133 cute & funny nicknames + terms of endearment in French

Some hate them. Some love them. Whatever your opinion on nicknames is, they are often here to stay. And French is no exception. 

From French terms of endearment for friends to boyfriend and girlfriend nicknames in French, chances are you’ll need them at some point in your French learning journey.

There are many reasons why nicknames are cool:

  • Nicknames make people seem friendlier and more approachable. 
  • Some of the most successful people in the world have nicknames. Think about Steve Jobs, J. Lo, Bill Gates, The King, and many others! 
  • Finding your own (nice!) nickname for someone you care about creates a bond with this person. 
  • For people with names 3 syllables or longer, or foreign, unusual names, nicknames come in very handy to introduce yourself — writing from my own experience, as nobody remembers my name properly in countries like France or Spain. 
  • Knowing some cute nicknames in French will help you make francophone friends and probably make them laugh.
  • Nicknames can allow you to be anonymous.
  • And many more!

So, whether your nickname is the Rossatron or Regina Phalange, keep reading for some cool French nicknames!

Terms of endearment in French 

In French, “I love you” is mostly for couples going steady. If you’re not there yet or looking for nicknames in French that are more suitable for family members or friends, we have you covered!

Boyfriend nicknames in French

Do you want to surprise your francophone boyfriend with a super cool pet name? Or do you want to learn French terms of endearment for your boyfriend just to impress your sweetheart? Well, you’ve come to the right place! 

Additionally, don’t miss these romantic quotes in French.

English French IPA  Note/Context
My cabbage (also a French pastry) Mon chou mõ ʃu If you’ve never had a “chou à la crème” or “petit chou,” go to the nearest boulangerie or pâtisserie!
My handsome Mon beau mõ bo  
My wolf Mon loup mõ lu  
My prince Mon prince mõ pɾɛ̃sə  
My bear Mon ours mõn‿ uɾ  
My teddy bear Mon nounours mõ nunuɾ Usually for big but sensitive guys.
My duck Mon canard mõ kanaɾ  
My rabbit Mon lapin mõ lapɛ̃  
My chicken Mon poulet mõ pule  
My man Mon homme mõ ɔmə  
My guy Mon mec mõ mɛk  
My love Mon amour mõn‿ amuɾ  
My heart Mon cœur mõ kœɾ  
No translation Mon loulou mõ lulu  
My baby Mon bébé mõ bebe  
My other half Ma moitié ma mwatje  
My lover Mon amoureux mõn‿ amuɾø  
My dear Mon chéri mõ ʃeɾi  
Mylove Mamour mamuɾ  
My angel Mon ange mõn‿ ɑ̃ʒə  
My treasure Mon trésor mõ tɾezɔɾ  
No translation Mon doudou mõ dudu Comes from Creole.
My chick Mon poussin mõ pusɛ̃  
My cat Mon chat mõ ʃa Beware of the feminine version of this. While it means female cat, it also means something else in French slang
My other Mon autre mõn‿ otɾə  
My guy Mon chum mõ ʃœ̃ Québec only
My king Mon roi mõ ɾwa Learn more royalty vocab in French here.
My Romeo Mon Roméo mõ ɾɔmeo  
My lamb Mon biquet mõ bike  
My reason for living Ma raison de vivre ma ɾɛzõ də vivɾə  
My reason for being Ma raison d’être ma ɾɛzõ dɛtɾə  
My Valentine Mon Valentin mõ valɑ̃tɛ̃  
My valiant knight  Mon preux chevalier mi valjɑ̃ kni Funny, very “middle-age”
My prince charming Mon prince charmant mõ pɾɛ̃sə ʃaɾmɑ̃  
No translation Mon Jules mõ ʒylə  

Happy laughing couple at home on couch calling each other terms of endearment in French.

Girlfriend nicknames in French

We can’t have boyfriend nicknames in French without girlfriend nicknames in French. So, because equality matters, here is a full table dedicated only to us, queens of the world. Yes, that’s what Jack says in Titanic — listen again. 

English French IPA  Note/context
My heart Mon cœur mõ kœɾ  
My baby Mon bébé mõ bebe  
My love Mon amour mõn‿ amuɾ  
My other half Ma moitié ma mwatje  
My sweet Ma douce ma dusə  
My hen Ma poule ma pulə  
My tigress Ma tigresse ma tigɾɛsə For a feisty woman
My doe Ma biche ma biʃə  
My little doe Ma bichette ma biʃɛtə  
My quail Ma caille ma kajə Not the most flattering in my opinion
My princess Ma princesse ma pɾɛ̃sɛsə  
My lover Mon amoureuse mõn‿ amuɾøzə  
My rabbit Mon lapin mõ lapɛ̃  
My duck Mon canard mõ kanaɾ  
My dear Ma chérie ma ʃeɾjə  
My angel Mon ange mõn‿ ɑ̃ʒə  
My treasure Mon trésor mõ tɾezɔɾ  
No translation Mon doudou mõ dudu From Creole.
My chick Mon poussin mõ pusɛ̃  
My beauty Ma beauté ma bote  
No translation Ma choute ma ʃutə  
My dove Ma colombe ma kɔlõbə  
My flea Ma puce ma pysə  
My sugar candy Mon sucre d’orge mõ sykɾə dɔɾʒə  
My beautiful Ma belle ma bɛlə More compliments in French here.
My rose Ma rose ma ɾozə  
My other Mon autre mõn‿ otɾə  
No translation Ma louloutte ma lulutə  
My blond Ma blonde ma blõdə  
My queen Ma reine ma ɾəinə  
My kitten Mon chaton mõ ʃatõ  
My little bird Mon petit oiseau mõ pətit‿ wazo  
My lamb Ma biquette ma bikɛtə  
My reason for living Ma raison de vivre ma ɾɛzõ də vivɾə  
My reason for being Ma raison d’être ma ɾɛzõ dɛtɾə  
My little wife Ma petite femme ma pətitəfamə  
My goddess Ma déesse ma deɛsə Now you’re talking.
My Valentine Ma Valentine ma valɑ̃tinə  
My sweetheart Ma dulcinée ma dylsineə  

French nicknames for your grandmother and grandfather

Grandparents can be an important part of your life, and deserve a dedicated section. The table below gathers the most typical nicknames for grandparents in France. 

