Which one should you use?
While gardien can be used in a general or spiritual sense, it often refers to a caretaker or custodian, like a building's night watchman, rather than a legal guardian of a person. If you are specifically referring to the legal guardian of a minor or an incapacitated person, use tuteur or tutrice. Additionally, if the guardian is responsible for a child's education via private tuition, the term précepteur or préceptrice is used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms gardien and gardienne are commonly used in France, Canada and other French-speaking countries.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is gardien. The feminine singular form is gardienne. For multiple people, the masculine or mixed group plural is gardiens and the feminine plural is gardiennes.
Did you know?
- In French sports, the gardien de but is the goalkeeper, using the word for 'guardian' to describe the person protecting the net.
- In a French apartment building, the gardien is not a legal guardian but a concierge who manages the building and handles mail.
- While tuteur means 'guardian' in a legal sense, it also means 'tutor' in English, which can cause confusion for students.
Examples in context
- C'est mon ange gardien.She's my guardian angel.This sentence uses gardien to describe a guardian angel.Tatoeba #2200391 by sacredceltic, translation #2199748 by Hybrid
- Je suis ton ange gardien.I'm your guardian angel.Tatoeba #12961862 by lbdx, translation #10863119 by CK
- Je crois aux anges gardiens.I believe in guardian angels.This sentence uses gardien to express a belief in guardian angels.Tatoeba #5365198 by Julien_PDC, translation #5365174 by mervert1
- Ma tante est la tutrice légale de mon cousin.My aunt is the legal guardian of my cousin.
- Le gardien du musée protège les œuvres d'art.The museum guardian protects the artworks.
- Mon frère est un bon gardien pour mes enfants.My brother is a good guardian for my children.
- Maria est ma tutrice de confiance.Maria is my trusted guardian.
- Antoine est un protecteur dévoué envers ses amis.Antoine is a dedicated guardian to his friends.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are discussing a legal matter regarding a child.
- LucasQui est le gardien légal de l'enfant ?Who is the legal guardian of the child?
- ChloéC'est son oncle qui est le gardien.It is his uncle who is the guardian.
- LucasEst-ce que le gardien a signé les papiers ?Did the guardian sign the papers?
- ChloéOui, Lucas, il a tout signé hier.Yes, Lucas, he signed everything yesterday.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gardien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
