French Conversation · Level 3
88 words
French word
cm
Pronunciation
IPA/sɑ̃timɛtʁ/
Meaning
- masculine nouncentimeter
Example
Ça fait combien en cm ?
How many centimeters is that?
More examples
La règle mesure 30 cm.
The ruler measures 30 cm.
Core concept
A small metric measure used to give the exact size of a short object or its thickness.
Common phrases
en cm
in cm
cm de long
___ cm long
mesurer en cm
measure in cm
Similar words
centimètre: A metric unit of length equal to one hundredth of a metre, written as cm.
mètre: The basic metric unit of length, used to measure adult height and furniture dimensions.
Definition in French
Unité de longueur égale à 1/100 du mètre, généralement notée «cm».
Word origin
The abbreviation cm comes from centimètre, formed with the metric prefix centi- from Latin centum, 'hundred', and mètre.
Usage tips
- Small dimensions are commonly given in centimetres, while longer distances and many heights are commonly expressed in mètres.
Related words
- centimètrecentimeternoun
- centimétriquecentimetricadjective