French Conversation · Level 104
60 words
French word
lavandière
Pronunciation
IPA/lavɑ̃djɛʁ/
Meaning
- feminine nounlaundress
Example
La lavandière travaille au lavoir du village.
The laundress works at the village washhouse.
More examples
On appelle lavandière une femme qui lave le linge au lavoir.
A woman who washes the laundry at the washhouse is called a laundress.
Core concept
A washerwoman at a village washhouse, scrubbing clothes by hand.
Similar words
femme de ménage: A woman responsible for everyday household chores such as cleaning and laundry.
blanchisseuse: A professional laundress who washed and finished clothes, sheets, and other linens.
Definition in French
Femme employée à laver et rincer le linge, mot surtout employé dans un sens historique ou littéraire.
Word origin
Lavandière is formed from the French verb laver, meaning to wash, with the occupational feminine suffix -ière.
Usage tips
- Lavandière is a marked historical or literary term, while modern descriptions often use femme qui fait la lessive instead.