chouchou
/ʃu.ʃu/masculine
The English phrase "teacher's pet" can be translated into French as chouchou.
chouchou refers to a student perceived to be favored by their teacher. While the term can be used affectionately for a favorite person, in a classroom context it often carries a slightly pejorative or teasing connotation from peers.
Meaning: student perceived to be favored by the teacher (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term chouchou is informal and is commonly used in school settings by children and teenagers. For a formal way to say "teacher's favorite student," you can use Élève préféré(e) de l'enseignant(e). In an informal context, you might also see the phrase Chouchou de la prof.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form chouchou changes to the feminine chouchoute when referring to a female student.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃu.ʃu/
When do people say it?
In a primary school context, instead of using professeur, it is very common to use maîtresse (female teacher) or maître (male teacher) when identifying a chouchou, such as in the phrase le chouchou de la maîtresse.
Did you know?
- In a completely different context, a chouchou is also the French word for a hair scrunchie or a fabric hair tie.
- The term chouchou is actually a form of endearment derived from 'chou', which means 'cabbage' but is used like 'sweetie' or 'darling' in English.
- In French, you can use chouchou for almost any person you favor, such as a 'chouchou de l'entreprise' for a favorite employee, not just in schools.
Examples in context
- C'est la chouchoute du prof.She's the teacher's pet.This sentence uses chouchou to identify a female teacher's pet.Tatoeba #2200116 by sacredceltic, translation #2199786 by Hybrid
- C'est la chouchoute du professeur.She is a teacher's pet.Tatoeba #134509 by pierrephi, translation #315464 by kungfuhamster
- C'est le chouchou du prof.He is the teacher's pet.This sentence uses chouchou to identify a male teacher's pet.Tatoeba #2522345 by marafon, translation #3217356 by Tabasco1999
- Julien est le chouchou de l'enseignant.Julien is the teacher's favorite.
- Sarah est l'élève préférée de l'enseignante.Sarah is the teacher's favorite student.
- Hugo est vraiment le chouchou de la prof.Hugo is really the teacher's pet.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are whispering in a high school hallway.
- GabrielIl est vraiment le chouchou de la prof.He is really the teacher's pet.
- ChloéOui, elle lui donne toujours de meilleures notes.Yes, she always gives him better grades.
- GabrielC'est vraiment agaçant à regarder.It is really annoying to watch.
- ChloéJe suis d'accord avec toi, Gabriel.I agree with you, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “teacher's pet” translations and entries chouchou, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chouchou, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
