Les mots doux

Ma puce: why French parents call their child a flea

Ma puce means my flea: small, quick and impossible to catch. It's a fond pet name for a little child, most often a girl, though boys hear it too. It stays ma puce whoever you say it to, because puce is a feminine word.

ma puce

my flea, sweetie

Say it ma POOSS (u with rounded lips)

To a girl
ma puce Say it ma POOSS
To a boy
ma puce Say it ma POOSS
Little
ma petite puce Say it ma puh-teet POOSS

Four ways to say it today

  • Viens, ma puce. Come here, sweetie. Say it VYAN, ma POOSS
  • Bravo, ma puce ! Well done, sweetie! Say it bra-VOH, ma POOSS
  • Tu as faim, ma puce ? Are you hungry, sweetie? Say it too a FAN, ma POOSS
  • Allez, ma puce, au lit. Come on, sweetie, into bed. Say it a-LAY, ma POOSS, oh LEE

How to say puce

Say ee, then keep your tongue where it is and round your lips, as if to whistle. That’s the French u. Put a p in front and an ss after: puce.

The guide writes it oo because English has no letter for this sound, but a true oo makes pouce, a thumb. Get close and your child will still know who you mean.

Why a flea?

Because small children are small, fast and everywhere at once. Any parent who has tried to put socks on a two-year-old understands.

Is it romantic?

It can be, between couples. Said to a three-year-old with jam on her chin, it’s simply fond.

One thing to do tonight

Allez, ma puce, au lit. Come on, sweetie, into bed. Say it as you lift the covers.

Where it lives in your day Le Dodo · Bedtime in French The ten sentences that turn lights-out into French, every single night

Free bedtime script

Allez, ma puce, au lit

Into bed, then ten bedtime phrases from the Le Dodo script take it from there.

Ten bedtime phrases, each with a say-it guide, on one page for the bedroom door.

Three emails over your first week to get bedtime started, and you can leave whenever you like.

Questions parents ask

What does ma puce mean?

My flea. French parents use it the way English speakers say sweetie.

Can you call a boy ma puce?

Yes. Puce is a feminine word, so it stays ma puce for a boy too.

Is ma puce romantic?

It can be, between partners. Said to a small child, it's simply fond.

How do you pronounce ma puce?

ma POOSS, with the French u: say ee, then round your lips without moving your tongue.

Keep going

All the words of love →

Updated 16 October 2026