Difference Between Fiancé & Fiancée

Fiance vs Fiancee

The distinctions between the terms fiancé and fiancée are crucial, as they are used to refer to different individuals. However, many people confuse the two words and sometimes use them interchangeably. Both terms are French nouns that describe someone who is engaged to be married. In the French language, nouns have genders, meaning each noun is either male or female. Consequently, fiancé and fiancée are male and female nouns referring to individuals about to be married. Fiancé is used to describe an engaged male, while fiancée is used for an engaged female. Both words are pronounced as fɪˈɒnseɪ.

Key Takeaways

• Fiancé is a term used for an engaged man, while fiancée is a term used for an engaged woman.
• After a wedding, the fiancé becomes the husband, and the fiancée becomes the wife.
• Both terms originate from the French language and have distinct masculine and feminine forms.

Who is a Fiancé?

A fiancé refers to an engaged man. When discussing an engaged couple, the man is referred to as the fiancé. If you are engaged to a man, you would refer to him as your fiancé when discussing him with your friends.

The term fiancé is masculine and originates from a time when engaged couples did not have sexual relations before marriage and only became man and woman after the wedding. Nowadays, it is common for engaged couples to live together without being married. In some cases, the couple may not marry due to incompatibility discovered during their live-in relationship, leading to a separation and the end of their engagement. Ideally, if everything goes according to plan and the marriage occurs, the fiancé becomes the husband.

Who is a Fiancée?

A fiancée refers to an engaged woman. The term fiancée is feminine, and when discussing an engaged couple, the woman is referred to as the fiancée. If you are engaged to a man, your future husband would refer to you as his fiancée when talking about you with his friends.

The word fiancée originates from the French word fiancé, which means “promise” in French. In turn, this word comes from the Latin word “fidere,” meaning trust. A future groom’s bride is his fiancée. The couple has made a promise to each other based on mutual trust to marry in the future. In ideal circumstances, the fiancée becomes the wife in the relationship if the marriage takes place as planned.

What is the difference between Fiancé and Fiancée?

• Fiancé and fiancée are French nouns referring to a person engaged to be married.
• Fiancé is masculine, while fiancée is feminine. A man who is engaged is called a fiancé, while an engaged woman is called a fiancée.
• After marriage, the fiancé becomes the husband, and the fiancée becomes the wife.