cousin
/ku.zɛ̃/
The French word for male cousin is cousin.
cousin refers to a male relative who is the son of one's aunt or uncle.
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, where 'cousin' is gender-neutral, French uses cousin for a male and cousine for a female.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of cousin is cousine.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of 2 syllables and is pronounced /ku.zɛ̃/.
Did you know?
- While cousin usually refers to family, an alternative historical origin of the word links it to the Latin culicīnus, which comes from culex meaning 'gnat' or 'mosquito'.
- In very informal French slang, particularly in certain urban areas, the word cousin can be used as a friendly term for a close friend, similar to 'mate' or 'homie' in English.
- Historically, the French nobility used cousin as a formal title of respect when addressing other nobles, even if they were not related by blood.
Examples in context
- C'est mon cousin de Lyon.He is my cousin from Lyon.
- J'ai un cousin très sympathique.I have a very nice male cousin.
- Ton cousin travaille à Paris ?Does your cousin work in Paris?
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are talking about their families at a cafe.
- EmmaTu as un cousin qui habite ici ?Do you have a cousin living here?
- GabrielOui, mon cousin habite à côté.Yes, my cousin lives nearby.
- EmmaEst-ce qu'il est sympathique ?Is he nice?
- GabrielOui, il est vraiment génial.Yes, he is really great.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cousin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cousin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
