101 Cute, romantic & dirty French terms of endearment & pet names

101 Cute, romantic & dirty French terms of endearment & pet names

Discover over 101 adorable French terms of endearment to express your love. From ‘Mon Amour’ to ‘Ma Lolita’, find the perfect pet name for your loved one.

By Annie André ⦿ updated January 10, 2024  
popular French terms of endearment
popular French terms of endearment

Hello, chers amis! If you want to make your sweetheart melt or embarrass the hell out of your kids, instead of calling them sweetheart, snookums or honey bunny, try out one of these cute French terms of endearment and French pet names for men, women, and children. I've also listed a few dirty French nicknames towards the end.

If you're looking for actual French pet names for your cat and not pet names for people, check out this post I did...

If you're looking for actual French girl names, check out this post.

Cute, sexy & quirky French Terms of Endearment

Hey baby,

let's talk about terms of endearment, sometimes referred to as "pet names" or "nicknames."

Those sweet words of affection people use to address their boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, friends, children, loved ones and even pets.

In the English language, there are many cute terms of endearment and nicknames such as "honey bunny," "sweetheart," "pumpkin," "baby," "buddy," and "dude," to name a few.

French terms of endearment = "Les surnoms" (nicknames) or "petits nom d'amour" (little love names.)

The French language has just as many, if not more equally cute, romantic, quirky and even dirty French nicknames, love names, pet names, and terms of endearment. 

Some French terms of endearment translate to English word for word like "mon ange" which means "my angel". Sounds cute doesn't it? 

Others French nicknames won't sound as cute to a non-native French speaker such as "mon chou" which can either mean "MY CABBAGE or my "CREAM PUFF PASTRY."  

It may sound strange to you but, calling someone "pumpkin" sounds weird to a French person, but not to a French person because it's a very common and affectionate way to talk to a child or even your partner. 

How this list of French terms of endearment is organized.

In this article, I'll list some of the more common and interesting terms of endearment in French as well as less common ones.

I've tried to organize the French nicknames and pet names into meaningful categories such as cute nicknames for a boyfriend, animal related French terms of endearment, or commonly said to a woman, but most can be used for both males and females, such as "mon coeur" (my heart.)

Needless to say, you probably shouldn't use the raunchy ones at the end of this article on children.

If you're looking for some French names for girls, check out this article...

HOW TO USE
this list of 101 French terms of endearment every day:

Go through this list and write down the French terms of endearment and pet names that you like.

Then simply replace someone's name with one the French pet name. 

Examples and literal meaning

For example: Instead of saying hello + someone's name, you could say the following.

  • Bonjour mon amour (Hello my love).
  • Bonjour ma belle (Hello my beautiful).
  • Bonjour mon Coeur (Hello my heart).
  •  Where are you ma cocotte? (Where are you my casserole?)
popular French terms of endearment

(1-10)
 Top 10 most common or popular French terms of endearment

The following 10 French nicknames are some of the more common ones in France. 

French Term

Meaning

1) Mon Chou:

Literally my cabbage but "chou" can also refer to a French cream-puff called "Chou Chantilly".

2)  ChouChou:

Cabbage Cabbage or Cream puff cream puff

3)  Mon ange:

My angel

4)  Mon bébé:

My baby

5) Mon cœur:

My heart

6) Mon Doudou:

My blanky or my cuddly thing

7) Mon trésor:

My Treasure

8) Mon chéri:

Say to males: My darling; implies love. You can say this to your lover or to little boys. 

9) Ma chérie:

Say to females: My darling; implies love. You can say this to your lover or to little girls. 

10) Ma puce:

My flea (this is quite popular with parents for boys and girls)

Mon cher / Ma Chère:

vs

Mon Chéri / Ma Chèrie

Don't confuse Mon Cher and Ma Chère with Mon chéri and Ma chérie.

Cher/Chère

Mon Cher and Ma Chère are more formal than Mon chéri and Ma chérie.

French people RARELY use Cher / Chère "ami(e)," or  “Cher / Chère + "name” to address a friend.

Cher / Chère do not imply love and is not intimate or romantic. It's used to show respect and consideration.

