ma tante
The English phrase "my aunt" is translated into French as ma tante.
ma tante is used to refer to the sister of one's father or mother.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase ma tante, ma is the feminine singular possessive adjective for "my" and tante means "aunt".
Did you know?
- The word tante likely began as a form of baby talk. It is thought that children repeating sounds, such as 't-t', led to the modern spelling from the Latin 'amita'.
- In French, ma tante can be used as a respectful title for an older woman even if she is not a blood relative.
- French speakers often use the affectionate diminutive tata when speaking to or about an aunt in the presence of children.
Examples in context
- Je connais ma tante.I know my aunt.This sentence is useful for expressing that you know ma tante.Tatoeba #11941833 by Amastan, translation #8319076 by Amastan
- Ma tante est déjà là.My aunt is already here.This sentence is useful for stating that ma tante is already present.Tatoeba #6147072 by sicerabibax, translation #6145917 by RobinvanderVliet
- Ma tante paraît jeune.My aunt looks young.This sentence is useful for describing how ma tante appears.Tatoeba #7713 by sacredceltic, translation #251192 by CK
- J'ai invité ma tante à dîner ce soir.I invited my aunt for dinner tonight.
- Ma tatie m'a offert un joli cadeau pour mon anniversaire.My auntie gave me a nice gift for my birthday.
- On va chez ma tante Sophie pour les vacances.We're going to my aunt Sophie's for the holidays.
- J'adore passer du temps avec ma tantine préférée.I love spending time with my favorite aunty.
- 69 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are looking at a photo album.
- EmmaMa tante est sur cette photo.My aunt is in this photo.
- LucasElle est très élégante.She is very elegant.
- EmmaOui, c'est ma tante préférée.Yes, she is my favorite aunt.
- LucasElle a l'air gentille.She looks kind.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ma, tante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
