garçon
/ɡaʁ.sɔ̃/masculine
The English word 'boy' is translated into French as garçon.
garçon is the standard term for a male child. In certain specific scenarios, it can also be used to mean 'waiter'.
Meaning: male child (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
garçon is the standard and formal way to refer to a boy. For more informal contexts, you might use gars to mean 'guy' or 'lad' or the slang term mec to mean 'guy' or 'dude'. If you want to refer to a boy or a young child in an informal way that often implies they are mischievous, you can use gamin, which translates to 'kid' or 'brat'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural of garçon, add an 's' to the end to get garçons.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡaʁ.sɔ̃/
Did you know?
- The word garçon shares an unexpected ancestry with the English word 'wretch'. They both trace back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning 'an exile' or 'an outcast'.
- In modern France, calling a waiter garçon is often considered outdated or slightly impolite. It is more common to use monsieur or simply catch their attention with a gesture.
- The word garçon is the root of the phrase faire le garçon, which can mean to act as a servant or to be overly helpful in a subservient way.
Examples in context
- T'es un garçon ?Are you a boy?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a garçon.Tatoeba #11899495 by zogwarg, translation #11899494 by CK
- Le garçon a soif.The boy is thirsty.This sentence is useful for describing a thirsty garçon.Tatoeba #476608 by qdii, translation #371006 by saeb
- Où est le garçon ?Where is the boy?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of a garçon.Tatoeba #837708 by sacredceltic, translation #370651 by saeb
- Excusez-moi, garçon!Excuse me, boy!
- Ce petit gars est très courageuxThis little boy is very brave
- C'est un vrai petit gaminHe's a real little boy
- Viens ici, p'tit garsCome here, little boy
- Il est le garçon le plus intelligent de la classe.He is the smartest boy in the class.
- J'ai trois enfants, deux filles et un garçon.I have three children, two girls, and a boy.
- 695 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are looking at a photo of a child.
- LucasC'est un petit garçon.It is a little boy.
- ChloéIl est très mignon.He is very cute.
- LucasC'est le fils de ma sœur.He is my sister's son.
- ChloéCe garçon a ton nez !This boy has your nose!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boy” translations and entries garçon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries garçon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