They can be used in a conversation, in correspondence and in letters just as you would write "dear john."

Examples: 

  • Ma chère cousine vient d’arriver (my dearest cousin just arrived)
  • Chers amis, je vous remercie de votre présence aujourd’hui. (Dear friends, thank you for being here today.)
  • Bonjour ma chère (Hello my dear) said to a woman.
  • Bonjour mon cher (Hello my dear) said to a man.

Chéri/Chèrie

Chéri and Chèrie are more intimate, tender and used as a French term of endearment to someone you know very well, love, or care deeply for.

It's meaning is closer to my darling. 

Examples: 

  • Veux-tu boire un verre ce soir chérie? (Do you want to have tonight darling?)
  • Bonjour chèrie (Hello dear) said to a woman.
  • Bonjour chér (Hello dear) said to a man.



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popular French terms of endearment

(11 - 20)
  French Terms Of Endearment for:
HIM, HER or THE KIDS

You can use these French pet names to address your boyfriend, girlfriend, kids, husband, wife and maybe a very close friend.

They all generally have the same meaning as "honey," "sweetie," or "darling." I personally would not use these on your parents or co-workers.

French Term

Meaning

11.)  Mon biquet:

My lamb

12.)  Mon canard:

My duck

13.)  Mon colibri:

My hummingbird

14.)  Mon lapin:

My rabbit

15.)  Mon Lapinou:

My bunny

16.)  Mon Minou:

My kitty

17.)  Mon poussin:

My chick (as in baby chick)

18.) Mon sucre d'orge:

My barley sugar, candy cane

19.)  Mon trognon:

My apple core or fruit core

20.)  Mamours:

contraction of "mon amour" to mean "my love"

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popular French terms of endearment

(21 - 38)
French Terms Of Endearment for:
MEN or BOYS

Here are a few French nicknames you can call your boyfriend or husband but also your son's.

My favourite on this list is "Mon LouLou."
Again, these all have the general meaning of sweetie, hun or darling.

French Term

Meaning

21) Mon Petit Chou:

My little cabbage

22) Mon Beau:

My handsome

23) Mon Loup:

My wolf

24) Mon Nounours:

My Teddy Bear Or Plushy

25) Mon Ours:

My Bear

26) Mon Petit Caneton:

My Little Duckling

27) Mon Poulet:

My Chicken

28) Mon Rêleur:

My Grumpy Or Complainer

29) Mon Homme:

My Man

30) Mon Loulou:

My Pomeranian ( Cute, Cuddly And Carried Around)

31) Mon Lutin:

My Elf

32) Mon Vieux:

My Old One (but closer in meaning to Big Guy)

33) Mon Bébé D'amour:

My Love Baby

34) Mon Bibou:

Means Nothing Like "Smoopy Poop"

35) Mon Grand:

My big (this common term idiomatically means "big boy"

36) Mon Petit Monstre:

My Little Monstre (Great For The Kids)

37) Mon Vilain:

My Naughty One (Another Good One For The Kids)

38) Mon Bibou:

Nonsensical like "Smoopy Poop"

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popular French terms of endearmentpopular French terms of endearment

(39 - 48)
Cute Animal French Terms Of Endearment to Call:
WOMEN AND LITTLE GIRLS

Many French nicknames involve animals such as my little butterfly or ladybug. Here are some of my favourite. 

French Term

Meaning

39) Ma coccinelles

My ladybug

40) Ma colombe

My dove

41) Ma crevette

My shrimp

42) Ma poule

My chicken

43) Ma tigresse

My tigress

44) Mon papillon

My butterfly

45) Ma biche

My doe, as in do a dear

46) Ma bichette

Derived from biche (doe)

47) Ma bibiche

Derived from biche (doe)

48) Ma caille

My quail

popular French terms of endearment

(49 - 65)
Tender French Terms Of Endearment to Call:
WOMEN AND GIRLS

French Term

Meaning

49) Ma truffe

My truffle

50) Ma choupinette

mainly used when addressing a little girl

51) Ma cocotte

My casserole

52) Ma douce

My sweet

53) Ma loulotte

No translation

54) Ma lutine

My elf, or maybe pixie

55) Ma pepette

My money

56) Ma petite sirène

My little mermaid

57) Ma mie

Not the crust but the soft white part of bread

58) Ma princesse

My princess

59) Mon bijou

My jewel

60) Ma belle

My pretty like the Beatles song "Michelle, ma belle"

