French Conversation · Level 20
90 words
French word
coin
Pronunciation
IPA/kwɛ̃/
Meaning
- masculine nouncorner
Example
Il y a une araignée dans le coin.
There is a spider in the corner.
More examples
Au coin de la rue, il y a une boulangerie.
At the corner of the street, there is a bakery.
Core concept
A narrow wedge-shaped space where two surfaces meet, such as at the edge of a room, street, or piece of furniture.
Common phrases
au coin d'une rue
at a street corner
un coin tranquille
a quiet corner
dans le coin
in the corner
Similar words
angle: The angle formed where two lines or surfaces meet.
côté: One side of an object or place.
bord: The outer edge or rim of an object.
Definition in French
Partie située à l'angle d'une pièce, d'une rue ou d'un meuble, formant un petit espace étroit.
Word origin
French coin comes through Old French coin or coing from Latin cuneus, meaning "wedge," whose shape led to the sense of a corner or tucked-away space.
Usage tips
- The masculine noun takes au coin de for a position at a corner and dans un coin for something located inside a corner space.