Les mots doux

Mon petit chou: why French parents call their child a little cabbage

Mon chou means my cabbage, and mon petit chou my little cabbage. It's one of the fondest pet names in French, for babies, children and partners. The chou may be the vegetable or the small cream puff, the chou à la crème.

mon petit chou

my little cabbage, sweetie

Say it mon puh-tee SHOO

Short
mon chou Say it mon SHOO
Little
mon petit chou Say it mon puh-tee SHOO
A favourite
mon chouchou Say it mon shoo-SHOO

Four ways to say it today

  • Coucou, mon petit chou ! Hello there, sweetie! Say it koo-KOO, mon puh-tee SHOO Coucou is a playful hi, for babies and grown-ups alike, and peekaboo too.
  • Ça va, mon chou ? All right, sweetie? Say it sa VA, mon SHOO
  • Au bain, mon petit chou. Into the bath, sweetie. Say it oh BAN, mon puh-tee SHOO
  • Bonne nuit, mon chou. Good night, sweetie. Say it bon NWEE, mon SHOO

Cabbage or cream puff?

In French, chou is a cabbage and also a small round pastry, un chou à la crème. Nobody agrees which one the pet name started with. Both are round, both are soft in their way, and both look a little like a baby’s head.

Mon chou for a girl?

Yes. Chou is a masculine word, so it’s mon chou, whoever is in your arms.

Chouchou

Double it and you get chouchou, a favourite. At school, le chouchou de la maîtresse is the teacher’s pet. At home it’s a name for the baby of the family, said with a squeeze.

One thing to do tonight

Try it at bath time: Au bain, mon petit chou.

Where it lives in your day Le Bain · Bathtime in French Ten minutes of warm water, and the French that floats in it

Free bedtime script

From the bath to bed

Say it in the bath, then the Le Dodo script carries you from the towel to lights out.

Ten bedtime phrases, each with a say-it guide, on one page for the bedroom door.

Three emails over your first week to get bedtime started, and you can leave whenever you like.

Questions parents ask

What does mon chou mean?

My cabbage, used the way English speakers say sweetie or darling.

Why do the French call people cabbage?

Chou means a cabbage and also a small cream puff. Either way, it's affectionate.

What does chouchou mean?

A favourite. At school, le chouchou de la maîtresse is the teacher's pet; at home it's a pet name.

Can you say mon chou to a girl?

Yes. Chou is a masculine word, so it's always mon chou.

Keep going

All the words of love →

Updated 16 October 2026