petit frère
The French phrase for "younger brother" is petit frère.
To refer to an older brother, you would use grand frère instead.
Meaning: single-word translations (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase petit frère literally translates to "little brother".
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to multiple younger brothers, both the adjective and the noun must be pluralized, such as in mes petits frères.
Did you know?
- The word frère can be used as a slang term of endearment or camaraderie among men in urban French, similar to how 'bro' is used in English.
- In many French-speaking cultures, the use of petit frère can be a term of endearment used by someone even if there is no blood relation.
- The word frère shares a common ancestor with the English word 'brother'. Both descend from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰréh₂tēr, a connection that links the two languages through deep history.
Examples in context
- Mon petit frère dort encore.My younger brother is still sleeping.This sentence shows the use of petit frère to indicate someone is sleeping.Tatoeba #543537 by zmoo, translation #1834955 by Tavat
- Mon petit frère regarde la télé.My younger brother is watching TV.This sentence shows the use of petit frère to describe someone watching TV.Tatoeba #3724 by TRANG, translation #614438 by CK
- On l'a pris pour son petit frère.He was mistaken for his younger brother.This sentence shows how someone might be mistaken for a petit frère.Tatoeba #7794808 by Aiji, translation #301713 by CK
- Mon frère cadet, Antoine, adore jouer au football.My younger brother, Antoine, loves playing football.
- J'ai déjà parlé de notre petit frère, Marc, à mon collègue.I have already spoken about our younger brother, Marc, to my colleague.
- Je vais au cinéma avec mon frérot ce soir.I'm going to the movies with my little bro tonight.
- Regarde ce que j'ai acheté pour mon p'tit frère, il va adorer!Look what I bought for my little bro, he'll love it!
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are looking at a family photo.
- LucasC'est qui sur la photo ?Who is this in the photo?
- LéaC'est mon petit frère, Lucas.This is my younger brother, Lucas.
- LucasIl est vraiment mignon !He is really cute!
- LéaMerci, il est très gentil aussi.Thank you, he is very kind too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries frère, petit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
