Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| béguin | /be.ɡɛ̃/ | masculine |
| amourette | /a.mu.ʁɛt/ | feminine |
| kick | Quebec |
In French, a crush refers to a feeling of love, infatuation or the object of that infatuation, which is often short-lived or unrequited. You can use the noun un béguin to refer to the infatuation itself, or the phrase avoir le béguin to describe the state of being infatuated.
Which one should you use?
While béguin refers to the feeling of having a crush, amourette refers more specifically to the brief and often superficial romantic affair itself. Additionally, the informal term craquer can be used to express a crush, indicating a sudden and strong attraction towards someone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Béguin is an informal term and is less formal than saying one is épris de someone. The term craquer is also used informally.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the English loanword kick is used colloquially to refer to a crush or a sudden infatuation.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the noun béguin to express who a crush is directed toward, it is almost always used with the preposition pour in the phrase avoir le béguin pour quelqu'un.
Did you know?
- The term béguin originally referred to a specific type of headwear, such as a 'nun's headdress' or a 'child's bonnet'.
- The verb craquer literally means 'to crack' or 'to break', but in a romantic context, it describes the moment someone suddenly falls for another person.
- The word amourette uses the suffix -ette, which is a diminutive used to indicate that the love is small or fleeting.
Examples in context
- Elle a le béguin pour toi.She has a crush on you.This sentence is useful for showing how to express that someone has a crush on another person using béguin.Tatoeba #8588158 by Blabla, translation #7548989 by karloelkebekio
- Il eut le béguin pour elle.He had a crush on her.This sentence is useful for showing how to express a past crush using béguin.Tatoeba #1783962 by sacredceltic, translation #1780027 by Spamster
- Elle eut le béguin pour lui.She had a crush on him.Tatoeba #1783960 by sacredceltic, translation #1780028 by Spamster
- Je craque complètement pour elle/lui, elle/il est tellement charmant(e) !I'm completely crushing on her/him, she/he is so charming!
- Je kiffe vraiment cette personne, elle/il est super cool !I really have a crush on this person, she/he is super cool!
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are chatting about a coworker.
- ChloéTu as un béguin pour Marc ?Do you have a crush on Marc?
- HugoNon, pas du tout !No, not at all!
- ChloéPourtant, tu rougis quand il arrive.Yet, you blush when he arrives.
- HugoC'est juste parce qu'il fait chaud ici.It's just because it's hot in here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crush” translations and entries béguin, amourette, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amourette, béguin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