English French IPA  Note/Context
Granny Mémé meme Learn more family vocab in French here
Grandad Pépé pepe  
Grandma Mamie mamjə  
Grandpa Papi papi  
Nana Mamé mame  
Papa Papé pape  
Meemaw Mamou mamu  
Papaw Papou papu  
Grammie Manette manɛtə  
Grampie Pépère pepɛɾə  

Cute elderly couple holding bouquet of flowers smiling at their grandma and grandpa nicknames in French.

Funny French nicknames

Nicknames can be adorable, but they can also be a real nightmare when you don’t like them. They tend to stick around like gum on a shoe, and the only way to fight back is… with more nicknames! 

Below is a selection of funny French, but (almost) always friendly nicknames. Amusez-vous bien !

English French Relationship IPA  Note/Context
My money Ma pépette Usually for a little girl or a girlfriend. ma pepɛtə  
My little monster Mon petit monstre Usually for kids. mõ pəti mõstɾə  
My big (tall) boy/girl Mon grand/ma grande Usually for kids or friends. mõ gɾɑ̃d/ma gɾɑ̃də  
My jewel Mon bijou Usually for kids, but can also be for a woman. mõ biʒu  
My truffle Ma truffe Usually for kids or friends. ma tɾyfə While “truffe” means “truffle”, it can also mean a dog’s nose!
My pot Ma cocotte For a female friend or family member.  ma kɔkɔtə  
My otter Ma loutre Usually for female friends ma lutɾə This term is also used by the gay community
My quiche Ma quiche Usually for a friend. ma kiʃə  
No translation Mon loulou Usually for kids, but can also be used for a man. mõ lulu  
No translation Ma louloutte Usually for kids, but can also be used for a woman. ma lulutə  
No translation Lilou For kids, friends or a love interest (female). lilu  
Boss Chef Usually for friends. ʃɛf  
Champion Champion Usually for friends, kids or family members. ʃɑ̃pjõ  
Cousin Cousin/Cousine For cousins, but not necessarily.  kuzin/kuzinə  
Bro/Sis Frangin/Frangine For siblings. fɾɑ̃ʒin/fɾɑ̃ʒinə  
Brother Frérot For brothers. fɾeɾo  
Dude Mec For a male friend. mɛk  
My buddy Mon/ma pote For friends. mɔn/ma pɔtə  
My sauerkraut Ma choucroute Usually for friends. ma ʃukɾutə  
My rusk bread Ma biscotte Usually for kids. ma biskɔtə  
My bottle cork Mon bouchon Usually for kids. mõ buʃõ  
My egg Mon coco For a male friend or family member. mõ kɔko  
My groundhog Ma marmotte Usually for kids or a friend. ma maɾmɔtə  
My worm Mon ver de terre Usually for babies and toddlers. mõ ve də tɛrə  
My big (fat) Mon gros Usually for friends who won’t get offended. mõ gɾo  
My complainer Mon râleur/ma râleuse Usually for friends or couples. mõ ɾɑlœɾ/ma ɾɑløzə French people love to complain, it’s almost like a compliment!
My pig Mon cochon For friends. mõ kɔʃõ  
My rock Mon roc For good friends, family members or couples. mõ ɾɔk  
Old branch Vieille branche For an old friend. vjɛjə bɾɑ̃ʃə  
My frog Ma grenouille Usually for kids. ma gɾənwijə  
No translation Biloute For friends. bilutə Used in Northern France.
Carebear Bisounours For your sensitive/overly positive friends. bizunuɾ  

Cute nicknames in French

This section is mostly dedicated to the little ones, with an adorable selection of pet names. Trop mignon !

English French Relationship IPA  Note/Context
My little doll Ma poupette For little girls. ma pupɛtə  
My doll Ma poupée For little girls. ma pupeə  
My fairy Ma fée For little girls. ma feə  
My little bit Mon petit bout For kids. mõ pəti bu  
My miracle Mon miracle For kids. mõ miɾaklə  
My star Mon étoile For kids. mõn‿ etwalə  
My sun beam Mon rayon de soleil For kids. mõ ɾɛjõ də sɔlɛj  
My light Ma lumière For kids. ma lymjɛɾə  
My sun Mon soleil For kids. mõ sɔlɛj  
My pearl Ma perle For kids. ma pɛɾlə  
My flower Ma fleur For kids. ma flœɾ  
My candy apple Ma pomme d’amour For kids. ma pɔmə damuɾ  
No translation Choupette For a little girl. ʃupɛtə  
Little crumb Petite miette For kids. pətitə mjɛtə  
My little koala Mon petit koala For kids. mõ pəti koala  
My perfection Ma perfection For kids. ma pɛɾfɛksjõ  
My rainbow Mon arc en ciel For kids. mõn‿ aɾkɑ̃ sjɛl  

Little boy and corgi reading a book about cute nicknames in French for pets and children.

Allez mes petits chous, it’s time to wrap up our article on terms of endearment in French!

And if you’re feeling romantic with all these pet names, don’t miss these sweet ways to say I love you in French and these French quotes about l’amour. Remember to keep up the fun and free French vocab learning on our French blog.

Un vrai Bisounours !

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