This post is to help all parents and caregivers who are not fluent in French with adjusting to French childcare, including crèche (daycare/nursery) and assistante maternelle (a qualified professional who watches a few children from their home). If you are new to France or French, you aren't alone. I started my child in crèche when she was a baby, and I had not started French lessons yet. Additionally, this was my first time with childcare so there was a lot to learn.
The following list includes vocabulary, phrases, questions and general information about crèches we at Message hope you find useful. Congrats on starting crèche and we hope you and your child(ren) get a lot of benefit from it!
Le Vocabulaire de la Crèche / Daycare Vocabulary
Accueil / Welcome
Le règlement de la crèche / Crèche rules
(Explication des heures de ramassage et de retour et des retards, fermetures des crèches pour les jours fériés et vacances scolaires.)
Explication du Covid et des mesures de sécurité, notamment lorsqu'une personne différente vient chercher les enfants. Explication des vêtements recommandés pour les enfants et des éléments qu'ils doivent apporter (doudou, tétine, vêtements supplémentaires).
Explanation of pickup and drop off times and being late, creche closures for national holidays and school holiday.
Explanation of Covid and security measures, especially when having a different person pick up the children.
Explanation of recommended clothing for the children and any items they need to bring (doudou, pacifier, extra clothes).
Contact / Contact information
(adresse postale, adresse mail, numéro de téléphone)
(address, email address, telephone number)
L'emploi du temps / Schedule of the day
Les horaires d'arrivée: Drop off
Example public creche drop off hours: 8:00 – 9:30
Le déjeuner: Lunch
Ex: 11:00h
La sieste: Naptime
Ex: 13:00h
Goûter: Snacktime
Ex: 15:30h
Les horaires de départ: Pickup
Ex: 16:00 – 18:00h
Communication / Communication
Des courriels seront envoyés pour informer les parents s'il y a des maladies contagieuses comme la varicelle ou les poux.
Pour toute urgence, les parents seront appelés. Le plus souvent, les enfants développent de la fièvre, puis un membre du personnel appelle les parents pour leur demander la permission de donner du Doliprane.
Emails will be sent to inform parents if there are any contagious diseases such as chicken pox or lice.
For any emergencies, the parents will be called. Most commonly, children develop a fever and then a staff member will call the parents to ask permission to give Doliprane (note: they may also ask you to pick up your child).
Les Personnes / People
La maman: Mother
Le papa: Father
La belle- mère: Stepmother (“belle- mère” is also the word for mother- in- law)
Le beau-père: Stepfather (“beau- père” is also the word for father -in- law)
Les grands-parents : Grandparents
Le frèrefrére: Brother
La soeur: Sister
Les frères et soeurs: Siblings
Le/La baby-sitteur: Babysitter
Le/La nounou: Nanny
La directrice: The crèche manager
Les puéricultrices: The childcare workers
La cuisinière: The dedicated chef for the crèche
Les stagiaires: Students in child development who work at the crèche temporarily as part of their degree requirements.
La psychologue: The child psychologist who visits public crèches for a day of observation
Psychomotricien: Visits one time per month (in public crèches) to observe children motor development
Aide Médico Psychologique : The professional who comes in and helps disabled children
Vocabulaire pour la crèche / Creche-related vocabulary
Deposer: To drop off
Récupérer: To pick up
Rangement pour poussettes: Storage for strollers
Digicode: The security code at the door
Les couvre-chaussures: Shoe covers
Exercice d’incendie: Fire drill
Commandes / Commands
S'il te plaît: Please, when adult is speaking to a child
Attention: Careful
Doucement: Gently, or slow down
Assis-toi: Sit down
Lève toi: Stand up
Regarde-moi: Look at me
Écoute moi: Listen to me
Arrête: Stop
Descend: Get down
La Cuisine / Food
Le repas: Meal
Le déjeuner: Lunch
Le goûter: Snack time and also the snack itself
La biberon: Baby bottle
La tasse d’apprentissage: Sippy Cup
Sevrer un bébé: To wean a baby
L'allaitement / allaiter: Breastfeeding/ To Breastfeed
Le lait maternel: Breastmilk
Le lait/Lolo: Milk
La formule bébé: Formula
Un verre d'eau: A glass of water
La purée: Puree
Des morceaux de nourriture: Pieces of food
Les allergies alimentaires: Food allergies
ex: elle a une allergie aux cacahuètes: she has an allergy to peanuts
Être allergique: To be allergic to something
ex: elle est allergique aux cacahuètes
Menu sans porc: Pork free menu
Végétarien: Vegetarian
Vêtements et Accessoires / Clothing and Accessories
Doudou: A stuffed animal the child will bring to crèche every day for comfort. It is a good idea to buy an extra to help with washing and in case one is lost. This is a very French concept and everyone understands how important a doudou is.
