fils et fille
The English phrase "son and daughter" is translated into French as fils et fille.
This phrase is used to describe the male and female children of a person.
Which one should you use?
While fils et fille refers to the relationship to a parent, garçon et fille would be used to refer to a boy and a girl as individuals.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of fils is fils and the plural form of fille is filles.
Did you know?
- The word fille can function as slang for 'prostitute', a meaning derived from the shortened forms of euphemisms like fille de joie or 'girl of joy'.
- The spelling of the conjunction et was intentionally altered in the 12th century to include a 't' simply to make it look more like its Latin ancestor.
- French parents often use the collective word enfants to refer to their 'sons and daughters' regardless of the children's ages.
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are talking about their families.
- LéaAs-tu des enfants, Lucas ?Do you have children, Lucas?
- LucasOui, j'ai un fils et fille.Yes, I have a son and daughter.
- LéaC'est merveilleux !That's wonderful!
- LucasIls sont très gentils.They are very kind.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries et, fille, fils, CC BY-SA 4.0.
