French word

falaise

Pronunciation

IPA/falɛz/

Meaning

  • feminine nouncliff

Example

Attention au bord de la falaise.

Watch out for the edge of the cliff.

Illustration for falaise (cliff)

More examples

Nous avons admiré la vue depuis le sommet de la falaise.

We admired the view from the top of the cliff.

Core concept

A steep rock or earth wall dropping sharply from a coast or valley edge.

Common phrases

  • le bord de la falaise

    the edge of the cliff

  • au pied de la falaise

    at the foot of the cliff

  • une falaise escarpée

    a steep cliff

Similar words

bord: The outer edge or limit of an object or area.
pied: The ground at the bottom of a mountain or cliff.
rocher: A large, solid mass of rock.
côte: A stretch of land along the sea or a river.

Definition in French

Paroi naturellement escarpée et souvent verticale, fréquente en bord de mer ou au-dessus d'une vallée.

Word origin

The noun falaise comes from Old French falaise, but its deeper etymology remains uncertain.

Usage tips

  • Falaise is feminine, so the usual form is une falaise or la falaise.

Opposites

Word lists with this word