French word

petite-fille

Pronunciation

IPA/pətitfij/

Meaning

  • feminine noungranddaughter

Example

Ma petite-fille joue dans le jardin.

My granddaughter is playing in the garden.

Illustration for petite-fille (granddaughter)

More examples

Ma petite-fille adore dessiner.

My granddaughter loves drawing.

Core concept

A family-tree branch leading from a person's child to that child's daughter.

Common phrases

  • ma petite-fille

    my granddaughter

  • notre petite-fille

    our granddaughter

Similar words

petit-enfant: A child of one's child, regardless of sex.
enfant: A person who is still a child rather than an adult.
fille: A daughter in relation to a parent.
petit-fils: A son's or daughter's son.

Definition in French

Désigne la descendante au deuxième degré d'une personne, c'est-à-dire la fille d'un de ses enfants.

Word origin

The compound petite-fille combines petite, the feminine form of petit, with fille and developed the kinship meaning granddaughter.

Usage tips

  • Petite-fille is feminine, so it takes une, la, or ma in the singular, even when the granddaughter is an adult.

Opposites

Related words

  • arrière-petite-fillegreat-granddaughternoun

Word lists with this word