Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 10:50:29 +0200
From nathalie riksten-tramblin, with additions from Alfred Wiesen and
other list members.
RELATIONSHIPS
* Family
grand-mother: mémé (often used for great grandmother as well), mamy, mamie, bonne-maman, grand-mère
grand-father: pépé (often used for great grandfather), papy, papie, bon-papa, grand-père
uncle: tonton
aunt: tata, tatie
Mother/Mummy/Mom: maman
Father/Daddy/Dad: papa
Baby sitter/Nanny: une nounou (short for nourrice), un(e) baby-sitter
Infant: un nourrisson, un bébé
Toddler: un petit enfant, un bambin (not very common)
Child: un enfant
Kid: un(e) gosse, un(e) môme, gamin (e), un(e) mioche (Alfred notes: "mioche is rather pejorative in my sense")
Tot: un bout de chou
TOYS des jouets, des joujoux
Mobile: un mobile
Musical box: une boîte de musique
Activity gym: un centre d'activités
Rattle: un hochet
Stuffed toy, stuffed animal: une peluche, un animal en peluche
Colourful ring: un anneau de couleur
Building block: des cubes
Squeaky toy: un pouët-pouët
Paper streamer
Favorite animal or blanket: doudou
Bath toys: [jeux de bain]
Pop-up toy
Sandbox: un bac à sable
Jigsaw puzzle: un puzzle
Tricycle: un tricyle
Colouring book: un livre de coloriage
Finger paint: de la peinture à doigt
Paddling pool: une pataugeoire, une piscine
BABY EQUIPMENT
Highchair: une chaise haute
Pushchair/Stroller/Buggy: une poussette cane, une poussette parapluie [Buggy is used a lot] = [poussette]
Pram: berceau, landeau (berceau is a crib, landeau is a baby stroller)
Play pen: un parc
crib: un berceau
Carrycot cradle: un couffin (kind of like a basket)
Cot: un lit parapluie
Side bedrail: une barrière de lit
Baby carrier: un porte-bébé (refers to all types of baby carriers, bundlers, snugglers, slings, etc.)
Sling: un sac kangourou or un sac ventral (when it's to carry in front
of you, and not on the back), someone added that she only hears
kangourou
Cot bumper: le tour de lit
Car seat: un siège-auto
Dummy/Pacifier/Binky: une sucette, une tétine, une tutute
Booster seat: (un siège) réhausseur
BABY TALK
* PETS
Doggie: un toutou
Pussycat: un minou
Horsey: un dada (only to some families, also a rocking horse or teeter totter)
Bunny: un lapinou
Birdy: One person said "cui cui" (from the sound they make), another
said she hasn't heard of that as a noun and uses "un petit oiseau" or
"un p'tit oiseau" or "des p'tit zoziaux" (slang plural)
DAILY LIFE
To go bye bye: au revoir
To go boom: faire boum
Boo boo: un bobo
Night-night: bonne nuit, fais un gros dodo
Kiss: un bibi, un bisou
Spanking: faire pan-pan, une fessée
Yell at: se fâcher
FOOD AND EATING
Water: eau
Food: miam miam (this is yummy), à manger
TOOLS
Bottle: un biberon
Teat: une tétine
Bib: un bavoir (Someone said bavette, but that is a cut of red meat. I
have not deleted that in case it is a common mistake for dictionary
users.)
Straw: une paille
Bowl: un bol, une timbale (une timbale is a small, silver drinking cup usuall given at the child's Baptism)
Spoon: une cuillère
Steriliser: un stérilisateur
Bottle brush: un goupillon
CLOTHING
Stretchsuit: une grenouillère
Vests/bodysuits
Undershirt: Chemisette
Cardigans: un cardigan, un gilet
Sun hat: un chapeau, une casquette, un bob
Wooly hat: un bonnet
Scratch mittens: des moufles, des mitaines
Dungaree: une salopette
Socks: des chaussettes
Bootees: des bottes, des bottines, chaussons. Remarks: "Chausson for me
is rather a big sock", someone else said, "If these are the woolen
boots knitted for babies, bottons. Chaussons for me are slippers, or
shoes worn in the house," and yet another person said that chaussons
are slippers but it is also used for baby booties. Maybe this is
regional?
