mon petit-fils
The English phrase "my grandson" is translated into French as mon petit-fils.
The phrase is used to refer to the son of one's own son or daughter.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mon (my), petit (small/little) and fils (son).
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural "my grandsons", mon changes to mes and petit-fils becomes petits-fils.
Did you know?
- In French, the logic for 'grandson' is the opposite of English. While English uses the word 'grand' to denote a higher generation, French uses petit (small) to denote the lower generation.
- The word fils in mon petit-fils is a linguistic oddity because the 'l' is silent. Even though it is spelled with an 'l', it is pronounced like 'fee'.
- The possessive mon in mon petit-fils may have been influenced by the Gaulish word mon, which existed before the Latin influence on the French language.
Examples in context
- Mon petit-fils est encore un bébé.My grandson is still a baby.This sentence is useful for describing the age of mon petit-fils.Tatoeba #6843485 by Aiji, translation #814624 by brauliobezerra
- Mon petit-fils m'a rendu visite ce matin.My grandson visited me this morning.This sentence describes a visit from mon petit-fils.Tatoeba #11530926 by Julien_PDC, translation #11992200 by LdjuherTaqvaylit
- Quand je vais voir mon petit-fils, je lui offre toujours quelque chose.When I go to see my grandson, I always give him something.This sentence describes an action taken when visiting mon petit-fils.Tatoeba #12037850 by lbdx, translation #1126729 by CK
- Mon petit-fils, tu es mon rayon de soleil dans la vie!My grandson, you are my sunshine in life!
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two neighbors are talking about their families in a park.
- ManonEst-ce que tu as vu mon petit-fils aujourd'hui ?Have you seen my grandson today?
- GabrielNon, je n'ai pas vu ton petit-fils, Manon.No, I haven't seen your grandson, Manon.
- ManonIl joue sûrement avec ses amis dehors.He is probably playing with his friends outside.
- GabrielC'est vrai, il est très actif !That's true, he is very active!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mon, petit-fils, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
