French · People & Family

"Son" in French: fils

le fils

Say it: FEESSmasculine · le filsnoun/fis/

Son in French is le fils, masculine, said FEESS. Mon fils is my son. The final s is pronounced as a soft s sound. Fils also appears in family names and idioms, but start with the family meaning.

School pickup

Mon fils finit à seize heures.
My son finishes at four p.m.
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How to pronounce fils

Say it

FEESS

/fis/

FEESS. I is like ee. Final s is sounded (unlike many French plurals). Soft f at the start. Do not say English "fills" with a dark l.

"Son" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
le filsthe son

Male child.

mon filsmy son

Possessive.

fils uniqueonly son

Family status.

beaux-filsstepson / son-in-law contexts

Extended family; check context.

How to use fils in real life

  1. 1School pickup

    Mon fils finit à seize heures.

    My son finishes at four p.m.

    Mon fils even for a mother; fils is masculine.

  2. 2Introducing family

    Voici mon fils, il a neuf ans.

    This is my son; he is nine.

    Simple introduction pattern.

  3. 3Phone call

    Tu peux passer le téléphone à ton fils ?

    Can you pass the phone to your son?

    Ton fils with tu.

Mistakes English speakers make with fils

Incorrect: Ma fils est sage.

Correct: Mon fils est sage.

Fils is masculine: mon fils.

Incorrect: Prononcer fils like "feel" without s.

Correct: Say FEESS with a final s sound.

Unlike many French words, the s in fils is pronounced.

Good to know

Fils can appear in formal writing as fils de… (son of). Beau-fils may mean stepson or son-in-law depending on the family; if unclear, ask which relationship people mean.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Meeting a neighbor with a child

  1. ChatPal

    C'est ton fils, le garçon au vélo ?

    Is that your son, the boy on the bike?

  2. You

    Oui, mon fils s'appelle Noah.

    Yes, my son's name is Noah.

  3. ChatPal

    Il a quel âge, ton fils ?

    How old is your son?

  4. You

    Dix ans, déjà.

    Ten already.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Son" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Son" in French

How do I say my son?

Mon fils.

Is the s in fils silent?

No. Pronounce FEESS with a final s.

How do I say daughter?

La fille — a different word.

What is fils unique?

An only son (no brothers; he may still have sisters).

Learn a word, then use it out loud

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  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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