bonjour ma fille
In French, "hello daughter" is expressed as bonjour ma fille.
This phrase is a greeting used by a parent to address their daughter. However, while bonjour ma fille is a direct translation, French parents more commonly use terms of endearment like ma chérie (my darling) or ma puce (my flea/sweetie) when greeting their daughters.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "good day my daughter".
How does it change in a sentence?
The possessive adjective ma (my) is used because fille (daughter) is a feminine noun.
When do people say it?
When greeting a daughter informally, you might use alternatives such as Salut, ma puce. (Hi, sweetheart.) or Coucou, ma chérie. (Hey, darling.).
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, the word fille is used as a slang term for a prostitute. This is a shortened version of older euphemisms like fille de joie, meaning 'girl of joy'.
- While bonjour is the standard greeting, the informal coucou is frequently used by parents. It mimics the sound of a cuckoo bird or the act of playing peek-a-boo.
- The word fille shares the same linguistic origin as the English word 'filial', which relates to the duties of a child to a parent.
Examples in context
- Bonjour ma fille, comment vas-tu ?Hello my daughter, how are you?
Example conversation
Hugo greets Chloé in the kitchen during breakfast.
- HugoBonjour ma fille, tu veux un café ?Hello my daughter, do you want some coffee?
- ChloéBonjour papa, oui s'il te plaît.Hello dad, yes please.
- HugoVoici ton café, Chloé.Here is your coffee, Chloé.
- ChloéMerci beaucoup, papa !Thank you very much, dad!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonjour, fille, ma, CC BY-SA 4.0.
