enterrement de vie de jeune fille
/ɑ̃.tɛʁ.mɑ̃ d(ə) vi d(ə) ʒœn fij/masculine
The French term for bachelorette party is enterrement de vie de jeune fille.
It metaphorically referring to the 'death' of one's single life before marriage.
Meaning: bachelorette party (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'burial of girlhood life'.
Which one should you use?
To refer to a bachelor party (for a man), you replace 'jeune fille' (young girl) with 'garçon' (boy).
Did you know?
- Be careful when using the word fille in other contexts, as it is a common slang term for a 'prostitute' in French. This stems from historical euphemisms like fille de joie, or 'girl of joy'.
- While the term implies a funeral, these parties often involve wearing ridiculous costumes or performing 'dares' in public to 'mourn' the single life.
- The word vie in the phrase, meaning 'life', shares a common Latin ancestor with the English word 'way'. This is because the Latin word 'via' originally meant 'path' or 'way', which evolved into different meanings in French and English.
Examples in context
- Avant le mariage, les demoiselles d'honneur sont censées organiser un enterrement de vie de jeune fille pour la mariée.Before the wedding the bridesmaids are expected to plan a bachelorette party for the bride.This sentence shows how bridesmaids are expected to organize an enterrement de vie de jeune fille for the bride.Tatoeba #5689693 by Yemana, translation #5688317 by memmly
- Elle prépare son enterrement de vie de jeune fille.She is preparing her bachelorette party.
- Où vas-tu pour ton enterrement de vie de jeune fille ?Where are you going for your bachelorette party?
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are discussing Chloé's upcoming wedding celebrations.
- ChloéHugo, je cherche des idées pour mon enterrement de vie de jeune fille.Hugo, I am looking for ideas for my bachelorette party.
- HugoTu veux faire quelque chose de calme ou de festif ?Do you want to do something calm or festive?
- ChloéJe préfère un enterrement de vie de jeune fille très festif !I prefer a very festive bachelorette party!
- HugoAlors, je vais t'aider à organiser ça.Then, I will help you organize it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bachelorette party” translations and entries enterrement de vie de jeune fille, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, enterrement, enterrement de vie de jeune fille, fille, jeune, vie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
