If you’re raising your child to speak French, around the time when they will reach the age of two, you may start thinking about potty training your bambin. In this blog post, you’ll discover the vocabulary that you can use for potty training in French, as well as French kids’ books on the topic.
What is potty training in French?
There are many expressions for toilet training in French.
Apprentissage de la propreté
Devenir propre
The word “propre” means “clean” and “propreté” means “cleanliness”.
Diaper – la couche
Pee – le pipi
Poop – le caca, les selles
Training pants – la culotte d’entraînement
Toilet – la toilette
Flush – tirer la chasse d’eau
Potty – le petit pot, le pot
Useful phrases
Do you want to pee?
T’as envie de faire pipi ?
Do you want to sit on the potty?
Tu veux t’asseoir sur le pot ?
Depending on their reaction, you may say:
You don’t want to poop on the potty? OK.
Tu ne veux pas faire caca sur le pot ? D’accord.
OK, you can sit on the potty.
D’accord, tu peux t’asseoir sur le pot.
Good job! You can pee like a big boy. You can pee like a big girl.
Bravo ! Tu peux faire pipi comme un grand. Tu peux faire pipi comme une grande.
French books on potty training
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Qu’y a t-il dans ta couche ?
This humorous book introduces your child to a curious mouse who is interested in finding out just what’s in her animal friends’ diapers. By lifting the flaps, your child discovers that each animal has its own poop. But when it’s time for them to discover what’s in the mouse’s diaper… surprise! It’s empty because she goes on the potty!
T’choupi va sur le pot
This short and sweet, more practical book, about T’choupi’s introduction to the potty is excellent for discovering French potty training vocabulary and the concept of the potty and toilet. With the help and encouragement of his dad, T’Choupi tries to use his potty and later the toilet.
Sur le pot !
This interactive book with moveable flaps is full of useful vocabulary and phrases to start your child’s potty training journey. Your petit chou may find it reassuring and comforting to see that baby crocodile is not quite ready to sit on the potty or that baby monkey has had an accident!
