poupée
/pu.pe/feminine
The French word for doll, a toy in the form of a human, is poupée.
poupée is the everyday word for a child's doll. The phrase jouer à la poupée is the standard way to say that a child is playing with dolls, and it can also mean playing house.
Meaning: a toy in the form of a human (noun)
Which one should you use?
poupée de cire, literally a wax doll, is used for a waxwork or a wax figure.
How does it change in a sentence?
poupée is a feminine noun, so it takes la or une, as in la poupée and une poupée.
How do you pronounce it?
poupée is pronounced /pu.pe/, in two syllables.
Did you know?
- The term poupée is used in the nautical world to describe a specific part of a ship's stern, reflecting the word's ancient association with rounded shapes.
- The word poupée shares an ancient linguistic ancestor with the English word 'puppy'.
- In French, the phrase une poupée can be used as an affectionate, though somewhat old-fashioned, term of endearment for a woman, similar to calling someone 'doll' or 'baby' in English.
Examples in context
- Mary serra sa poupée.Mary hugged her doll.sa poupée means her doll, the one Mary hugged.Tatoeba #5589052 by Aiji, translation #1898338 by CK
- Elle joue à la poupée.She is playing with a doll.joue à la poupée is how French says a girl is playing with a doll.Tatoeba #134491 by Aiji, translation #315246 by CK
- Donne-lui une poupée !Give her a doll.une poupée uses the feminine article for a doll.Tatoeba #4626812 by sacredceltic, translation #308902 by CK
- Excusez-moi, où puis-je trouver une poupée traditionnelle ?Excuse me, where can I find a traditional doll?
- Voulez-vous offrir cette magnifique poupée à votre petite-fille ?Would you like to offer this beautiful doll to your granddaughter?
- 73 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan is looking at a toy in Chloé's bedroom.
- NathanCette poupée est très jolie.This doll is very pretty.
- ChloéMerci, c'est ma préférée.Thank you, it is my favorite.
- NathanElle est très mignonne.She is very cute.
- ChloéOui, je l'adore.Yes, I love her.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “doll” translations and entries poupée, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poupée, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
