French Conversation · Level 111
59 words
French word
messe
Pronunciation
IPA/mɛs/
Meaning
- feminine nounmass
Example
Je vais à la messe dimanche.
I am going to mass on Sunday.
More examples
Il reste pour discuter après la messe.
He stays to talk after Mass.
Core concept
An altar becomes the focus of a church gathering where prayers, readings, singing, and the Eucharist follow an established order.
Common phrases
aller à la messe
go to Mass
après la messe
after Mass
la messe du dimanche matin
Sunday morning Mass
Similar words
culte: A gathering where believers worship and express their faith.
service: A formal worship ceremony held in a church.
Definition in French
Service religieux chrétien, surtout catholique, centré sur l'Eucharistie et comprenant prières, lectures et chants.
Word origin
Messe is an inherited French form of Latin missa, whose meaning shifted from a dismissal at the end of worship to the worship service itself.
Usage tips
- The final e is silent and the double s is pronounced as /s/, giving messe the sound /mɛs/.