French word

calanque

Pronunciation

IPA/kalɑ̃k/

Meaning

  • feminine nouncove

Example

Je me baigne dans la calanque.

I swim in the cove.

Illustration for calanque (cove)

More examples

On a trouvé un endroit calme dans la calanque.

We found a quiet place in the inlet.

Core concept

A narrow rocky inlet cutting into the coast between steep cliffs.

Common phrases

  • prendre un bateau pour la calanque

    take a boat to the inlet

  • le sentier des calanques

    the trail through the inlets

Similar words

anse: A small marine inlet with a narrow opening.
baie: A wide bay with a shoreline that curves far inland.

Definition in French

Petit endroit côtier étroit, souvent entouré de falaises abruptes et encombré de rochers, fréquent sur la côte méditerranéenne française.

Word origin

French calanque comes from Provençal calanca, a regional word for a steep-sided coastal inlet.

Usage tips

  • Calanque is feminine, so the usual form is une calanque and not un calanque.

Other meanings

  • inletnoun

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