bébé
/be.be/
The English phrase "bae" can be translated into French as bébé.
bébé is a term of endearment used to refer to a romantic partner.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of bébé is /be.be/.
When do people say it?
In addition to bébé, French speakers use several other informal terms of endearment. One might use Mon chou to mean sweetie or cutie, Ma puce (literally "my flea") to refer to someone dear, Mon lapin (my rabbit) to express fondness or Mon canard (my duck) to convey endearment.
Did you know?
- The word bébé may have originally been a nickname for Nicolas Ferry, who served as the court dwarf to the Polish King Stanisław Leszczyński.
- If you are looking for a French equivalent to 'sweetie', you might unexpectedly call someone mon chou, which literally translates to 'my cabbage'.
- A French person might call their significant other ma puce, which literally means 'my flea'.
Examples in context
- Je t'aime, mon amour.I love you, my love.
- Comment ça va, ma chérie?How are you, my darling?
- Viens ici, mon chou.Come here, sweetie.
- Mon lapin, tu me fais toujours sourire.My rabbit, you always make me smile.
- Tu me manques, mon bébé.I miss you, my baby.
- C'est mon bébé, je l'aime.She is my baby, I love her.
- Je t'aime, bébé.I love you, baby.
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are having a sweet moment at home.
- LucasTu es magnifique ce soir, bébé.You are beautiful tonight, baby.
- ManonMerci, Lucas. Tu es très gentil.Thank you, Lucas. You are very kind.
- LucasJe t'aime tellement.I love you so much.
- ManonMoi aussi, mon bébé.Me too, my baby.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bébé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bébé, CC BY-SA 4.0.
