How to Say "Sweets" in French

bonbons

/bɔ̃.bɔ̃/masculine, plural

The French word for sweets is bonbons.

bonbons is the standard word used to refer to confectionery or candy.

Meaning: confectionery, candy (noun)

Which one should you use?

While bonbons is the common term, the formal term confiseries is used to refer to a wide range of sweets and confections.

The singular form is bonbon, but when referring to candy in general, it is almost always used in its plural form, bonbons.

/bɔ̃.bɔ̃/

Historically, the term confiseries refers to the art of 'preserving' fruit in sugar, a technique that dates back to ancient medicine and luxury gifts.
In French, the word bonbon is an example of reduplication, where the sound is repeated to create a word that sounds as sweet and playful as the candy itself.
In France, you will find bonbons sold in a confiserie, which is a specialized shop distinct from a pâtisserie that sells cakes and pastries.

Ne mange pas trop de bonbons.
Don't eat too many sweets.
This sentence is useful for practicing a negative command regarding eating bonbons.
Tatoeba #11268043 by lbdx, translation #11259576 by sundown
Je réduis ma consommation de bonbons.
I'm cutting down on sweets.
This sentence is useful for discussing the reduction of one's consumption of bonbons.
Tatoeba #10790841 by lbdx, translation #21011 by CM
Les bonbons que j'ai mangés étaient délicieux !
The sweets I ate were delicious!
This sentence is useful for expressing an opinion about the taste of bonbons that were eaten.
Tatoeba #3272309 by Micsmithel, translation #3272308 by sundown
16 more sentences on Tatoeba

Chloé and Nathan are in a candy shop.

Sources

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