Step Mother

[imagine]

Translate: Step Mother


Beau-fills?
Belle-fills?

 

[bernik]

If you look up the word in the WR dictionary at the top of the screen,
it says: belle-mère

 

[imagine]

Yes but it also said "mother in law" so I just wanted to be sure. Thanks a lot!

 

[bernik]

yes, the french word is ambiguous.
Usually, is means mother in law.
But the same word can be used for a stepmother.
So, if you are talking about your stepmother, you may have to give more detail to remove the ambiguity.

 

[jpdeweerdt]

you will also find 'marâtre' for stepmother, but this is an old expression (found in Snowwhite, Cinderella,...)

Nowadays, une belle-mère is indeed ambiguous (I am talking about the word, of course, not the woman )

Jean paul

 

[Agnès E.]

Yes, indeed.
I remember having used the phrase le mari de ma mère to clearly talk about my step-father when I got married, as I then had... two beaux-pères!!