tante
/tɑ̃t/
The French word tante means aunt.
The word tante refers to an aunt. Depending on the level of intimacy and the setting, there are several ways to address an aunt in French.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɑ̃t/
Did you know?
- In many African Francophone cultures, calling a stranger tante is a common way to show respect to an older woman, regardless of whether you are related.
- While English speakers use 'auntie' for affection, French children and families typically use the diminutive tata.
- The word tante may have originated from a child's way of speaking, where the initial 't' was added through a linguistic process called reduplication.
Examples in context
- Chère Tante Marie, comment vas-tu aujourd'hui?Dear Aunt Marie, how are you doing today?
- Tantine, j'ai hâte de passer du temps avec toi ce week-end!Auntie, I can't wait to spend time with you this weekend!
- Ma tante habite à Paris.My aunt lives in Paris.
- C'est la tante de Lucas.She is Lucas's aunt.
- J'ai envoyé un cadeau à ma tante.I sent a gift to my aunt.
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are looking at old family photos.
- LéaQui est cette femme sur la photo ?Who is this woman in the photo?
- LucasC'est ma tante, elle est très sympa.It's my aunt, she is very nice.
- LéaElle a l'air gentille.She looks kind.
- LucasOui, ma tante adore voyager.Yes, my aunt loves to travel.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
