neveu
/nə.vø/masculine
The French word for nephew is neveu.
neveu is the standard term used to refer to a fraternal or sororal nephew. You may also encounter the phrase p'tit neveu to mean 'little nephew', which is used to convey affection or mon petit neveu to refer to a young nephew.
Meaning: fraternal or sororal nephew (noun)
Which one should you use?
While neveu is the masculine form for nephew, the word for a niece is nièce. To express the plural 'nephews', use neveux.
How does it change in a sentence?
neveu is a masculine noun. Its plural form is neveux.
How do you pronounce it?
/nə.vø/ (two syllables)
Did you know?
- The Latin root of neveu is the same root that gives us the word 'nepotism', referring to the practice of favoring relatives.
- If you are talking about a 'great-nephew', the French term is petit-neveu, which literally translates to 'little nephew'.
- In some older French genealogical contexts, the word neveu was used more broadly to mean 'grandson' or 'descendant', similar to how 'nephew' was used in certain archaic English contexts.
Examples in context
- Tom est mon neveu.Tom is my nephew.This sentence is useful for identifying a person as a nephew.Tatoeba #7358070 by Rockaround, translation #2273312 by CK
- Son neveu vit en Amérique.His nephew lives in America.This sentence shows how to state where a nephew lives.Tatoeba #7364813 by tras, translation #2849707 by AlanF_US
- Mon neveu se marie demain.My nephew is getting married tomorrow.This sentence demonstrates using the word in the context of a future event like a wedding.Tatoeba #9065978 by Aiji, translation #4132508 by CK
- Mon neveu s'appelle Lucas.My nephew's name is Lucas.
- J'ai trois neveux.I have three nephews.
- Mon p'tit neveu adore les animaux.My little nephew loves animals.
- Tu as vu mon neveu?Have you seen my nephew?
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are talking about their families at a café.
- HugoTu as des enfants, Manon ?Do you have children, Manon?
- ManonNon, mais j'ai un neveu très mignon.No, but I have a very cute nephew.
- HugoAh oui ? Quel âge a ton neveu ?Oh really? How old is your nephew?
- ManonIl a seulement trois ans.He is only three years old.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nephew” translations and entries neveu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
