ma fille
In French, "my girl" is translated as ma fille.
The phrase ma fille is used by a parent to refer to their daughter.
What does it mean word for word?
The word fille literally means "daughter" or "girl" in French.
Which one should you use?
While ma fille can mean "my girl", in the context of a parent-child relationship, it is the standard way to say "my daughter".
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to more than one daughter, the plural form is mes filles.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might mistakenly use ma fille to refer to a girlfriend or a romantic partner, but in French, ma fille strictly implies a biological or legal daughter. For a girlfriend, one would use ma petite amie or ma copine.
Did you know?
- While ma fille is used by parents to mean 'my daughter', the word fille alone has a dark history in French slang as a term for a prostitute.
- While 'ma fille' is a respectful way to address a daughter, calling a stranger 'ma fille' can sometimes sound condescending or overly paternalistic.
- If you wanted to say 'my girls' to refer to a group of female friends, you would use mes filles, but this sounds much more like you are an older person addressing a group of children.
Examples in context
- Ma fille est très sage.My girl is very well-behaved.
- Ma fille adore les chats.My girl loves cats.
Example conversation
Hugo is talking to Chloé about her daughter.
- ChloéHugo, regarde ma fille danser !Hugo, look at my girl dancing!
- HugoElle danse vraiment très bien.She really dances very well.
- ChloéMa fille adore la musique.My girl loves music.
- HugoC'est merveilleux, Chloé.That's wonderful, Chloé.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fille, ma, CC BY-SA 4.0.
