French word

fillette

Pronunciation

IPA/fijɛt/

Meaning

  • feminine nounlittle girl

Example

La fillette joue dans le parc.

The little girl is playing in the park.

Illustration for fillette (little girl)

More examples

La fillette de six ans commence l'école.

The six-year-old girl starts school.

Core concept

A childlike girl pictured as small and endearing rather than simply identified by age.

Common phrases

  • la fillette

    the little girl

  • fillette de six ans

    six-year-old girl

Similar words

fille: A common term for a girl or young girl.
petite fille: A girl who is young in age and small in size.
enfant: A general term for a child.

Definition in French

Terme diminutif désignant une jeune fille ou une enfant, souvent employé avec une nuance affective.

Word origin

French formed fillette from fille and the suffix -ette, whose use commonly adds a sense of smallness or fondness without creating a separate gender.

Usage tips

  • The final -ette in fillette is pronounced with the vowel of English 'bet' followed by t, while the final e is silent.

Other meanings

  • girlnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word