Les mots doux

Mon cœur: what it means when French parents say it

Mon cœur means my heart. French parents use it the way English speakers use sweetheart, for boys and girls alike. It's always mon cœur, never ma, because cœur is a masculine word. Say it mon KUR.

mon cœur

my heart, sweetheart

Say it mon KUR

To a boy
mon cœur Say it mon KUR
To a girl
mon cœur Say it mon KUR
Little and loved
mon petit cœur Say it mon puh-tee KUR

Five ways to say it today

  • Ça va, mon cœur ? Are you all right, sweetheart? Say it sa VA, mon KUR
  • Viens là, mon cœur. Come here, sweetheart. Say it VYAN la, mon KUR
  • Merci, mon cœur. Thank you, sweetheart. Say it mair-SEE, mon KUR
  • Je t'aime, mon cœur. I love you, sweetheart. Say it zhuh TEM, mon KUR
  • Dors bien, mon petit cœur. Sleep well, my little sweetheart. Say it dor BYAN, mon puh-tee KUR

How to say cœur

Round your lips as if you’re about to say oo, then say ur, as in fur, without curling an r. Cœur. If it comes out closer to cur, it’s still mon cœur to your child.

The œ is an o and an e tied together. You’ll see it in cœur, heart, and sœur, sister.

Why it’s never ma cœur

Cœur is a masculine noun, so it takes mon, whether you’re talking to a son or a daughter. Ma cœur is the classic slip, and now you know to skip it.

When parents say it

Constantly, and mostly in passing: doing up a shoe, after a tumble, at the school gate. It’s the everyday one, said so often it almost works as a name.

One thing to do tonight

Swap it into the last line of bedtime: Bonne nuit, mon cœur.

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

Say it at bedtime tonight

Swap mon cœur into the last line of the Le Dodo script: Bonne nuit, mon cœur.

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 cœur mean?

My heart. It's used the way English speakers use sweetheart or darling.

Can you say mon cœur to a girl?

Yes. It's always mon cœur, whoever you're talking to, because cœur is a masculine word.

Is mon cœur romantic?

It can be. Couples use it, parents use it, grandparents use it. The tone tells you which.

How do you type œ?

On most phone keyboards, hold down the o key and choose œ. Writing coeur is fine too.

Keep going

All the words of love →

Updated 16 October 2026