enfant gâté
The English phrase "spoiled kid" is translated into French as enfant gâté.
This phrase describes a child who behaves badly because they are given everything they want.
What does it mean word for word?
The term enfant gâté literally means "spoiled child". The word gâté is the past participle of the verb gâter, which means to spoil or to damage.
Which one should you use?
While enfant gâté is the standard way to express this, you can also use the informal terms gosse pourri(e) or môme gâté to refer to a kid.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree with the gender and number of the child. To refer to a female child, the adjective becomes gâtée (e.g., une enfant gâtée). In the plural, both the noun and the adjective take an s to become des enfants gâtés.
Did you know?
- The informal term gosse for 'kid' was originally used in the 19th century to refer to a 'lump' of clay or dough.
- The word enfant comes from the Latin īnfantem, which literally means 'unable to speak'.
- In French, gâter is not always negative. It can be used to describe the act of pampering someone or giving them special treats as a gesture of love.
Examples in context
- Cesse d'agir comme un enfant gâté !Stop acting like a spoiled kid.This sentence is useful for telling someone to stop behaving like an enfant gâté.Tatoeba #13483229 by sacredceltic, translation #2626859 by Joseph
- C'était un enfant gâté.He was a spoiled kid.This sentence is useful for describing someone who was an enfant gâté.Tatoeba #13418233 by madjidoumnia, translation #13485995 by rul
- La famille Smith estime que leur enfant unique est un enfant gâté.The Smith family believes their only child is a spoiled kid.
- Ce gosse pourri ne sait pas la valeur des choses.This spoiled kid doesn't know the value of things.
- Quel môme pourri, toujours en train de pleurnicher.What a spoiled brat, always whining.
- Les parents de Pierre ne savent pas dire non à leur enfant, il est vraiment gâté.Pierre's parents can't say no to their child, he's truly spoiled.
- C'est incroyable à quel point cette fillette est gâtée, ses parents lui offrent tout ce qu'elle veut.It's incredible how spoiled this little girl is, her parents give her everything she wants.
- Il est devenu un enfant gâté.He has become a spoiled kid.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are talking about a neighbor's son.
- ChloéLe fils de la voisine est un enfant gâté.The neighbor's son is a spoiled kid.
- NathanOui, il obtient tout ce qu'il veut.Yes, he gets everything he wants.
- ChloéSes parents sont trop indulgents avec lui.His parents are too indulgent with him.
- NathanC'est vraiment dommage pour son éducation.It is really a shame for his upbringing.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries enfant, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