Shawl: un châle
OUTDOORS ACTIVITIES
* Park: un parc, una aire de jeux
Swing: une balançoire, un portique (the whole device)
Slide: un tobbogan
Seesaw: un dada, une balançoire
Roundabout: un tourniquet, un manège (merry-go-round) Someone noted
that carrousel is a regional term used in Belgium, Switzerland, and
Northern France.
Sand pit: un bac à sable
* Games (des jeux)
Hide and Seek: cache-cache
* Seaside
Pail / Bucket: un seau
Spade: une pelle
Rack: un rateau
Fork: [isn't this almost the same as rateau?]
Mould: moule
What you do with a mould: un paté
Ring: une bouée
Arm bands: des brassards
Flipper: une palme
Mask: un masque
"tuba" is the tube to get air when diving
* PEES, POOHS AND POTTY
Potty: le pot
Ring: le siège des toilettes
Potty training: apprentissage de la propreté
Pee / wee wee: pipi (faire pipi)
Pooh: caca (faire caca), faire popo
Nappy/Diaper: une couche ["un lange" is used a lot in Belgium, someone said lange is a cloth diaper to her], see also discussion below
Baby wipes: des lingettes
Cream / barrier cream: de la crème, de la pommade
Diaper Rash: des petits boutons, un érythème fessier (for the doctor, maybe)
Powder: du talc
Diapering: un change
Changing table: table à langer
Changing bag: sac à langer
Plastic changing mat: matelas à langer
STORY TIME AND ENTERTAINEMENT
* FAIRY TALES: contes de fées
Cinderella: Cendrillon
Snow white: Blanche-Neige
The seven dwarfs: Les sept nains
Little Red Riding Hood: Le petit chaperon rouge
The beauty and the Beast: La belle et la bête
The prince: le prince (charmant)
The three little pigs: Les trois petits cochons
[There are a lot of characters linked to the Contes de Perault, specific to France: le chat botté, etc.]
* CARTOON CHARACTERS
Donald Duck: idem [but usually without the "duck"]
Daisy Duck: idem [but usually without the "duck"]
Louie, Dewie and Bluie: riri, fifi, loulou
Uncle Scroogie: [oncle Picsou]
Mickey Mouse: idem [but usually without the "mouse"]
Minnie Mouse: idem [but usually without the "mouse"]
Goofy: idem [This has changed in time!!! Goofy was first called "Dingo". A lot
of people still know him with this name. I was surprised to see "Goofy" appearing on more recent translations!]
Pluto: idem
Chip and Dale: Tic et Tac
Winnie the Pooh: Winnie l'ourson
Tiger: Tigrou
Rabbit: Coco Lapin
Owl: Hibou [Maître Hibou]
Piglet: Porcinet
Eyeoor: Bourriquet
Christopher Robinson: Jean-Christophe Robinson
Kanga: Maman Gourou
Roo: Petit Gourou
* PARTS OF THE BODY
The names of the fingers
Thumb, ringfinger, littlefinger,: pouce, index, majeur, annulaire, auriculaire (or petit doigt)
Tommy: le popotin, les fesses, la lune ("slang, never heard of that for a child")
Belly: le ventre, le (gros) bidon, le bedon, la didinne, la bedaine
Willie: Le zizi, la zézette, la quéquette, la bistouquette, le pipi
Pussy: le zizi, le kiki, le pipi
* HOLYDAYS AND OTHER CELEBRATION
* Christmas: Noël
Santa Claus: le Père Noël
[In Belgium and Netherland we also celebrate "Saint Nicolas" on
December 6. This was imported in the states by Dutch immigrants, and
the name was chnged to Santa Claus (Nicolaus) and set to Christmas. It
then came back to Europe to give "le Père Noël"... So we have
duplicated the character!]
Christmas Tree: le sapin de Noël
Christmas Eve: le réveillon [de Noël]
* Epiphany: la fêtes des rois [l'épiphanie]
* Carneval: le carnaval (mardi-gras, les cendres)
* Easter: Pâques
* Halloween: [Halloween, it's not yet a major event here... but it's coming]
* Catholic events in children life:
Christening: le baptême
First Communion: la première communion
* Other religious events in children life
[confirmation: grande communion]
* SCHOOL
Nursery: la crèche
Preschool: le jardin d'enfants
Kindergarten: la maternelle (the first three years of school, beginning when the child is three, in France)
On popsicles.
Alfred Wiesen says:
In French, we call it "un Esquimau" or "un Frisco" (also more fun than "une
glace à l'eau"). I'm wondering if these are not originally trademarked product
names...
