French Housing and Domestic Life Vocabulary (Le vocabulaire de la maison)

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering residential housing types, architectural features, rooms, interior decor, and household utilities in French, complete with contextual English definitions and Dutch reference terms.

Une maison individuelle

Een alleenstaand huis

Une maison de rangée

A terraced house or row house (Dutch: 'Een rijhuis'); one of a continuous row of similar houses joined by shared side walls.

Une maison jumelée ou accolée

A semi-detached house (Dutch: 'Een half vrijstaand huis'); a single home paired with an adjoining neighbor sharing one common wall.

Un immeuble

An apartment building or multi-story block (Dutch: 'Een appartementencomplex'); can refer to a residential block or a downtown office building.

Un gratte-ciel

A skyscraper (Dutch: 'Een wolkenkrabber'); a very tall multistory building providing sweeping views of the city skyline.

Une hlm (habitation à loyer modéré)

A rent-controlled social housing unit (Dutch: 'Een sociale huurwoning'); subsidized housing providing affordable accommodations to low-income families.

Un duplex

A duplex apartment (Dutch: 'Een duplexappartement'); a two-story residential apartment connected internally by a staircase.

Une studette

A tiny studio apartment (Dutch: 'Een kleine studio'); a compact one-room living space designed for single occupancy, often suited for students.

Un loft

A loft (Dutch: 'Een loft'); a spacious urban open-concept home, typically featuring an industrial aesthetic with high ceilings and exposed wooden beams.

Un hôtel particulier (une maison de maître)

A private grand townhouse or mansion (Dutch: 'Een herenhuis'); an expansive classical residence, such as one built in the 19th century.

Un cottage

A countryside cottage (Dutch: 'Een cottage'); a quaint rural home typically appointed with wooden shutters and a manicured garden.

Un gîte (rural)

A rural vacation rental cottage (Dutch: 'Een vakantiehuisje (op het platteland)'); holiday lodging situated in the countryside for travelers seeking peace and nature.

Un mas de provence

A traditional Provençal farmhouse (Dutch: 'Een Provençaalse boerderij'); a characteristic stone farmhouse of southern France, often flanked by lavender fields.

Une péniche

A houseboat or converted barge (Dutch: 'Een woonboot'); a boat permanently moored along a river or canal and used as a home.

Une yourte

A yurt (Dutch: 'Een joert'); a circular, portable tent structure traditionally inhabited by nomadic pastoralist families across Central Asia.

Une roulotte

A travel caravan or living wagon (Dutch: 'Een woonwagen'); a colorfully painted wagon or trailer equipped for travel and nomadic living.

Une porte-fenêtre

A French door or window-door (Dutch: 'Een vensterdeur'); a full-length casement door with glass panes that opens onto an outdoor area such as a garden.

Une baie vitrée

A sliding glass door or expansive glass wall (Dutch: 'Een glazen wand'); a large glazed patio door designed to let in light and frame scenic views.

Une lucarne

A dormer window or roof skylight (Dutch: 'Een dakraam'); a small vertical window protruding from a sloping attic roof to admit natural light.

Un rez-de-chaussée

The ground floor (Dutch: 'De gelijkvloerse verdieping'); the street-level floor of a residential or commercial building.

Des panneaux solaires

Solar panels (Dutch: 'De zonnepanelen'); rooftop photovoltaic arrays that harness solar energy to generate clean green electricity.

Le palier

A stair landing or upstairs hallway (Dutch: 'De overloop (gang)'); the floor area at the top of a flight of stairs or between levels, useful for storage.

La buanderie

The laundry room or utility room (Dutch: 'De wasruimte'); a dedicated domestic space where washing, drying, and clothes care are performed.

Le débarras

A storage room or box room (Dutch: 'De opslagruimte'); a dedicated utility space inside a residence for keeping excess items and supplies.

Le grenier

The attic (Dutch: 'De zolder'); the top floor space immediately beneath the roof, traditionally used to store antique objects and keepsakes.

L’abri de jardin

A garden shed (Dutch: 'Het tuinhuis'); a small standalone outdoor structure intended for storing lawnmowers, tools, and gardening gear.

L’abri-garage

A carport (Dutch: 'Een carport'); a covered outdoor parking shelter designed to protect a car from severe weather without fully enclosed walls.

Le pavillon (maison de jardin)

A garden pavilion or summerhouse (Dutch: 'Het tuinpaviljoen'); an outdoor retreat building situated within a yard or garden for peaceful relaxation.

Le dressing

A walk-in wardrobe or dressing room (Dutch: 'De dressing'); a dedicated room or closet space fitted for organizing clothes, shoes, and fashion attire.

Un escalier (en colimaçon)

A spiral staircase (Dutch: 'Een (wentel)trap'); a curving, winding flight of steps spiraling around a central column.

Un carrelage

Tiled flooring (Dutch: 'Tegelvloer'); a durable, moisture-resistant hard flooring made of tiles commonly laid in kitchens and bathrooms.

Une moquette

Wall-to-wall carpeting (Dutch: 'Vloerbedekking (tapijt)'); a continuous soft textile floor covering, commonly installed in bedrooms for warmth and comfort.

Un évier

A sink or washbasin (Dutch: 'De gootsteen'); a ceramic or stainless steel fixture with a drain used for cleaning in bathrooms and kitchens.

Une prise murale

A wall electrical outlet or socket (Dutch: 'Het stopcontact'); a wall receptacle providing current to electrical devices and computer chargers.

Un court-circuit

A short circuit (Dutch: 'De kortsluiting'); an electrical fault leading to abnormal current flow, triggering power outages and tripped breakers.

Des appareils électroménagers électriques

Domestic electrical household appliances (Dutch: 'De elektrische huishoudelijke apparaten'); powered household equipment such as refrigerators, washers, and ovens.

Une cuisinière

A kitchen range or cooker (Dutch: 'Een fornuis'); a standalone kitchen cooking unit commonly outfitted with an induction cooktop and oven.

Le fer à repasser

An iron (Dutch: 'Het strijkijzer'); a heated handheld domestic tool used to press wrinkles and creases out of washed clothes.

Le loyer (à payer quand on loue)

Rent (Dutch: 'De huur'); the contractual payment owed by a tenant to a landlord at the close of each month for housing tenancy.

Un déménagement

A household relocation or move (Dutch: 'Verhuizing'); the process of packing belongings, changing dwellings, and moving into a new residence.