Is my cabbage a boy or a girl?

April 17, 2011 2:38 PM

Please help us with French translation for an engraving on a wedding ring! Details inside.

We finally have decided what to engrave on Mr. DeucesHigh's wedding ring! From the beginning of our relationship we've jokingly used "chou" as a pet name, so what I basically want to say is "toujours ta (ton?) petit(e?) chou" I know that the noun "chou" (as in cabbage/pastry) is masculine, but since I am a woman and I'm referring to myself, should I use feminine markings?

Also, where should "toujours" go, after or before the main phrase? Does it matter, or can we pick whichever is "aesthetically" pleasing?

--Ms. DeucesHigh

posted by DeucesHigh to writing & language (6 answers total)

I would say "Ton petit chou pour toujours" (your little chou forever) or "Toujours ton petit chou" (still your little chou). Chou is masculine so you have to use the masculine markings.
posted by elgilito at 3:04 PM on April 17, 2011

"ton petit chou pour toujours" or "pour toujours ton petit chou"

Since you can't put "chou" au féminin, everything stays au masculin. You can put the "pour toujours" before or after. I think the first form sounds better.

Bon mariage !
posted by agregoire at 3:05 PM on April 17, 2011

Thirding, it has to stay in the masculine. I prefer ton petit chou pour la vie (for life), but toujours is fine too. Congratulations.
posted by mareli at 3:08 PM on April 17, 2011

I would suggest "à jamais" for a more poetic way to say "forever." So for instance, "ton petit chou à jamais." Or even "à tout jamais."
posted by ORthey at 3:23 PM on April 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

I think "toujours" is better than "à jamais" in this case, though in general they are indeed synonyms – it's just that "à jamais" has the sense of "irrevocably"; a slight tinge of doom, if you will, whereas "pour toujours" has an innocent sweetness to it.
posted by fraula at 12:35 AM on April 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

Thanks guys, that was very helpful! We like "a jamais" but decided that having to leave off the accent grave would bug us too much... "pour toujours" it is!
posted by DeucesHigh at 6:21 AM on April 26, 2011