French word

petit-fils

Pronunciation

IPA/pətifis/

Meaning

  • masculine noungrandson

Example

Hier, j'ai emmené mon petit-fils au zoo.

Yesterday, I took my grandson to the zoo.

Illustration for petit-fils (grandson)

More examples

Je vais garder mon petit-fils ce week-end.

I am going to look after my grandson this weekend.

Core concept

A male descendant reached through one's son or daughter, viewed as the next family generation.

Common phrases

  • mon petit-fils

    my grandson

  • garder mon petit-fils

    look after my grandson

  • voir mon petit-fils

    see my grandson

Similar words

petite-fille: A female grandchild, meaning the daughter of one's child.
petit-enfant: A grandchild of either sex, meaning the child of one's child.
fils: A person's male child.

Definition in French

Le descendant masculin d'une personne par l'intermédiaire d'un de ses enfants.

Word origin

Fils comes from Latin filius through French sound and spelling changes, while petit-fils is a later French compound using petit to mark the younger generation.

Usage tips

  • In the plural, petit-fils becomes petits-fils, so only the first element receives the written plural ending.

Related words

  • arrière-petit-filsgreat-grandsonnoun

Word lists with this word