A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "He has his mom's eyes" in French
Say 'Il a les yeux de sa mère' to note a child shares their mother's eye color.
Il a les yeux de sa mère.
eel ah lay ZYUH duh sah MEHRneutral
French TTS · 0:01
Use this when observing a child and noticing a resemblance to their mother, specifically regarding their eyes. It's a common observation when meeting new babies or young children.
Alternatives
- Il tient de sa mère pour les yeux.Slightly more formal, emphasizing the inherited trait.
- Il a hérité des yeux de sa mère.More formal, explicitly stating inheritance.
Ways to get it wrong
Pronouncing 'yeux' like 'yoo'
The 'eu' sound in 'yeux' is like the 'uh' in 'duh', not a long 'oo'.
Forgetting 'de'
You need 'de' to show possession or origin, like 'of' in English.
Misgendering 'mère'
'Mère' (mother) is feminine, so 'sa' (her) is correct, not 'son' (his).
A small cultural note
French culture often emphasizes family resemblances, and commenting on them is a common way to connect with people.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
How to say he has his father's eyes?
You would say 'Il a les yeux de son père.' The possessive adjective changes to 'son' for 'père' (father).
Is 'Il a les yeux de sa mère' common?
Yes, it's a very common and natural observation in French conversations about family.
Can I use this for girls too?
For a girl, you would say 'Elle a les yeux de sa mère.' You change 'Il' to 'Elle' and the respelling becomes 'ehl ah lay ZYUH duh sah MEHR'.
