Do you know what the French term mon cheri means? This guide will provide you with all of the knowledge you need on the French phrase mon cheri, including its definition and translation, synonyms, sentence usage, and more!
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According to Dictionary and Word Sense, the term mon cheri is French term of endearment that means “my dear” or “sweetheart.” This term can be used romantically or platonically to refer to a loved one or best friend. French speakers use French terms of endearment just like English speakers do. Mon cheri is the equivalent of calling someone honey, or sweetie in English.
Mon cheri is the mascule form of the term on endearment, whereas ma cherie is the feminine. People would use ma cherie to refer to a woman lovingly, but mon cheri to refer to a man.
If you are starting to learn French, you might discover that there are a ton of French words that are used as terms of endearment, just line English. Fluent U provides us with a bunch of these! These terms of endearment can be used platonically or romantically, among female friends or male friends, lovers and romantic partners alike. These are listed below, alongside their translations. Many of these also have diminutive forms that help to make the term sound even cuter.
Mon cœur – My heart
Mon amour – My love
Mon petit ____ – My little ___
Ma moitié – My other half
Doudou – My blankie or my cuddly thing
Ma chérie – My darling
Mon trésor – My treasure
Mon ange – My angel
Mon chou – My cabbage
Mon bébé – My baby
Mon chaton – My kitten
Mon lapin – My rabbit
Ma puce – My flea
Mon poussin – My chicky
Mon loulou – My wolf
Mon oisillon – My little bird
Mon nounours – My teddy bear
Ma biche – My doe
Ma caille – my quail
Mon coco – My hen
Mon caneton – My duckling
Ma pole – My chicken
Ma crevette – My shrimp
How can the term mon cheri be used in a sentence?
Mon cheri can be used in a variety of different sentences as a term of endearment, both platonically and romantically. In this example, Lousie is wishing a happy birthday to her boyfriend, Jean-Luc. She has made Jean-Luc breakfast in bed.
Louise: Bonjour, mon chéri! Joyeux anniversaire!
English – Louise: Good morning, my darling! Happy birthday!
Jean-Luc: Merci, mon amour. Cela a l’air incroyable.
English – Jean-Luc: Thank you, my love. This looks amazing.
Louise: Des œufs, du bacon et beaucoup de pain grillé, votre préféré. Aujourd’hui est votre jour, nous pouvons donc faire ce que vous voulez.
English – Louise: Eggs, bacon, and lots of toast, your favorite. Today is your day, so we can do whatever you want.
Jean-Luc: En ce moment, je ne veux rien de plus que de m’allonger ici avec ma petite poule. Merci pour le petit déjeuner. Tu me fais me sentir si spécial.
English – Jean-Luc: Right now, I want nothing more than to lie here with my little hen. Thank you for the breakfast. You make me feel so special.
Here, Louise uses the term of endearment mon cheri to refer to her boyfriend Jean-Luc. In this next example, Lenna is talking to her son Lucas.
Lenna: Bienvenue à la maison, mon chéri! Comment était l’école?
English – Lenna: Welcome home, my darling! How was school?
Lucas: C’était bien. La maternelle est la meilleure!
English – Lucas: It was good. Kindergarten is the best!
Lenna: C’est tellement bon à entendre. Tu aimes ton professeur? Tu t’es fait des amis?
English – Lenna: That’s so good to hear. Do you like your teacher? Did you make friends?
Lucas: Oui je l’ai fait!
English – Lucas: Yes I did!
Here, Lenna uses the term mon cheri to refer to her son. This term of endearment can be used both platonically and romantically.
What are synonyms and antonyms for the term mon cheri in English?
There are many different pet names that one can use to refer to a loved one in English. These terms of endearment are considered synonyms for the French term mon cheri, because they have a similar meaning. Someone might choose to use one of these synonyms rather than the term mon cheri if the person they are speaking to is unfamiliar with the French term. Using a term in another language might confuse the person, so in some cases, it might be better to opt for an English synonym. This list of synonyms is provided by Thesaurus.
one and only
sweetheart
precious
light of my life
fair-haired boy
beloved
treasure
girlfriend
dear one
heart’s desire
dearie
sweetie
lamb
sugar
dearest
dear
friend
apple of one’s eye
honeybunch
angel
darling
pet
boyfriend
flame
lover
truelove
love
baby
If someone wanted to refer to a person who was the opposite of a loved one, they could use an antonym, which is a word of phrase that means the opposite of a given word or phrase. This list of antonyms is also provided by Thesaurus.
assailant
traitor
competitor
traducer
calumniator
guerrilla
informer
opposition
vilifier
criminal
backbiter
bad person
seditionist
antagonist
rebel
agent
murderer
bandit
opponent
falsifier
terrorist
revolutionary
asperser
adversary
prosecutor
slanderer
rival
emulator
inquisitor
assassin
enemy
betrayer
detractor
disputant
archenemy
villain
contender
attacker
fifth column
saboteur
other side
spy
defamer
defiler
foe
invader
Overall, the term mon cheri is a French term that means my darling or sweetheart in English. This French term of endearment is very popular both romantically and platonically, and is often used to refer to a loved one. Take your language learning to the next level and learn other terms of endearment in Italian, Dutch, Arabic, Polish, Romanian, Portuguese, and more!
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.