enfant
/ɑ̃.fɑ̃/feminine, masculine
The English word 'child' is translated into French as enfant.
The term enfant is used to refer to a son or daughter, or a person's offspring regardless of how old they are. It can also refer to a person of a young age. For a baby, the French word is bébé.
Meaning: son or daughter, someone's child (noun)
Which one should you use?
While enfant refers to someone of a young age, it is also the standard way to describe one's offspring. For a specific female child, you may use the form une enfant.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural 'children', add an 's' to make enfants. Use un enfant to mean 'a child' and des enfants to mean 'children'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɑ̃.fɑ̃/
Did you know?
- The expression enfant gâté translates to 'spoiled child', but it comes from the verb gâter, which also means 'to rot' or 'to decay'.
- The French term enfant unique is used specifically for an only child, replacing the English word 'only' with 'unique'.
- While 'enfant' is the standard term, a person might use the word môme in casual conversation to refer to a kid, which is much more slangy and informal.
Examples in context
- Tu es un enfant.You're a child.This sentence is useful for using the form enfant.Tatoeba #7763129 by sacredceltic, translation #2549576 by CK
- Ils ont un enfant.They have one child.Tatoeba #3947810 by serpico, translation #9531199 by Nylez
- Je suis un enfant.I'm a child.Tatoeba #4473984 by Petrus, translation #3313490 by CM
- Nous avons de nombreux enfants dans notre communauté.We have many children in our community.
- Veuillez être attentif aux besoins de l'enfant.Please attend to the child's needs.
- Les gamins jouent dans la cour.The kids are playing in the courtyard.
- Ma petite gamine est toujours pleine d'énergie.My little girl is always full of energy.
- Il a un enfantHe has a child
- Elle adore jouer avec des enfantsShe loves playing with children
- le petit garçonThe little boy
- la petite filleThe little girl
- 743 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are talking about their families.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu as un enfant ?Do you have a child?
- ChloéOui, j'ai un enfant, un petit garçon.Yes, I have one child, a little boy.
- GabrielC'est super ! Quel âge a ton enfant ?That's great! How old is your child?
- ChloéMon enfant a trois ans.My child is three years old.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “child” translations and entries enfant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
