French word

hammam

Pronunciation

IPA/amam/

Meaning

  • masculine nounTurkish bath

Example

Nous irons au hammam ce soir pour nous détendre.

We will go to the Turkish bath tonight to relax.

Illustration for hammam (Turkish bath)

More examples

Après le vol, nous avons essayé le hammam de l'hôtel.

After the flight, we tried the hotel's hammam.

Core concept

A tiled bathing room filled with moist steam, with warm stone surfaces for washing and resting.

Common phrases

  • aller au hammam

    go to the hammam

  • faire un hammam

    take a Turkish bath

Similar words

sauna: A facility that warms the body with dry heat.
spa: A facility offering warm water and treatments for relaxation and healing.
bain: Soaking in warm water to warm the body.
thermes: A public bath supplied by mineral-rich thermal springs.

Definition in French

Établissement ou salle de bain d'origine orientale où l'on prend un bain de vapeur humide pour se laver et se détendre.

Word origin

French hammam comes from Arabic ḥammām, meaning a bathhouse, through Ottoman Turkish hamam and into European languages.

Usage tips

  • Hammam is masculine, so standard phrases use un hammam and aller au hammam.

Other meanings

  • steam bathnoun

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