cousin
/ku.zɛ̃/masculine
In French, the word for cousin is cousin. Wiktionary also lists cousine.
Meaning: child of a person’s parent’s brother or sister (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cousin | /ku.zɛ̃/ | masculine |
| cousine | /ku.zin/ | feminine |
The term refers to a child of a person's parent's brother or sister. To specify that someone is a first cousin, you can use the phrase cousin(e) germain(e).
Which one should you use?
The form cousin is used for a male cousin, whereas cousine is used for a female cousin.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to multiple people, the masculine plural form cousins is used for a group of male cousins or a mixed group of male and female cousins. The feminine plural form cousines is used exclusively when referring to a group consisting only of female cousins. Regarding possessive forms, the term for my cousin (male) is mon cousin and the term for my cousin (female) is ma cousine.
Did you know?
- While cousin refers to family, the French word cousin can also refer to a type of small, traditional sewing pillow used for pinning needles.
- The word cousin might actually be related to the Latin word culex, which means 'gnat' or 'mosquito'.
- Historically, members of the French royal courts used cousin to address other nobles, even if they shared no biological relation.
Examples in context
- Il épousa ma cousine.He married my cousin.This sentence is useful for showing the use of cousine.Tatoeba #1013059 by sacredceltic, translation #297739 by CK
- C'est un mien cousin.This is my cousin.This sentence is useful for showing the use of cousin.Tatoeba #1916935 by Rovo, translation #61487 by CK
- Tom, c'est mon cousin.Tom, this is my cousin.Tatoeba #5857667 by Aiji, translation #5565265 by CK
- Mon cousin est médecin.My cousin is a doctor.
- Ma cousine est avocate.My cousin (female) is a lawyer.
- Je vais chez ma cous' ce week-end.I'm going to my cousin's place this weekend.
- Ma cousine germaine va se marier.My first cousin is getting married.
- 125 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are looking at old family photos.
- GabrielQui est ce garçon sur la photo ?Who is this boy in the photo?
- ManonC'est mon cousin, il s'appelle Lucas.That's my cousin, his name is Lucas.
- GabrielEst-ce que ton cousin habite ici ?Does your cousin live here?
- ManonNon, il vit à Lyon maintenant.No, he lives in Lyon now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cousin” translations and entries cousin, cousine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cousin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
