baby-sitter
/be.bi.si.tœʁ/feminine, masculine
The French word for babysitter is baby-sitter. If unsure, use baby-sitter. Wiktionary also lists gardien d’enfant and gardienne d’enfant.
Meaning: baby or child caretaker (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| baby-sitter | /be.bi.si.tœʁ/ | feminine, masculine |
| gardien d’enfant | feminine | |
| gardienne d’enfant | feminine | |
| bonne d’enfant | feminine | |
| babysitteuse | feminine, uncommon |
All forms refer to a person who provides care for a baby or child.
Which one should you use?
The anglicism baby-sitter is the most common way to refer to a babysitter in everyday spoken French. The term babysitteuse is an uncommon feminine form. Bonne d’enfant is an archaic term that is rarely used in modern contexts and can sound dated.
How does it change in a sentence?
Even though baby-sitter is an English loanword, it follows French gender rules and takes the feminine article une when referring to a woman.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /be.bi.si.tœʁ/. It has 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- In many French-speaking regions, a babysitter might be referred to by the informal term nounou, a diminutive that sounds much more affectionate and childlike.
- The word 'gardien' is related to the concept of a protector, which is why it is used for both a person watching children and a person guarding a museum.
- Historically, a bonne was a live-in domestic servant, meaning a bonne d’enfant lived with the family rather than visiting for a few hours.
Examples in context
- Avons-nous une baby-sitter pour ce soir ?Do we have a babysitter for tonight?This sentence is useful for asking if a baby-sitter is available for the evening.Tatoeba #6200037 by nimfeo, translation #434526 by lukaszpp
- Nous devons trouver une nouvelle baby-sitter.We need to find a new babysitter.This sentence is useful for expressing the need to find a new baby-sitter.Tatoeba #6363587 by Aiji, translation #3264749 by CK
- J'étais ta baby-sitter quand tu étais enfant.I was your babysitter when you were a kid.This sentence is useful for reminiscing about being someone's baby-sitter in the past.Tatoeba #6716623 by Aiji, translation #5904833 by CK
- La nounou reste avec les enfants pendant que les parents sont au travail.The babysitter stays with the children while the parents are at work.
- Est-ce que tu peux être ma babysitter ce soir ?Can you be my babysitter tonight?
- Notre famille accueille une au pair allemande pour s'occuper des enfants.Our family is hosting a German au pair to take care of the children.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are discussing their plans for the evening.
- NathanLéa, est-ce que tu as une baby-sitter ?Léa, do you have a babysitter?
- LéaNon, je n'ai pas encore de baby-sitter.No, I don't have a babysitter yet.
- NathanJe peux t'aider à en trouver une.I can help you find one.
- LéaC'est gentil, merci Nathan !That's kind, thanks Nathan!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “babysitter” translations and entries baby-sitter, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
