French Conversation · Level 101
60 words
French word
plaine
Pronunciation
IPA/plɛn/
Meaning
- feminine nounplain
Example
Il vit dans la plaine.
He lives on the plain.
More examples
Le vent balaie la plaine.
The wind sweeps across the plain.
Core concept
An extensive level tract of open countryside rather than a hilly or mountainous area.
Common phrases
la plaine
the plain
dans la plaine
in the plain
Similar words
campagne: Rural land away from cities, with villages, fields, and plenty of nature.
champ: Land cultivated for growing crops.
pré: Grassy land where livestock can graze.
plateau: A broad, level area of land higher than its surroundings.
Definition in French
Étendue plane et vaste de terrain, souvent propice aux cultures ou aux pâturages.
Word origin
The noun plaine is inherited from Latin plana, the feminine form of planus 'flat', with its landform sense established through Old French.
Usage tips
- Plaine is pronounced roughly like 'plenn', not like English 'plain', despite their shared historical origin.
Other meanings
- lowlandnoun
Opposites
- montagnemountainnoun