Les premiers mots
French family words: maman, papa, mamie, papi and the rest
French children call their parents maman and papa, their grandmothers mamie and their grandfathers papi. An uncle is tonton and an aunt is tata. Those are the warm, everyday words; the formal ones are mère, père, grand-mère and grand-père.
Fourteen family words
| French | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| maman | Mum, Mummy | Say it ma-MAHN |
| papa | Dad, Daddy | Say it pa-PA |
| mamie | Granny, Nana | Say it ma-MEE |
| papi | Grandpa, PopAlso spelled papy. | Say it pa-PEE |
| mémé | Granny, a little old-fashioned | Say it may-MAY |
| pépé | Grandpa, a little old-fashioned | Say it pay-PAY |
| tonton | uncle, the children's word | Say it ton-TON |
| tata | auntie, the children's wordAlso tatie. | Say it ta-TA |
| le frère | brother | Say it luh FRAIR |
| la sœur | sister | Say it la SUR |
| le bébé | the baby | Say it luh bay-BAY |
| le cousin, la cousine | cousin, a boy and a girl | Say it luh koo-ZAN, la koo-ZEEN |
| le parrain, la marraine | godfather, godmother | Say it luh pa-RAN, la ma-REN |
| la famille | the family | Say it la fa-MEE-yuh |
A photo game
Hold up a family photo and take turns.
- C'est qui ? Who's that? Say it say KEE
- C'est mamie ! It's Granny! Say it say ma-MEE
- Où est papa ? Where's Daddy? Say it oo ay pa-PA
- Bonne nuit, maman. Good night, Mummy. Say it bon NWEE, ma-MAHN
French names for the grandparents
Many families with French at home give the grandparents French names. Mamie and Papi are the favourites: short enough for a toddler, soft enough for a grandparent. Ask the grandparents first. Some love it. Some would rather stay Nana.
The formal words
Mère and père, mother and father. Grand-mère and grand-père. Oncle and tante. Children meet them in stories and at school; at home they say maman, mamie and tonton.
A word about papi
In French, papi is a grandfather. In Spanish slang it means something quite different, which is why a search for it can be confusing. In a French house, papi is the one slipping the children biscuits.
One thing to do tonight
Say goodnight to everyone by their French name: Bonne nuit, maman. Bonne nuit, papa. Even the ones who aren’t in the room.
Free bedtime script
Say goodnight to the whole family
The Le Dodo script ends with bonne nuit. Add a name, and it's yours.
Ten bedtime phrases, each with a say-it guide, on one page for the bedroom door.
Voilà, it's on its way
Check your inbox in the next few minutes.
That didn't send, but the script is still yours.
Download it now (PDF)Questions parents ask
What do French children call their grandparents?
Mamie and papi, sometimes spelled papy. Some families say mémé and pépé, which sound a little old-fashioned now.
What is the French word for mum?
Maman, said ma-MAHN. Mère is the formal word for mother.
What does tonton mean?
Uncle, the word children use. The formal word is oncle.
What does mamie mean?
Granny or Nana, the everyday French word for grandmother.
Keep going
Updated 16 October 2026