61) Ma bohème

My bohemian

62) Ma rêleuse

My grumpy or my complainer

63) Ma fée

My fairy

64) Ma poupée

My little doll

65) Ma poupette

derived from poupée, my dolly

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popular French terms of endearment

(66 - 93)
Romantic French Terms Of Endearment that can can also be used affectionately with children. 

The following French terms of endearment and nicknames can be used romantically with someone you're involved with as well as affectionately with kids in a very lovey dovey way.  

For instance, "Mon Amour" which means my love can be used both romantically with your boyfriend as well as with little children. 

French Term

Meaning

66) Mon Amour

My love (this is extremely popular)

67) Mon Amoureux

My lover ( not sexual. Can say to children means my love

68) Ma raison de vivre

My reason for living

69) Mon étoile

My star

70) Mon destin

My destiny

71) Ma force

My strength

72) Mon ciel étoilé

My starry sky

73) L'amour de ma vie

Love of my life

74) Ma passion

My passion

75) Mon indispensable

My essential or indispensable one

76) Mon rève

My dream

77) Mon préféré

My preferred

78) Mon désir

My desire

79) Ma perfection

My perfection

80) Ma foi

My faith

81) Ma raison d'ètre

My reason for living My reason for being

82) Mon prince

My prince

83) Mon Roméo

My Romeo

84) Mon superman

My superman

85) Mon bonheur

My happiness

86) Mon Essentiel

My essential

87) Mon avenir

My future

88) Mon Exception

My exception

89) Mon rayon de soleil

My ray of sunshine

90)  Ma pomme d’amour

My apple of love

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dirty French terms of endearment

(91-101)
  WARNING!  
French terms of endearment you may find
  STRANGE, NAUGHTY OR RISQUÉ

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Les surnoms coquins
Dirty French nicknames and terms of endearment

I saved the best or worst for last, depending on how you look at it.

The following French terms of endearment will probably sound raunchy or dirty to you.

Nevertheless, they are terms of endearment some French people use.

French Term

Meaning

91) Ma coquine
ma coquinette

My naughty

92) Mon p’tit cul

Diminutive form of "petit cul", little ass

Mon p’tit cul

93) Ma Lolita

Ma Lolita has the same connotation in French & English: You girl who is precocious and seductive

94) Ma grosse
Mon Gros

My fat one.

Ma grosse Mon Gros

95) Ma crotte

Literally means my turd. Belgians use this to refer to their women, like Ma chérie

Ma crotte

96) Ma quequette

A childish or cute name for a penis, like willy. A friend of mine, who is a woman sometimes calls me this. weird right?

Ma quequette

97) Ma nénette
Ma Salope

Nénette can mean slut but can also mean chick or broad.

Salope can also mean slut but, here it can also mean "My Bitch"

Ma nénette Ma Salope

98) Ma chatte
Ma Chatounette

Be careful! This means pussy cat and, it has the same double meaning in English "pussy". 

99) Ma couille

Literally means my testicle, but young men use it to refer to their friends, like "hey dickhead", only it would be "hey testicle.

Ma couille

100) Mon petit poil de cul

Literally means "my little butt hair." I found this on a French forum from someone who said she calls her boyfriend this. 

Mon petit poil de cul

101) Mon dieu de sexe

My sex god. Don't use in public unless you want to perk up someone's ears.  

Mon dieu de sexe

LA FIN!

There you have it mes chèrs.

There are probably 100's more French terms of endearment that I could have included but this French vocabulary should take you a while to memorize. 

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Annie André

Annie André

About the author

I'm Annie André, a bilingual North American with Thai and French Canadian roots. I've lived in France since 2011. When I'm not eating cheese, drinking wine or hanging out with my husband and children, I write articles on my personal blog annieandre.com for intellectually curious people interested in all things France: Life in France, travel to France, French culture, French language, travel and more.

 

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