French word

grotte

Pronunciation

IPA/gʁɔt/

Meaning

  • feminine nouncave

Example

La grotte est sombre et fraîche.

The cave is dark and cool.

Illustration for grotte (cave)

More examples

Nous avons visité la grotte hier et vu des stalactites.

We visited the cave yesterday and saw stalactites.

Core concept

A cool natural hollow in rock, often extending into connected passages and chambers.

Common phrases

  • visiter la grotte

    visit the cave

  • entrer dans la grotte

    enter the cave

  • au fond de la grotte

    at the back of the cave

Similar words

cave: An underground room beneath a house or building used to store food or wine.
caverne: A large natural cave with a spacious interior.
gouffre: A very deep vertical hole or chasm.

Definition in French

Espace souterrain naturel creusé dans la roche, pouvant former des galeries et des salles et servir d'abri ou d'objet d'exploration.

Word origin

French grotte came through Italian grotta from Latin crypta, meaning a concealed place, ultimately from Greek.

Usage tips

  • Grotte is feminine, so standard forms include une grotte and cette grotte.

Opposites

Word lists with this word