thé
/te/masculine
The English phrase 'tea party' can be translated into French as thé or dînette.
Meaning: semi-formal social gathering (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| thé | /te/ | masculine |
| dînette | /di.nɛt/ | feminine |
In a modern French context, a social gathering centered around tea and light snacks in the afternoon is most naturally called un goûter.
Which one should you use?
The word dînette refers to a small, often pretend or child-like meal or tea party, rather than a formal adult social gathering. Dînette is used to describe a tea party or small meal in an informal or childish way.
How does it change in a sentence?
thé is a masculine noun, while dînette is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/te/
Did you know?
- The word thé is a linguistic 'cousin' to the English word 'chai'. Although they sound different, both words are actually derived from the same Chinese source through different historical trade routes.
- In French, the word dînette is now more likely to describe a child's toy kitchen set than an actual social gathering.
- The suffix '-ette' in dînette is a diminutive, which means the word literally translates to 'little dinner'. This reinforces its sense of being a small, trivial, or childish meal.
Examples in context
- Vous êtes cordialement invité(e) à notre réception de thé, qui se tiendra le samedi 12 septembre à partir de 16 heures dans notre salon. Veuillez confirmer votre présence avant le 5 septembre.You are cordially invited to our tea reception, which will take place on Saturday, September 12th, starting at 4 p.m. in our sitting room. Please confirm your presence by September 5th.
- Rejoignez-nous chez moi pour un goûter entre amis ce dimanche à 15 heures. J'ai préparé une sélection de thés délicieux et quelques petits gâteaux maison!Join us at my place for a snack among friends this Sunday at 3 p.m. I've prepared a selection of delicious teas and some homemade pastries!
- Nous organisons une petite dînette pour les enfants.We are organizing a little tea party for the children.
- Elle organise un petit thé.She is organizing a little tea party.
- Le thé de l'anniversaire était charmant.The birthday tea party was charming.
Example conversation
Emma is inviting Gabriel to a social event.
- EmmaGabriel, tu veux venir à mon thé ?Gabriel, do you want to come to my tea party?
- GabrielOui, c'est quand exactement ?Yes, when is it exactly?
- EmmaC'est dimanche après-midi chez moi.It's Sunday afternoon at my place.
- GabrielC'est parfait, je serai là !That's perfect, I'll be there!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tea party” translations and entries thé, dînette, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries thé, CC BY-SA 4.0.
