French word

patin

Pronunciation

IPA/patɛ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounice skate

Example

Il a enfilé ses patins pour aller à la patinoire.

He put on his ice skates to go to the ice rink.

Illustration for patin (ice skate)

More examples

Les patins sont mouillés après la séance.

The skates are wet after the session.

Core concept

A compact flat support that lets footwear or furniture slide smoothly instead of gripping the surface.

Common phrases

  • mettre ses patins

    put on one's skates

  • faire du patin

    go skating

  • patin à glace

    ice skate

Similar words

patin à glace: A skate with a metal blade for gliding over ice.
patin à roulettes: A shoe fitted with wheels for skating on hard surfaces.

Definition in French

Chaussure équipée d'une lame en métal pour glisser sur la glace.

Word origin

The French noun patin is inherited from Old French and is generally connected with Latin patina, a shallow vessel associated with a flat form.

Usage tips

  • In patin, the final n is not pronounced as a separate consonant, and the ending has a nasal vowel rather than the sound in English pat-in.

Other meanings

  • bladenoun
  • felt padnoun

Related words

  • patinerskateverb
  • patinageskatingnoun
  • patineurskaternoun

Word lists with this word