Why You Can't Call a Dog "Quelqu'un" in French (And What to Say Instead)

Learning French is an adventure. Sometimes you nail the subjunctive, and sometimes... you make a room full of French people laugh at a sentence that sounded perfectly sweet in your head.

I recently saw a story on Reddit from a French learner who was confused. They were talking about their roommate’s dog—a sweet old fellow who helped them get over their fear of dogs.

They said:

"C'est quelqu'un qui m'avait fait confiance."

(It’s someone who trusted me.)

The result? The roommates burst out laughing. But why? In English, referring to a beloved pet as "someone" is endearing. In French, it’s a linguistic comedy sketch.

Here is why you should never call a dog quelqu'un, and how to talk about pets like a native.

The "Quelqu'un" Rule

The word quelqu'un (someone) is strictly reserved for human beings in French.

French grammar is much more rigid about the distinction between humans and animals than English is.

• Quelqu'un = A person (Une personne)
• Quelque chose = A thing (Une chose)
• L'animal = The animal (A biological category)

When you point at a dog and say "C'est quelqu'un" (He is someone), a French native speaker doesn't hear "He is a person with a soul." They hear something absurd, like: "This dog is a human man."

It sounds like you are anthropomorphizing the dog to a literal, almost cartoonish degree. It implies the dog pays taxes, wears a suit, and has a human ID card. That is why the roommates laughed—the image is inherently ridiculous to the French ear.

Cultural Difference: Personhood vs. Affection

In English, we often elevate animals to human status to show affection.

• English: "He's not just a dog, he's someone I love."

In French, we show affection through adjectives and tone, but we rarely break the grammatical category of the animal. You can love a dog immensely, but grammatically, he remains a dog.

What to Say Instead

If you want to express that a dog has a personality or that you have a bond with them, do not use quelqu'un. Here is how to fix the sentence from the story.

The Mistake:

❌ C'est quelqu'un qui m'a fait confiance.

Option 1: Use the noun (The most natural)

✅ C'est un chien qui m'a fait confiance.

(It is a dog who trusted me.)

Option 2: Use the name (Personal and sweet)

✅ Rex est tellement gentil, il m'a fait confiance.

(Rex is so nice, he trusted me.)

Option 3: Use "une bête" (affectionate)

In French, we sometimes use the word bête (beast/animal). While it sounds harsh in English, phrases like "C'est une bonne bête" (He's a good animal/beast) are actually quite affectionate and respectful of the animal's nature.

When Can You Humanize Animals?

Are there exceptions? Of course. In fables (like Jean de La Fontaine), cartoons, or when speaking to a baby, you might stretch the rules.

But in general conversation among adults? Keep quelqu'un for your roommates, and keep le chien for the dog.

Useful French Vocabulary for Describing Pets

Here are some great ways to describe a pet's personality without accidentally turning them into a human:

Don't be afraid of making mistakes like this! The Reddit user who shared this story learned a valuable lesson that they will never forget.

Language isn't just about translating words directly; it's about understanding how a culture views the world. In France, a dog can be your best friend, but he can never be "someone."