French Conversation · Level 68
60 words
French word
cristal
Pronunciation
IPA/kʁistal/
Meaning
- masculine nouncrystal
Example
Le sel forme des cristaux en séchant.
Salt forms crystals as it dries.
More examples
Elle a offert un verre en cristal.
She offered a crystal drinking glass.
Core concept
A hard, ordered solid with faces that catch the light, also shaped into fine sparkling glassware.
Common phrases
verre en cristal
crystal drinking glass
Similar words
verre: A transparent artificial material made by melting sand and then cooling it.
porcelaine: A thin, white ceramic material made by firing clay at a very high temperature.
vaisselle: A general term for tableware such as plates, bowls, and glasses.
Definition in French
Désigne soit un solide cristallin, soit un verre précieux et taillé appelé cristal utilisé en verrerie fine.
Word origin
Cristal comes through Old French cristal from Latin crystallum and Greek krystallos, a word linked first to ice and rock crystal before extending to fine glass.
Usage tips
- Cristal is masculine, with the plural cristaux, so the forms are un cristal and des cristaux.
Other meanings
- rock crystalnoun
- crystal glassnoun
Related words
- cristallisercrystallizeverb
- cristallisationcrystallizationnoun
- cristallincrystallineadjective