Enfant is the most common way to say "child" in French. But just like in English, there are many other words you can use to describe a young person, depending on their age, the context, and even your affection for them.

Knowing these variations will enrich your vocabulary and help you communicate more precisely and naturally.

Let's explore 9 different ways to say "child" in French!

The standard 'child' – enfant

The standard 'child' – enfant

Enfant is the most common and standard French word for 'child'. It's a versatile term you'll use constantly.

One of the trickiest aspects of enfant is its gender in the singular. While the word itself is grammatically masculine (you'll often see un enfant), it can refer to a boy or a girl. The actual gender is revealed through the article and any adjectives used with it.

Here's how gender agreement works with enfant in the singular:

For a boy: un enfant (a child), mon enfant (my child), l'enfant sage (the well-behaved child - masculine agreement for 'sage').
For a girl: une enfant (a child), mon enfant (my child), l'enfant sage (the well-behaved child - feminine agreement for 'sage'). Notice that mon is used for both genders when the noun starts with a vowel, and the adjective sage doesn't change form for feminine.

In the plural, enfants (children) always takes a masculine agreement if the group includes at least one boy, or if the gender is unknown/mixed. If the group consists solely of girls, adjectives will agree in the feminine plural.

les enfants (the children)
mes enfants (my children)
les enfants sont sages (the children are well-behaved - could be mixed or all boys)
les petites filles sont des enfants sages (the little girls are well-behaved children - sages is plural, but filles explicitly states gender).

Enfant is suitable for nearly any context, whether formal or informal. It's the primary word you'll use when referring to a young human being.

Beyond just the noun, you'll encounter related terms like l'enfance (childhood), être enfant unique (to be an only child), or the adjective enfantin (childish/childlike).

💡 * L'enfant joue dans le jardin. (The child is playing in the garden.)

Elle est une enfant très intelligente. (She is a very intelligent child.)

Les enfants dorment profondément. (The children are sleeping soundly.)

J'ai deux enfants, un garçon et une fille. (I have two children, a boy and a girl.)

Mon enfant a cinq ans. (My child is five years old.)

The informal 'kid' – gamin/gamine

The informal ‘kid’ – gamin/gamine

While enfant is the standard word for 'child' in French, if you hear someone refer to a gamin (masculine) or a gamine (feminine), they're talking about a 'kid' in a more informal, often affectionate, and sometimes slightly mischievous way.

This term is typically used for younger children, often implying they are lively, playful, or perhaps a little bit of a scamp. It's less formal than enfant and carries a specific nuance.

The connotation of gamin or gamine is generally positive or neutral, never truly derogatory. It can evoke images of a street urchin or a playful youngster, full of energy and sometimes a bit cheeky. It can also be used figuratively for an adult who is acting childish or inexperienced.

You might hear a parent lovingly call their energetic child a gamin or gamine, especially if they're running around and getting into things. Or an older sibling might refer to their younger brother or sister as 'le petit gamin' in a playful way.

Unlike the neutral enfant, gamin/gamine adds a layer of personality. It's often chosen to highlight a child's spirited nature, their innocence, or sometimes their charming impishness, rather than just stating their age.

Using gamin or gamine signals a familiarity and a certain warmth, suggesting a connection that goes beyond a mere factual description. It’s a term that often comes with a smile.

💡 * Regarde ces gamins qui jouent au ballon dans la rue. (Look at those kids playing ball in the street.)

Mon petit gamin a encore fait une bêtise ! (My little rascal has done something silly again!)

Elle a gardé son âme de gamine, toujours prête à rire. (She kept her childlike spirit, always ready to laugh.)

Ne fais pas le gamin, sois sérieux. (Don't act like a kid, be serious.)

The 'little one' – petit/petite

The French adjective petit (masculine singular) or petite (feminine singular) is commonly translated as 'little' or 'small'.

Like many French adjectives, petit changes its form to agree with the noun it modifies in both gender and number: petit (masculine singular), petite (feminine singular), petits (masculine plural), and petites (feminine plural).

Its primary use is to describe the physical size of something or someone, indicating that it is not large. For example, une petite maison (a small house) or un petit chien (a little dog).

