fille
/fij/feminine
The English phrase girl is translated into French as fille. Wiktionary also lists jeune fille and fillette.
Meaning: young female person (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| fille | /fij/ | feminine |
| jeune fille | /ʒœn fij/ | feminine |
| fillette | /fi.jɛt/ | feminine |
The word fille is used to refer to a young female person, but it can also mean daughter depending on the context of the sentence.
Which one should you use?
While fille is the general term for girl, jeune fille translates to young girl and is a more descriptive way to refer to a young woman, often implying youth and grace. For a very young girl, such as a child, use fillette to mean little girl.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural form of fille, use filles.
How do you pronounce it?
/fij/
Did you know?
- The term fille can be used as a highly offensive slang term for a prostitute if used in specific derogatory contexts.
- In modern casual French, les filles is often used as a collective greeting for a group of female friends, similar to 'girls' or 'ladies' in English.
- The term jeune fille was historically used to describe a maiden or a debutante, carrying a connotation of purity and social status.
Examples in context
- Il vit la fille.He saw the girl.This sentence shows the use of fille to mean girl.Tatoeba #1778556 by sacredceltic, translation #1766641 by CK
- Où est la fille ?Where is the girl?Tatoeba #3627480 by fleur74, translation #7008017 by Amastan
- Je vois la fille.I see the girl.Tatoeba #7204974 by Micsmithel, translation #1875780 by Asma
- La fille que j'ai rencontrée hier était très polie.The girl I met yesterday was very polite.
- Cette jeune fille étudie la musique depuis son plus jeune âge.This young girl has been studying music since a young age.
- J'ai rencontré une fille super sympa à la fête hier soir.I met a super nice girl at the party last night.
- Cette nana est vraiment douée pour la danse.This girl is really talented at dancing.
- 835 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are talking about a new neighbor.
- LucasQui est cette fille ?Who is that girl?
- ChloéC'est la fille de mon voisin.She is my neighbor's daughter.
- LucasElle a l'air très gentille.She seems very kind.
- ChloéOui, c'est une fille adorable.Yes, she is a lovely girl.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girl” translations and entries fille, jeune fille, fillette, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fille, fillette, jeune, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
