French word

beau-père

Pronunciation

IPA/bopɛʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounfather-in-law

Example

Mon beau-père est gentil.

My father-in-law is nice.

Illustration for beau-père (father-in-law)

More examples

J'ai rencontré mon beau-père hier.

I met my father-in-law yesterday.

Core concept

The man who fills a father's place because he is a spouse's father or a mother's new husband.

Common phrases

  • inviter son beau-père

    invite one's father-in-law

  • rencontrer son beau-père

    meet one's father-in-law

Similar words

père: A child's biological father.
belle-mère: A woman who becomes a child's mother through marriage or remarriage.
beau-parent: A person who becomes a child's parent through marriage or remarriage.
beau-frère: The brother of a person's spouse.

Definition in French

Désigne soit le père du conjoint soit l'homme qui, par le remariage de la mère, assume la fonction paternelle dans la famille.

Word origin

French formed beau-père from beau, a traditional kinship element for relations created by marriage, and père, from Latin pater through Old French.

Usage tips

  • The word can refer to either a father-in-law or a stepfather, so context may need to specify le père de mon épouse or le mari de ma mère.

Other meanings

  • stepfathernoun

Opposites

Related words

  • beau-parentparent-in-lawnoun

Word lists with this word