Les mots doux

Mon chéri and ma chérie: what they mean and how parents use them

Mon chéri means my darling or my dear. It comes from chérir, to cherish. French parents say mon chéri to a boy and ma chérie to a girl, and the two sound exactly the same: mon shay-REE, ma shay-REE.

mon chéri

my darling

Say it mon shay-REE

To a boy
mon chéri Say it mon shay-REE
To a girl
ma chérie Say it ma shay-REE
To two or more
mes chéris Say it may shay-REE

Five ways to say it today

  • Bonjour, mon chéri. Good morning, my darling. Say it bon-ZHOOR, mon shay-REE
  • Viens, ma chérie. Come here, my darling. Say it VYAN, ma shay-REE
  • Ça va, mon chéri ? Are you all right, darling? Say it sa VA, mon shay-REE
  • Je t'aime, ma chérie. I love you, my darling. Say it zhuh TEM, ma shay-REE
  • Bonne nuit, mon chéri. Good night, my darling. Say it bon NWEE, mon shay-REE

What it means

Chéri comes from chérir, to cherish, so mon chéri is literally my cherished one. In English it sits somewhere between darling, dear and sweetheart.

When French parents say it

All day, without ceremony. Waking up, a grazed knee, the last kiss at the door. It’s warm but ordinary, more my darling than my beloved, and it doesn’t wait for big moments.

Chéri or chérie?

Add an e for a girl: ma chérie. The e is silent, so the difference only shows in writing, on a birthday card for instance. Two children? Mes chéris, said may shay-REE, or mes chéries if they’re both girls.

Isn’t it romantic?

It can be: French couples say mon chéri too. Said to a four-year-old in pyjamas, the tone does the work.

One thing to do tonight

It’s already in your bedtime script: Bonne nuit, mon chéri. Say it at the door and you’ve used it.

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

It's already in your bedtime script

Bonne nuit, mon chéri is the last line of Le Dodo, the ten-phrase bedtime routine.

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 mon chéri mean?

My darling or my dear. Literally, my cherished one.

What's the difference between chéri and chérie?

Chéri is for a boy or a man, chérie for a girl or a woman. They sound the same; only the spelling changes.

Do French people say mon chéri to children?

Yes, every day. It's one of the most common things French parents call their children.

How do you pronounce mon chéri?

mon shay-REE: a soft sh, and the stress on the last syllable.

Is mon cheri, without the accent, the same?

Yes. In French the é keeps its accent, but in English it often goes missing. The meaning doesn't change.

Keep going

All the words of love →

Updated 16 October 2026