Le language enfantin
Learn how to talk like a baby, in French
French has quite a bit of "baby talk" or "kiddie speak" - words and expressions which are usually used by children or when talking to children. Even if you don't talk to kids in French, this informal language is important to recognize, as baby talk can also be found in jokes and in conversations with good friends.
Note that, as in English, much French baby talk consists of a single syllable repeated twice.
| en français | in English | |||
| Enfantin | Vient de | Baby Talk | Normal | |
| un bobo | owie, boo-boo | wound | ||
| * avoir bobo - to have an owie, be hurt | ||||
| le caca | cacare (Latin) | poo poo | feces | |
| * faire caca - to go number 2 | ||||
| le dada | horsie, gee-gee | horse | ||
| le dodo | dormir | beddy-bye | go to sleep | |
| * faire dodo - to go to sleep, to be asleep | ||||
| * faire un gros/petit dodo - to take a long/short nap | ||||
| * Au dodo ! - Go to bed! | ||||
| le doudou | dormir | blankie | blanket | |
| des joujoux | des jouets | toys | ||
| * faire joujou - to play | ||||
| le lolo | le lait | milk | ||
| * Note: les lolos is also a familiar term for breasts | ||||
| la mamie, mammy la mémé |
grand-mère | granny | grandma | |
| la menotte | la main | hand | ||
| * Note: les menottes are handcuffs | ||||
| miam-miam | manger | yum yum | eating, food | |
| le nounours | ours en peluche | teddy | teddy bear | |
| le panpan | spanking | |||
| * faire panpan - to spank | ||||
| la papatte | la patte | leg, hand | ||
|
le papi,
papy le pépé |
grand-père | gramps | granddad | |
| le pipi | pee pee | urine | ||
| * faire pipi - to pee, to go number 1 (used by adults, too) | ||||
| le prout | le pet | fart | flatulence | |
| * faire (un) prout - to fart | ||||
| la quenotte | canne (old Fr) | tooth | ||
| faire sisite | s'asseoir | to sit | ||
| la tata la tatie |
tante | auntie | aunt | |
| le tonton | oncle | uncle | ||
| la toto | auto | car | ||
| les totos (m) | head lice | |||
| le toutou | doggy | dog | ||
| le zizi | weenie, peter | penis | ||
Idiomatic expressions that include baby talk
| Caca d'oie | |
| Yellow-green | |
| En peau de toutou | |
| Of mediocre quality | |
| Métro-boulot-dodo | |
| Rat race | |
| Suivre/Obéir à qqun comme un toutou | |
| To follow/obey as meekly as a lamb. | |
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Did I miss any? Please let me know on the forum! |
| Teaching Resources for Kids French Vocabulary |
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