Dianna Inkster adds:
Quand j'étais en train d me bilinguiser en été de l974 à Montéal, mon
enseignante disait qu'elle essayait d'utiliser toujours le français standard
avec son fils, un bonhomme de 5 ans. Un jour, elle a reçu un coup de
téléphone de dépanneur de voisinage qui disait, "Madame, ton bonhomme dit
qu'il veut une glace à l'eau. Dites-moi, qu'est-ce que c'est une glace à
l'eau?
Maintenant, je sais, "Un frisco ou un Esquimau en français d' Europe. Au
Québec, on utilise encore un popsicle, je crois. Et, c'est vrai, c'est une
marque. Le dictionaire Robert donne une explication de "popsicle" mais il
ne donne pas une façon de le traduire.
Merci, mille fois. Je préfère comprendre et utiliser les 2 formes selon les
gens avec qui je parle.
Someone requested a translation for jumpster and described it like
this: "you hang this from a doorway, put the child in it, and he can
bounce in it."
Alfred Wiesen says: We call it just "une balancoire" (with c-cedille) or "une balancelle"
Karine Josien in Louisiana replied:
I would think une balancoire would be more like what is called a swing
here. However i can't help with the jumper, I don't remember seing one in
France.
Dianne Inkster added:
Yes, but it is also a teeter-tooter or a see-saw. Ever notice how French
uses one word and gives it 10 different meanings. For example, baquette
means exactly what in English.
From: "Alfred Wiesen"
] I'd also like a word for rusk (as in a teething rusk);
Is this the same as a teething ring? Anneau de dentition
] affectionate names for a little girl (does friponne exist? what about
fillonne??);
Friponne exists, but I never heard it for a girl (not as much as "fripon"
or "gallopin" or "petite canaille" for a boy... wee you can use it as
affectionnate names - take care on the way you say these names. Laughing
turn them into affectionnate names, screaming into rather pejorative
meanings!) My wife uses "chérie" or "princesse" for our girl. Or
"petite furie" = when she's excited...
] a word for tootsies.
(if this means foot = "pied") "Peton" or "petit peton" is probably suited.
(if this means toes = "orteils", I don't have another name...)
Excerpts from the archives on diapers:
[Ed. note: Please let me know if this discussion is useful or if it should
be deleted or condensed into an explanatory paragraph or few vocabulary
words.]
diaper (nappy in English!): couche-culotte (often just refered to as 'les couche' [a-tu pris les couche?])
] couches jetables = disposable diapers in Québec, French Canada.
] Is it the same term in France. I find 'couche-culottes.' Are
] these "couches jetables" (disposable diapers?)
Alfred answers: I never heard "couches jetables"
explicitely here in Belgium... But yes,
this corresponds to what's used in France for 'couches culottes" or
simply
"couches". As I already said, in belgium we also use a lot "langes",
although in France "langes" refers to the tissue ones... "couches
non-jetables" you would say... But in Belgium we use "langes" for both
the tissue and the disposable diapers...
Dianna Inkster respond:
Qu'est-ce qu'il dit sur la boîte quand tu les achète "Couches-culottes"
"couches" mais definitivement pas "couches jetables". Ici il dis, je suis
presque certain "couches jetables".
On terms of endearment.
Nathalie Riksten-Tramblin says:
My terms of endearment (towards Thomas, 4yo) : ma puce, (pupuce,
sometimes), ma petite graine d'amour, affreux jojo (when he's not so
nice), sécotine pot de colle (I'm not sure about the spelling of
sécotine) when he follows me everywhere, including the toilets, and so
many others dictated by the inspiration of the moment but too many to
list...
Alfred says:
kid: "mon chéri", "mon grand garçon", "mon canard",
"mon lapin" (these animal names are mostly used by the grand mother),
"mon (petit) chou" (we don't use that one, but I have already heard it a lot)
girl: "ma chérie", "ma puce", "pupuce", "princesse"
You're in trouble! (jokingly to little one or seriously)
Fais attention...
Fais bien attention....
Come give me a hug
Viens dans mes bras.
Viens me faire un calin.
And does the song Eency Weecy Spider have words in French?
Yes, but it's shorter and it's not quite the same tune:
L'araignée Gipsy monte à la gouttière,
Tiens voila la pluie, Gipsy tombe par terre,
Mais le soleil a chassé la pluie,
L'araignée Gipsy monte à la gouttière...
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