au pair

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French être au pair.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əʊ ˈpɛə/

Noun

au pair (plural au pairs)

1. A single girl (or, rarely, a boy) who helps a host family with childcare, housework, or both while staying as a guest with a host family and generally receiving a small allowance (or pocket money).

Synonyms

• nursemaid

Translations

a single girl or boy staying as a guest with a host family

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: (no exact term exists) 保姆 (zh) (bǎomǔ), 互惠生 (hùhuìshēng)

• Dutch: au pair (nl) f
• Finnish: au pair (fi)
• French: fille au pair
• German: Au-pair (de) n, Au-pair-Mädchen (de) n, Au-pair-Junge (de) m
• Italian: au pair
• Japanese: オーペア (ōpea), オペア (opea)

• Korean: 오페어 (ope-eo)
• Norwegian: au pair (no)
• Polish: au pair (pl)
• Portuguese: au pair f
• Russian: (no exact term exists) помо́щница по хозя́йству f (pomóščnica po xozjájstvu), ня́ня (ru) f (njánja), о-пе́р m, f (o-pɛ́r), о-пе́р m, f (o-pér) (indeclinable), о-пэ́р m, f (o-pɛ́r) (indeclinable)
• Scottish Gaelic: daltag f
• Spanish: de au pair

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o pɛʁ/

Adjective

au pair (invariable)

1. working for food and housing
   • 1840, Honoré de Balzac, Pierrette

     Sylvie Rogron fut envoyée à cent écus de pension en apprentissage rue Saint-Denis, chez des négociants nés à Provins. Deux ans après, elle était au pair : si elle ne gagnait rien, ses parents ne payaient plus rien pour son logis et sa nourriture. Voilà ce qu’on appelle être au pair, rue Saint-Denis.

     Sylvie Rogron was sent (with six hundred francs for her board) as apprentice to certain shopkeepers originally from Provins and now settled in Paris in the rue Saint-Denis. Two years later she was "at par" as they say; she earned her own living; at any rate her parents paid nothing for her. That is what is called being "at par" in the rue Saint-Denis.

Related terms

• fille au pair

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Portuguese

Noun

au pair f (plural au pairs)

1. au pair (person helping a host family with childcare or housework)