petit homme
The English phrase "little man" can be translated into French as petit homme.
petit homme is used to describe a man who is small in stature.
Did you know?
- The word homme shares an ancient root with the word for 'earthling', stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰmṓ, which literally means 'a being of the earth'.
- While petit homme is the literal translation, French speakers often use the diminutive p'tit gars or p'tit bonhomme when speaking affectionately to a child.
- While petit homme describes physical size, calling someone a petit homme in a figurative sense can sometimes imply they are insignificant or powerless.
Examples in context
- Soudainement, je vis deux silhouettes : l'une d'un petit homme qui marchait d'un bon pas lourd en direction de l'est et l'autre d'une fille de peut-être huit ou dix ans qui courait à perdre haleine au long d'une rue de traverse.All at once, I saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping along eastward at a good walk, and the other a girl of maybe eight or ten who was running as hard as she was able down a cross street.This sentence shows the use of petit homme when describing a figure in the distance.Tatoeba #1630116 by sacredceltic, translation #1629399 by al_ex_an_der
- Un éclair brilla dans les yeux du petit homme.A bolt of lightning flashed within the eyes of the little man.This sentence demonstrates how petit homme is used in a descriptive context.Tatoeba #3196253 by Scott, translation #3226268 by Scott
- Salut, p'tit gars ! Comment ça va?Hi, little guy! How are you?
- Salut, ti-mec ! Tu viens jouer avec nous?Hey, little man! Do you want to come play with us?
- C'est un petit homme très agile.He is a very agile little man.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are describing a neighbor.
- LucasTu connais le voisin du rez-de-chaussée ?Do you know the neighbor on the ground floor?
- LéaOui, c'est un petit homme avec un chapeau.Yes, he is a little man with a hat.
- LucasIl a l'air très sympathique.He seems very friendly.
- LéaJe pense qu'il est très aimable.I think he is very amiable.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries homme, petit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
