tante
/tɑ̃t/feminine
The French word for aunt is tante. Wiktionary also lists tatie and matante.
Meaning: a parent's sister or sister-in-law (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tante | /tɑ̃t/ (France) /tãt/ (Canada) |
feminine |
| tatie | /ta.ti/ | feminine, informal |
| matante | /ma.tɑ̃t/ | Quebec, feminine, informal |
The noun refers to a parent's sister or sister-in-law.
Which one should you use?
While tante is the standard term, tatie and tata are informal variations. In Quebec, matante is also used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more affectionate or child-like tone, similar to the English 'auntie', you can use the informal term tatie or the informal term tata.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec French, matante is a common informal way to refer to one's aunt.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of tante is tantes. All forms provided in this entry are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɑ̃t/
Did you know?
- The word tante is believed to have originated from 'childish reduplication', where children simplified the difficult Latin word amita into a repetitive sound.
- In Quebec, matante is used as a slang term to describe a stereotypical meddling or overly chatty older woman, regardless of whether she is actually an aunt.
- The word tante is a phonetic twin to the word for 'tent', a fact frequently used by French writers to create wordplay and puns.
Examples in context
- Je connais ma tante.I know my aunt.This sentence shows how to use tante when stating you know someone.Tatoeba #11941833 by Amastan, translation #8319076 by Amastan
- Reste avec ta tante.Stay with your aunt.This sentence demonstrates the use of tante in an imperative instruction.Tatoeba #11941835 by Amastan, translation #10475756 by Amastan
- Ma tante est déjà là.My aunt is already here.This sentence shows how to use tante to indicate someone's presence.Tatoeba #6147072 by sicerabibax, translation #6145917 by RobinvanderVliet
- Bonjour, Tante Marie. Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui?Hello, Aunt Marie. How are you today?
- Madame Dupont est ma tante préférée.Mrs. Dupont is my favorite aunt.
- Salut, Tata Sophie! Tu veux venir jouer avec moi?Hi, Aunt Sophie! Do you want to come play with me?
- Ma tata Suzanne m'a offert un cadeau pour mon anniversaire.My Aunt Suzanne gave me a present for my birthday.
- C'est ma tante.This is my aunt.
- Elle est la sœur de mon père.She is my father's sister.
- 115 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are talking about a family visit.
- EmmaEst-ce que ta tante vient nous voir ?Is your aunt coming to see us?
- NathanOui, ma tante arrive demain.Yes, my aunt arrives tomorrow.
- EmmaC'est super, j'adore ta tante.That's great, I love your aunt.
- NathanElle est très contente de te voir aussi.She is very happy to see you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aunt” translations and entries tante, tatie, matante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries matante, tante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
