garçon manqué
/ɡaʁ.sɔ̃ mɑ̃.ke/masculine
The English phrase "tomboy" is translated into French as garçon manqué. Wiktionary also lists garçonne.
Meaning: girl who acts as a typical boy would (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| garçon manqué | /ɡaʁ.sɔ̃ mɑ̃.ke/ | masculine |
| garçonne | /ɡaʁ.sɔn/ | feminine |
A tomboy is a girl who acts as a typical boy would. In literature or more formal contexts, you may encounter the term gamine to describe a young, lively girl with boyish characteristics.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase garçon manqué literally translates to "failed boy" or "missed boy".
How does it change in a sentence?
While garçonne is a feminine form used to match the gender of the subject, the masculine phrase garçon manqué is still very commonly used even when referring to a female child. In the case of garçon manqué, it functions as a fixed masculine noun phrase.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡaʁ.sɔ̃ mɑ̃.ke/
Did you know?
- The word garçon is a distant relative of the English word 'wretch'. Both descend from a Proto-Germanic word meaning 'exile' or 'driven one'.
- In the 1920s, the term garçonne became a symbol of female liberation. It described women who cut their hair short and wore masculine clothes to challenge social norms.
- While garçon manqué implies a 'failed boy', the term does not suggest that the girl is a disappointment.
Examples in context
- Mary était un garçon manqué quand elle était à l'école primaire.Mary was a tomboy when she was in elementary school.This sentence shows how to describe a girl being a tomboy during her elementary school years using garçon manqué.Tatoeba #10052192 by lbdx, translation #6082886 by CK
- Huit frères et aucune sœur ? Pas étonnant qu'elle soit un garçon manqué.Eight brothers and no sisters? No wonder she's a tomboy.This sentence uses garçon manqué to explain why a girl might be a tomboy after growing up with many brothers.Tatoeba #10052189 by lbdx, translation #8988523 by shekitten
- Ma fille est un garçon manqué.My daughter is a tomboy.This sentence is a simple way to state that a daughter is a garçon manqué.Tatoeba #1519505 by alexmarcelo, translation #251951 by CK
- Elle est une vraie gamine, toujours en train de jouer au foot avec les garçons.She's a real tomboy, always playing soccer with the boys.
- Marie est vraiment un garçon manqué, elle adore jouer au rugby.Marie is a real tomboy, she loves playing rugby.
- Emma est une vraie tomboy, elle préfère faire du skate plutôt que de la danse classique.Emma is a real tomboy, she prefers skateboarding over ballet.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are talking about their childhood memories.
- ChloéJ'étais un vrai garçon manqué étant petite.I was a real tomboy when I was little.
- LucasVraiment ? Tu ne portais jamais de robes ?Really? You never wore dresses?
- ChloéNon, je préférais jouer au foot avec les garçons.No, I preferred playing soccer with the boys.
- LucasC'est drôle, tu as beaucoup changé, Chloé.That's funny, you have changed a lot, Chloé.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tomboy” translations and entries garçon manqué, garçonne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries garçon, garçonne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
