coucou
/ku.ku/
The English phrase "peek-a-boo" is translated into French as coucou.
coucou refers to the game played with babies where a person hides their face and then suddenly reveals it. When playing this game, the word is typically shouted or said emphatically at the moment the face is revealed.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of 2 syllables and is pronounced /ku.ku/.
Did you know?
- In French, coucou is used as an informal way to say 'hello' or 'hi' when arriving or spotting someone. It functions as a sudden greeting, much like the sudden reveal in the game.
- The word coucou is also the name of the cuckoo bird and its distinctive call in French. This creates a playful link between the bird's repetitive cry and the repetitive nature of the game.
- In certain French contexts, calling someone a coucou can be a way to describe someone who is a bit eccentric or 'out of it', though this is quite colloquial.
Examples in context
- On joue au coucou ?Shall we play peek-a-boo?
- Le bébé adore le coucou.The baby loves peek-a-boo.
Example conversation
Emma is playing with her baby while Gabriel watches.
- EmmaCoucou !Peek-a-boo!
- GabrielIl rit tellement avec toi.He laughs so much with you.
- EmmaIl adore jouer au coucou.He loves playing peek-a-boo.
- GabrielC'est très mignon.It is very cute.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry coucou, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries coucou, CC BY-SA 4.0.
