How to Say "Stay at Home Mom" in French

mère au foyer

/mɛʁ o fwa.je/

The English phrase "stay at home mom" is translated into French as mère au foyer.

The phrase is used to describe a mother who manages the home and cares for her children instead of working outside the home.

What does it mean word for word?

The expression mère au foyer literally translates to "mother at the hearth" or "mother at the home," where foyer refers to the home or household.

To express the plural "stay-at-home moms," change mère to its plural form: mères au foyer.

The word foyer is a linguistic relative of the English word 'focus'.
In a theater or opera house, the foyer is the specific name for the lobby where guests gather during intervals.
If a woman is described as a femme ménagère, it specifically emphasizes the act of performing housework, which can sound more clinical than mère au foyer.

Marie est une mère au foyer.
Mary is a stay-at-home mom.
This sentence is useful for identifying someone as a mère au foyer.
Tatoeba #9341169 by felix63, translation #4943518 by Hybrid
Ma sœur est une mère au foyer très dévouée.
My sister is a dedicated stay at home mom.
Il est important de soutenir les mamans à la maison dans leur rôle essentiel.
It is important to support stay at home moms in their crucial role.
Elle a décidé d'être mère au foyer.
She decided to be a stay at home mom.
Ma sœur est une mère au foyer épanouie.
My sister is a fulfilled stay at home mom.
1 more sentence on Tatoeba

Gabriel and Chloé are having coffee at a cafe.

Gabriel

Tu travailles toujours dans la mode, Chloé ?
Do you still work in fashion, Chloé?
Chloé

Non, je suis maintenant mère au foyer.
No, I am now a stay at home mom.
Gabriel

C'est un beau changement pour toi.
That is a beautiful change for you.
Chloé

Oui, j'adore passer du temps avec les enfants.
Yes, I love spending time with the children.

Sources

Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mère au foyer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries foyer, mère, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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