pipi
/pi.pi/
The English phrase "pee pee" can be translated into French as pipi.
In French, pipi is a childish or informal word used to refer to urine. It is most commonly used in the phrase faire pipi to describe the act of urinating. For example, the expression faire pipi au lit is the standard informal or childish way to say "to wet the bed".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
pipi is an informal and childish term used among friends or family. In contrast, the term uriner is the formal or medical term for "to urinate" used in adult contexts, while the word urine is a formal and widely accepted term used in medical and scientific settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun pipi is most frequently used with the verb faire to form the phrase faire pipi, which means "to pee".
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /pi.pi/.
Did you know?
- The word pipi is actually a phonetic softening of the more vulgar verb pisser, which is the direct ancestor of the English word 'piss'.
- The phrase faire pipi follows a common French pattern of using the verb faire (to do/make) to describe bodily functions that English describes with a single verb.
- The word pipi is an example of 'reduplication', a linguistic process where a word is repeated to create a softer or more playful sound.
Examples in context
- Pardon, je dois aller aux toilettes pour faire pipi.Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom to pee.
- Je dois faire pipi.I need to go pee pee.
- Le bébé a fait pipi.The baby did a pee pee.
- Il y a du pipi partout.There is pee pee everywhere.
Example conversation
A mother and her young son are getting ready to leave the house.
- ChloéOn y va, Hugo !Let's go, Hugo!
- HugoAttends, maman, je veux faire pipi.Wait, Mommy, I want to pee pee.
- ChloéD'accord, fais vite.Okay, be quick.
- HugoC'est fini !I'm finished!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pipi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pipi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
