A List of French Terms of Endearment

Don't just stand there with your Eiffel Tower smile. Tell me you love me, and tell me in French.
―Jarod Kintz

Doesn't everything just sound better when it's said in French? It's like a "je t'aime"  lends far more emotion and credibility than a mundane "I love you". That's the deal with the French language, you see, it takes under a minute for anyone to fall head over heels in love with it.

It's easy to spin a romantic yarn while speaking in French, and you'll be glad to know that you won't have to learn the language in its entirety to mouth a few phrases. All you need to do is keep a couple of grammar rules in mind, go totally soft on the consonants, and never, ever pronounce the last alphabet of a word, unless you see an accent on it.

Each term is preceded by a possessive adjective, which is either Mon  (masculine) or Ma  (feminine). In case you're addressing more than one person, it is Mes, irrespective of the gender.

The possessive adjective used should agree with the gender of the person you're speaking to, and not your own. For instance ...
... if you're a woman addressing a man as 'my darling', you should say,

... if you're a man addressing a woman as 'my darling', you should say, Mon chéri.

Note that the term of endearment also changes according to the gender. 'Chéri' is masculine, whereas 'chérie' is feminine. Fret not, we'll be listing all the terms according to the gender they apply to, and there's no more grammar to be hassled with.

These are unisex endearments, basically. So you can use them, as they are, to address your boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife, even though they have a masculine possessive adjective.

Mon amour(mohn-amoor)
My love

Mon ange(mohn-aanj)
My angel

Mon trésor(moh tray-soh)
My treasure

Mon cœur(moh ker)
My heart/my sweetheart

Mon canard(moh ka-nar)
My duck

Mon chou(moh shoo)
My cream pastry

Mon lapin(moh lapah)
My rabbit

Mon poussin(moh poo-sahn)
My baby chicken

Mon sucre d'orge(moh sue-kr-dorjh)
My barley sugar

Mon bébé(moh bay-bay)
My baby

These terms should come in handy for women wanting to cheese out their male partners. If it helps, bring along a baguette and some fromage, create an atmosphere, and ease your man into the French talk, lest you scare him away.

Mon chat(moh shaa)
My cat

Mon ours(mohn- oor)
My bear

Mon grand(moh ghron)
My big guy

Mon loup(moh lou)
My wolf

Mon mignon(moh mee-nyo)
My cutie

Mon petit cher(moh peti sher)
My little darling

Mon beau mari(moh boh mari)
My handsome husband

L'amour de ma vie(lamoor de ma vee)
Love of my life

Nothing warms up the cockles of your woman's heart as hearing these soft French endearments. However, note that simply saying them right won't do. If you're looking to score some brownie points, you've got to say it like you mean it.

Ma belle(mah bell)
My beautiful

Ma biche/bichette(mah beesh/beeshet)
My (little) doe

Ma caille(mah caiee)
My quail

Ma colombe(mah colom)
My dove

Ma gazelle(mah gazelle)
My gazelle

Ma mignonette(mah mee-nyo-net)
My cutie

Ma poupée(mah pupay)
My doll

Ma moitié(mah mwa-tyay)
My other half