Le bavoir: Bib
Le body: Bodysuit
Le pyjama: Pajamas
Le pantalon:Trousers
T-shirt: T-Shirt
La robe: Dress
Les shorts: Shorts
Les chaussures: Shoes
Les chaussons pour bébé: Baby slippers
Les chaussettes: Socks
Les chaussettes anti-glisse: Anti-slip socks
Le chapeau: Hat
Comportement / Behavior
Langue des signes de bébé: baby sign language
Pleurer: To cry
Sucer son pouce: To suck one’s thumb
Un rot : A burp
Hoquet: hiccups
Un renvoi/ un crachouillis: A wet burp
Vomir/Un vomit: To throw up/throw up (noun)
Sourir /Le sourire: To smile/A smile
Se lever: wake up
Ramper: To crawl and after
Se mettre debout: To stand up, standing
S'asseoir indépendamment: To sit independently
Marcher: To walk
Tombe : To fall
Mordre: To bite
Faire un câlin/Un câlin: To hug/a hug
Embrasser/ Un baiser: To kiss/a kiss
Heureux/Content: Happy
Fatigué: Tired
Triste: Sad
Colère: To have a tantrum
Dormir: To sleep
S'endormir: To fall asleep
Un dodo/Une sieste: A nap
Se reposer: To rest
Pose: To lay down
Aïe!: Ow!
Boubou: Booboo/Owie/Ouchie
Soins Bébé / Baby Care
La tétine: Pacifier/Dummy (UK)
Une poussette: Stroller/Pram (UK)
La couche: Diaper/Nappy (UK)
La crème pour de change pour bébé: Diaper cream/Nappy cream(UK)
Des lignettes: Baby wipes
Le caca: Poop/Poo (UK)
Le pipi: Peepee/Wee (UK)
Changer la couche: Diaper change
Un matelas à langer: Changing mat
Propre: Potty trained
Apprentissage de la propreté: Potty training
Le pot: Potty for children
Mouiller son pantalon: To wet one’s pants
Sérum physiologique: Saline solution for the nose
Doliprane: Paracetamol (Fever medicine)
La créme solaire: Sunblock/Suncream (UK)
Le zizi: Slang word for penis, but appropriate to use when talking to children, like “willy” in British English
La zézette: Slang word for girl genitals, there isn’t really a direct translation to English
Santé / Health
Avoir de la fièvre: To have a fever ( high or low)
ex: Elle a de la fièvre/ She has a fever
être rouge: Diaper rash
ex: Elle est rouge / She has diaper rash
Nez qui coule: A runny nose
La diarrhée: Diarrhea/ Diarrhoea (UK)
Constipé: Constipated
Les poux: Lice
La varicelle: Chicken pox
L’eczéma: Eczema
Maladie pieds-mains-bouche: Hand foot and mouth disease
Activities / Toys
Jouer: To play
Construire: To build
Escalader: To climb
Courir: To run
L’aire de jeu: Playground
Le jardin: Garden
Peindre/ Un tableau: To paint/ A painting
Dessiner/Un dessin: To draw/ A drawing
Les jouets: Toys
Les blocs: Blocks
La poupée: Doll
La poussette de poupée: Doll stroller
La cuisine ludique: Play kitchen
Jeu d'eau: Water play
La pâte à modeler: Play dough
Le tunnel: Tunnel
La toboggan: Slide
La balançoire: A swing
La voiture: Car
Le camion: Truck
Le tricycle: Tricycle
La draisienne: Balance bike
La trottinette: Child’s scooter
Un nounours: A teddy bear
Looking to connect with other English-speaking parents of young children? Check out our members’ group, Bumps2Babies, for parents who are expecting and/or have young children under three years old. We regularly hold events in the Paris region and have an online discussion page for questions and resources.
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