mon garçon
The English phrase "my boy" is translated into French as mon garçon.
mon garçon is used by a parent or guardian to refer to their son.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the possessive adjective mon (my) and the noun garçon (boy/lad).
Which one should you use?
While mon garçon refers to a boy, mon fils is the more common and precise way to refer to one's biological or legal son in a formal or standard context.
Did you know?
- In a French café, calling a waiter garçon is now considered outdated or impolite. While it literally means 'boy', it is seen as a condescending way to address a service worker.
- The French word garçon evolved from a term meaning 'mercenary' or 'servant' in Early Medieval Latin. This reflects a historical shift from describing a social role to describing an age group.
- While mon garçon is affectionate, French parents often use the term mon grand to encourage a son's maturity. This translates to 'my big one' and is used to praise a boy for acting grown up.
Examples in context
- Mon garçon ne sait pas encore faire correctement les additions.My boy can't do addition properly yet.This sentence is useful for showing how to describe a child's abilities using mon garçon.Tatoeba #2322108 by sacredceltic, translation #65536 by CK
- C'est mon garçon.That's my boy.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as mon garçon.Tatoeba #1804309 by sacredceltic, translation #1804029 by Spamster
- Mon fils, je suis tellement fier de toi !My boy, I am so proud of you!
- Viens ici, mon gars !Come here, my boy!
Example conversation
Léa is showing Gabriel a photo of her son.
- LéaRegarde, c'est mon garçon sur la photo.Look, this is my boy in the photo.
- GabrielIl est très mignon !He is very cute!
- LéaMerci, mon garçon est très gentil aussi.Thank you, my boy is very kind too.
- GabrielC'est vraiment adorable.That is really adorable.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries garçon, mon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
