bébé
/be.be/masculine
The French word for baby is bébé. Wiktionary also lists nourrisson.
Meaning: very young human being (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bébé | /be.be/ | masculine |
| nourrisson | /nu.ʁi.sɔ̃/ |
The term bébé refers to a very young human being. You may also encounter related verbs such as choyer, dorloter or pouponner, which mean to coddle or pamper someone like an infant.
Which one should you use?
bébé is the standard, common word for a baby. In contrast, nourrisson is a more technical or formal term specifically used to refer to an infant or a newborn who is still being nursed.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word bébé is grammatically masculine. This remains true even when you are referring to a female baby, though you can use the phrase une petite fille if you wish to specify the gender.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /be.be/.
Did you know?
- The word bébé may have originated as a nickname for Nicolas Ferry, who was the court dwarf of the Polish King Stanisław Leszczyński.
- French uses the specific verb pouponner to describe the act of pampering a child, which literally means to treat them like a poupon or a baby doll.
- The word bébé is frequently used as a term of endearment for romantic partners, similar to the English 'baby'.
Examples in context
- Quel beau bébé !What a beautiful baby!This sentence is useful for practicing an exclamation with bébé.Tatoeba #5647293 by Aiji, translation #2045743 by CK
- Je suis un bébé.I'm a baby.This sentence is useful for using bébé in a first-person statement.Tatoeba #6575483 by GB3, translation #6575296 by Eccles17
- Le bébé était nu.The baby was naked.This sentence is useful for describing a bébé in the past tense.Tatoeba #1314686 by sacredceltic, translation #657220 by CK
- Mon petit bébé, tu es tellement adorable!My little baby, you are so adorable!
- Mon bout de chou, viens dans mes bras!My little cabbage, come into my arms!
- 389 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are visiting a friend with a newborn.
- GabrielRegarde ce beau bébé, Manon.Look at this beautiful baby, Manon.
- ManonOui, il est vraiment mignon, Gabriel.Yes, he is really cute, Gabriel.
- GabrielEst-ce que le bébé a faim ?Is the baby hungry?
- ManonJe pense que oui.I think so.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “baby” translations and entries bébé, nourrisson, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bébé, nourrisson, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
