French · People & Family
"Twin" in French: jumeau / jumelle
le jumeau / la jumelle
Twin in French is le jumeau for a boy and la jumelle for a girl. Les jumeaux covers twin boys or a mixed pair in casual talk; les jumelles is twin girls.
Introducing family
Voici mon jumeau, il s'appelle Paul.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce jumeau / jumelle
Say it
zhü-MO / zhü-MELL
/ʒy.mo/ /ʒy.mɛl/
Jumeau: zhü-MO. Jumelle: zhü-MELL. The j is like soft zh; eau like o.
"Twin" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| le jumeau | twin brother / twin boy Masculine singular. | Masculine singular. |
| la jumelle | twin sister / twin girl Feminine singular. | Feminine singular. |
| les jumeaux | twins Boys or mixed; also general. | Boys or mixed; also general. |
| les jumelles | twin girls Two girls; also "binoculars" in another sense. | Two girls; also "binoculars" in another sense. |
| vrais jumeaux | identical twins Same egg; vs faux jumeaux. | Same egg; vs faux jumeaux. |
How to use jumeau / jumelle in real life
- 1Introducing family
Voici mon jumeau, il s'appelle Paul.
This is my twin brother; his name is Paul.
Mon jumeau = my twin (brother).
- 2School
Ma jumelle est dans l'autre classe.
My twin sister is in the other class.
Jumelle for a sister.
- 3Photos
Les jumeaux portent les mêmes baskets.
The twins are wearing the same sneakers.
Jumeaux for the pair.
Mistakes English speakers make with jumeau / jumelle
Incorrect: Ma jumeau.
Correct: Mon jumeau. / Ma jumelle.
Match gender: mon jumeau, ma jumelle.
Incorrect: Les twins.
Correct: Les jumeaux / les jumelles.
Use the French words.
Good to know
Les jumelles also means binoculars—context decides. For people, families still say mon jumeau / ma jumelle a lot; vrais / faux jumeaux is the identical / fraternal distinction.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Meeting someone's twin
ChatPal
Tu savais que j'avais un jumeau ?
Did you know I had a twin brother?
You
Non ! Ton jumeau habite où ?
No! Where does your twin live?
ChatPal
À Rennes. On se ressemble beaucoup.
In Rennes. We look a lot alike.
You
Je veux le rencontrer un jour.
I want to meet him someday.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Twin" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Twin" in French
Jumeau or jumelle?
Jumeau for male, jumelle for female.
How do I say twins?
Les jumeaux, or les jumelles for two girls.
Identical twins?
Vrais jumeaux / vraies jumelles.
Why do jumelles also mean binoculars?
Same word, different meaning—context makes it clear.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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