fille douce
The English phrase "sweet girl" is translated into French as fille douce.
Which one should you use?
While fille douce literally means a girl with a sweet temperament, it is less common in modern French than using fille mignonne to describe a cute or sweet girl.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective douce must agree in the feminine form with the feminine noun fille.
Did you know?
- Be cautious when using the word fille on its own, as it can be used as a slang term for a prostitute. This stems from the shortening of phrases like fille de joie, which means 'girl of joy'.
- The word douce comes from the Latin 'dulcis', which is the same root as the English word 'dulcet'.
- Calling someone a fille douce can sometimes imply they are overly passive or even 'soft' in a way that lacks character, rather than just being kind.
Examples in context
- Cette enfant est une charmante fillette.This child is a sweet girl.
- Tu es une adorable fille.You are a sweet girl.
- C'est une gentille nana.She's a sweet girl.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are talking about Chloé's niece.
- ChloéRegarde ma nièce sur la photo.Look at my niece in the photo.
- LucasOh, on dirait que c'est une fille douce.Oh, she looks like a sweet girl.
- ChloéOui, elle est très gentille avec tout le monde.Yes, she is very kind to everyone.
- LucasC'est vraiment adorable.That is really adorable.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fille, CC BY-SA 4.0.