Petit(e) can also refer to age, meaning 'young'. You might hear une petite fille (a little girl) or mon petit frère (my little brother).

When used as a noun, often with a possessive adjective like mon or ma, mon petit or ma petite functions as a term of endearment, meaning 'my little one' or 'my dear'. It's typically used for children, partners, or close loved ones.

As a common adjective describing beauty, age, goodness, or size (BAGS adjectives), petit(e) generally precedes the noun it modifies, for example, un petit garçon (a little boy).

💡 * C'est une petite ville charmante. (It's a charming little town.)* J'ai vu un petit oiseau dans le jardin. (I saw a small bird in the garden.)* Ma petite sœur est très intelligente. (My little sister is very intelligent.)* Viens ici, mon petit. (Come here, my little one - often to a child or pet.)

The 'tot' or 'little kid' – marmot/marmotte

The terms marmot (masculine) and marmotte (feminine) are informal and affectionate ways to refer to a tot, little kid, or young child in French.

These words directly correspond to the child's gender: un marmot for a boy and une marmotte for a girl. While literally meaning 'marmot' (the animal), in this context, it carries a sense of smallness and sometimes mischievousness, much like 'little rascal' or 'tyke' might in English.

Used primarily by adults referring to children, marmot/marmotte often implies endearment, even when describing a child who is being a bit naughty or sleepy. It's a common term of affection within families or close circles.

💡 *Regarde ce petit marmot qui joue dans le parc ! (Look at that little tot playing in the park!)
*Ma marmotte dort encore profondément. (My little girl is still sleeping soundly.)
*Les marmots ont fait beaucoup de bruit ce matin. (The kids made a lot of noise this morning.)
*Elle a trois marmots, tous plus adorables les uns que les autres. (She has three little ones, each more adorable than the last.)

The very common informal 'kid' – gosse

In French, gosse is a very common informal term that directly translates to 'kid' or 'child'.

This word is firmly in the realm of informal, colloquial French. It's the kind of word you'd hear parents use with each other, or friends discussing their children.

Unlike some other French terms for children, gosse is gender-neutral in the singular (e.g., une gosse for a girl, un gosse for a boy). However, it's most frequently encountered in its plural form, les gosses, meaning 'the kids' or 'the children'.

You'll often hear it in everyday conversations, referring to children in a general, often affectionate, way. For example, 'Are the kids sleeping?' would naturally be 'Les gosses dorment ?'

While widely accepted in informal settings, remember to avoid gosse in formal contexts or professional discussions. For those situations, terms like enfants are more appropriate.

💡 * On va chercher les gosses à l'école. (We're going to pick up the kids from school.)

Ton gosse est adorable ! (Your kid is adorable!)

J'ai deux gosses, un garçon et une fille. (I have two kids, a boy and a girl.)

Les gosses jouent dans le jardin. (The kids are playing in the garden.)

The 'toddler' or 'young child' – bambin/bambine

In French, to refer to a 'toddler' or 'young child,' the most fitting terms are bambin (masculine) and bambine (feminine). These words specifically denote a child who is past the infant stage but not yet a school-aged child.

Typically, a bambin or bambine is a child from the moment they start walking independently, usually around one year old, up to about three or four years old. The term carries a slightly tender and affectionate connotation, emphasizing their smallness and early stage of development.

Like many French nouns, bambin changes its form based on gender and number: un bambin (a male toddler), une bambine (a female toddler). For plurals, you would say des bambins (male toddlers or a mixed group) and des bambines (female toddlers).

While bébé refers to a 'baby' (infant) and enfant is a general term for 'child,' bambin/bambine fills the specific niche for a 'toddler.' Using bambin highlights this particular developmental stage more precisely than the broader term enfant, which can apply to children of all ages up to adolescence.

💡 * Les bambins aiment jouer avec des blocs colorés. (Toddlers love to play with colorful blocks.)

Ma petite bambine vient de faire ses premiers pas. (My little toddler just took her first steps.)

Il y a une aire de jeux spécialement conçue pour les bambins. (There's a playground specifically designed for young children.)

Nous avons acheté des vêtements pour un bambin de deux ans. (We bought clothes for a two-year-old toddler.)

