French word

chouchou

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃuʃu/

Meaning

  • masculine nounfavorite

Example

Depuis qu'il est arrivé, il est le chouchou du bureau.

Since he arrived, he has been the office favorite.

Illustration for chouchou (favorite)

More examples

À l'école, il était toujours le chouchou des élèves.

At school, he was always the students' favorite.

Core concept

A warmly cherished favorite who receives noticeably more attention than others.

Common phrases

  • le chouchou du professeur

    the teacher's pet

  • le chouchou de la classe

    the class favorite

  • son chouchou

    his favorite

Similar words

favori: A person especially liked within a group and often chosen for something.
préféré: A person singled out as the preferred choice among many others.
chéri: A person cherished and treated affectionately by someone close to them.

Definition in French

Désigne une personne que l'on préfère et que l'on cajole, souvent perçue comme l'objet de la faveur d'autrui.

Word origin

Chouchou arose through the reduplication of chou in its affectionate sense; chou comes from Latin caulis.

Usage tips

  • Chouchou also means a fabric hair tie, so the surrounding context identifies whether it refers to a person or an accessory.

Other meanings

  • darlingnoun

Opposites

  • pariaoutcastnoun
  • excluoutsidernoun

Related words

  • chouchouterpamperverb
  • chouchoutépamperedadjective

Word lists with this word