Which one should you use?
Unlike the English 'sweetie' which is gender-neutral, the French term must change its spelling and pronunciation to match the gender of the person being addressed. You must use ma chérie when addressing a woman to say 'my sweetie'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canada and certain regions of France, the expression ma puce is commonly used. It literally means 'my flea'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The term changes based on gender and number: chéri is the masculine form, chérie is the feminine form and chéris is the plural form. For example, you would use mes chéris to say 'my sweeties'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃe.ʁi/
When do people say it?
Other common terms of endearment include Mon Amour, which means 'my love' and is often reserved for romantic relationships or very close family members and Mon Trésor, which literally means 'my treasure'.
Did you know?
- The word chéri has an unexpected history, having traveled from Arabic through Ottoman Turkish before entering the French language.
- While chéri is the standard translation for 'sweetie', some French speakers use mon chou, which literally means 'my cabbage', to express the same feeling of affection.
- In France, it is common to use 'animal' endearments like ma puce (my flea) or mon petit chat (my little cat) which might sound strange or even insulting to an English speaker.
Examples in context
- Pleure pas, mon chéri, maman est là.Don't cry, sweetie, Mommy's here.This sentence shows how a mother might use chéri when comforting a child.
- Je suis tellement fier de toi, mon amour.I am so proud of you, my love.
- Comment ça va, mon petit? Tu me manques.How are you, sweetie? I miss you.
- Je pense à toi tout le temps, mon trésor.I think of you all the time, my sweetie.
- Je t'aime beaucoup, mon lapin.I love you so much, sweetie.
- Viens ici, ma puce, je vais te donner un câlin.Come here, darling, I'll give you a hug.
- Tu as passé une bonne journée, mon chéri ?Did you have a good day, my sweetie?
- Je t'aime, mon chéri.I love you, my sweetie.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are preparing dinner together.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu peux m'aider, chéri ?Can you help me, sweetie?
- ManonBien sûr, que dois-je faire ?Of course, what should I do?
- GabrielCoupe les tomates, s'il te plaît.Cut the tomatoes, please.
- ManonC'est fait, mon chéri.It's done, my sweetie.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry chéri, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chéri, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