The 'young person' or 'youth' – jeune

The French word jeune translates directly to 'young' and is used to describe someone who is not old. It's a fundamental term when discussing age in French.

Interestingly, jeune can function as both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective (meaning 'young'), it is invariable for gender (e.g., un jeune homme - a young man, une jeune femme - a young woman). As a noun, it refers to 'a young person' and changes its article to indicate gender: un jeune (a young man) or une jeune (a young woman).

When used in the plural with a definite article, les jeunes, it collectively refers to 'young people' or 'the youth' in general. It's a versatile term to speak about individuals or an entire demographic, often used in social or cultural contexts.

💡 * Mon frère est encore très jeune. (My brother is still very young.)

J'ai vu une jeune fille courir dans le parc. (I saw a young girl running in the park.)

Les jeunes d'aujourd'hui sont très connectés. (Young people today are very connected.)

C'est un jeune talent très prometteur. (He is a very promising young talent.)

Qui est cette jeune? Elle a l'air sympa. (Who is this young woman? She seems nice.)

The regional 'kid' – minot/minotte

In the South of France, particularly around Marseille, you'll often hear the terms minot (masculine) and minotte (feminine) used to refer to a 'kid' or 'child'.

These words are informal and carry an affectionate, familiar tone, similar to 'lad' or 'lass' in some English dialects. They are primarily used by locals and add a touch of regional charm.

Minot is used for boys or a group of children, while minotte is for girls. The plural forms are les minots and les minottes respectively.

💡 * Mon petit minot, viens ici! (My little kid, come here!)

Elle est une minotte très curieuse. (She is a very curious kid.)

Les minots jouent au foot sur la place. (The kids are playing soccer in the square.)

C'est un minot du quartier. (He's a kid from the neighborhood.)

The 'baby' or 'infant' – poupon/pouponne

While bébé is the most common word for 'baby' in French, you might also encounter the terms poupon (masculine) and pouponne (feminine). These words carry a specific nuance and are worth understanding.

Poupon and pouponne literally translate to 'baby doll' or 'infant doll'. Historically, poupon referred to a plump, healthy baby, often with rosy cheeks, evoking the image of a doll. The masculine form, un poupon, is used for a male baby or a male baby doll, while une pouponne is for a female baby or a female baby doll.

When referring to a real baby, poupon and pouponne are often used affectionately, emphasizing the baby's cuteness, chubbiness, or doll-like appearance. It's less common than bébé but adds a tender, sometimes slightly old-fashioned, touch. You might hear a grandparent or a doting relative use it.

More commonly, poupon and pouponne are used to refer to baby dolls. If you're talking about a child's toy, especially one that resembles an infant, these are the appropriate terms. For example, a doll hospital might be called une clinique de poupons.

It's important to note that bébé is the general, everyday term for 'baby' and is always safe to use. Poupon and pouponne are more specific, either conveying a particular affectionate image of a baby or, more frequently, referring to a baby doll. Think of bébé as 'baby' and poupon/pouponne as 'baby doll' or a 'cherubic baby'.

💡 * Quel joli poupon ! Il a de si belles joues roses. (What a lovely baby! He has such beautiful rosy cheeks.)

Elle joue avec sa pouponne dans le jardin. (She's playing with her baby doll in the garden.)

Le magasin vend des poupons de toutes tailles. (The store sells baby dolls of all sizes.)

Regarde ce petit poupon qui dort paisiblement. (Look at that little infant sleeping peacefully.)

Ma nièce a reçu une nouvelle pouponne pour son anniversaire. (My niece received a new baby doll for her birthday.)

Are there other ways to say 'child' in French?

Are there other ways to say “child” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “child” in French. But there are other terms, from old-fashioned ones, to regional ones, to up-and-coming slang ones this middle-aged author might not even be aware of!

You can also do an online search for “comment dire enfant en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms for enfant on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about children.

And if you’re looking for ways to talk about different kinds of children, or words related to childhood in French, the WordReference entry for enfant is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is the perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: Toutes les grandes personnes ont d'abord été des enfants. (Mais peu d'entre elles s'en souviennent.) (All grown-ups were once children. (But few of them remember it.))

9 ways to say "child" in French