femme au foyer
/fa.m‿o fwa.je/feminine
The French term for homemaker is femme au foyer.
The term refers to a person who maintains their residence. While the English word 'homemaker' is gender-neutral, the most common French equivalent is gender-specific.
Meaning: person who maintains his or her residence (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase femme au foyer literally translates to 'woman at the hearth' or 'woman at the home'.
Which one should you use?
While femme au foyer is the standard term, you may encounter other variations. Maîtresse de maison is used to mean 'mistress of the house', and Fée du logis is a playful way to say 'fairy of the house'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Although the default form is feminine, you can use homme au foyer to refer to a male homemaker.
How do you pronounce it?
It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The term femme is actually related to the ancient concept of 'nursing' or 'breastfeeding', stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root for 'to suckle'.
- While femme au foyer is standard, maîtresse de maison suggests a position of authority and management over the household.
Examples in context
- Madame Dupont est une excellente maîtresse de maison.Mrs. Dupont is an excellent homemaker.
- Je suis fière d'être une femme au foyer.I am proud to be a homemaker.
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are discussing their family backgrounds.
- HugoQue faisait ta mère avant ta naissance ?What did your mother do before you were born?
- ManonElle était femme au foyer pour nous élever.She was a homemaker to raise us.
- HugoC'est un travail très exigeant.That is a very demanding job.
- ManonOui, elle s'occupait de tout à la maison.Yes, she took care of everything at home.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “homemaker” translations and entries femme au foyer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries femme, foyer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
