This word confusion cher, chéri versus chère, chérie has been bugging me for a long time, and a book I read this morning inspired me to go and explore its proper usage. I know that, in general, French adds an e — blonde, Françoise, Claude — to feminize the word, so why do so many movies find a male character addressing the female one as cher? I simply couldn’t “see” the e on the end.
Yep, it turned out that there are two spellings for the female version: cherie (it’s easy to “see” that ie when someone speaks) while chère is not so easy as only the r is pronounced. It explains why I was so confused!
I recently encountered Francis Bonnefoy’s post “ON THE USE OF CHER/CHÉRIE/CHÉRI/CHÈRE” at Folly Feelings, and it’s the first time I’ve encountered the masculine chéri . . . Nor was I aware that the French consider using cher/chère as snobbish or a form of sarcasm. It did make sense that the chéri/chérie would be a more intimate endearment, though.
If anyone knows how Cajuns use cher/chère and chéri/chérie, let us know!
My, My
As for mon and ma . . . Never does this twain meet! In other words, don’t address a man as ma cherie. It’s feminine all the way. Ma is the feminine version of my and used only with females; mon is the male version of my. Yep, you guessed it. It’s only used with males.
A woman may address a man she knows well as mon chèr or a man she knows really well as mon chéri.
A man may address a woman he knows well as ma chère or a woman he knows really well as ma chérie.
Italics Required
When I looked up both words in my Apple Dictionary, I was surprised to find it’s a river in France as well as the singer. There was nothing there or in Merriam-Webster for cher, chère, or cherie. This means it’s not considered a commonly used foreign word in America, and it requires italics.
Exploring Later . . .
You may also want to explore other gender-based word confusions such as “Alumna versus Alumnus“, “Attach vs Attaché vs Attachée“, “Blond(e)s & Brunet(te)s“, “Chargé d’affaires vs Chargée d’affaires“, “Confidant vs Confidante vs Confident“, “Fiancé versus Fiancée“, “Frances versus Francis“, “Petit versus Petite“, and/or “Protégé versus Protégée“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
If you found this post on “Cher, Chéri versus Chère, Chérie” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.
| Cher | Chéri | Chère | Chérie | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 — |
 |
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| Part of Grammar: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Noun
Plural: chers, chéris |
Noun
Plural: chères, chéries |
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| Plural for Nouns: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine | ||||||||||||||||||||
| chers | chéris | chères | chéries | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Proper Pronoun Usage: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rule: French pronouns and articles used with one of these nouns also follow the rules of masculine versus feminine. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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| MALE
A form of address |
FEMALE
A form of address |
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| my dear
Most common in writing a letter to someone they know If talking, it’s usually sarcastic or snobbish |
my darling
Warmer and more endearing Often used either for one’s lover or one’s children |
my dear
Most common in writing a letter to someone they know If talking, it’s usually sarcastic or snobbish |
my darling
Warmer and more endearing Often used either for one’s lover or one’s children |
||||||||||||||||||||
| Examples: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mon cher Jean, (addressing a letter)
My dear John, Georges, mon cher, I’ve told you again and again to put the cap back on the toothpaste. Mon cher fil, you were brilliant! My dear son . . . Elementary, mon cher Watson . . . |
Mon chéri, would you rub my back?
That dinner last night, chéri, was fantastic. Les chéris were brilliant in the play. |
Chère Jeanne, (addressing a letter)
My dear Jeanne, Now look, ma chère sœur, you can’t wear that! Now look, my dear sister . . . |
Oh, ma chérie ami . . .
Oh, my very dear friend . . . Chérie, you are gorgeous in that dress! Mes chéries, we are going dancing and enjoying a girls’ night out. |
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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Cher, Chéri versus Chère, Chérie
Apple Dictionary.com
Bonnefoy, Francis. “On the Use of Cher/Chérie/Chéri/Chère.” Folly Feelings. 28 June. Web. n.d. <http://moeby.tumblr.com/post/26014462397>.
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Revised as of 17 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie