French Conversation · Level 46
74 words
French word
aire
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛʁ/
Meaning
- feminine nounarea
Example
La ville a une aire piétonne au centre.
The city has a pedestrian area in the center.
More examples
Les enfants jouent dans l'aire de jeux du parc.
The children play in the park's playground.
Core concept
A bounded piece of space set aside for a purpose, or the surface measurement of that space.
Common phrases
aire de repos
rest area
aire de jeux
playground
aire piétonne
pedestrian area
Similar words
zone: A broad region separated for a particular purpose or under shared rules.
espace: A space large enough to accommodate people or objects.
place: An open town space where people gather or sit.
terrain: A plot of land set aside for a particular use.
Definition in French
Zone ou portion d'un lieu réservée à un usage déterminé (par exemple repos, jeux, circulation) ; mot employé aussi pour désigner la grandeur d'une surface.
Word origin
The French noun aire continues Latin area through Old French, preserving the sense of a place while developing the geometric sense of surface extent.
Usage tips
- French often specifies the function after aire, as in aire de jeux, aire de repos, and aire de stationnement; bare aire depends strongly on context.
Other meanings
- rest areanoun
- playgroundnoun