French word

porcelaine

Pronunciation

IPA/pɔʁsəlɛn/

Meaning

  • feminine nounporcelain

Example

La tasse est en porcelaine.

The cup is made of porcelain.

Illustration for porcelaine (porcelain)

More examples

Sa grand-mère collectionne des vases en porcelaine.

Her grandmother collects porcelain vases.

Core concept

A fine white vessel glowing softly at its thin edges.

Common phrases

  • tasse en porcelaine

    porcelain cup

  • assiette en porcelaine

    porcelain plate

  • service en porcelaine

    porcelain dinnerware set

Similar words

assiette: A round, flat dish mainly used for serving food.
tasse: A small vessel used for holding and drinking beverages.
vaisselle: Dishes, cups, and other vessels used during meals.

Definition in French

Désigne une céramique dure, blanche et souvent translucide, utilisée pour la vaisselle et les objets décoratifs.

Word origin

The French word was borrowed from Italian porcellana, originally referring to a lustrous shell whose appearance was associated with Chinese white ceramic.

Usage tips

  • Porcelaine usually names a material as a mass noun, while an individual object is counted through its noun, as in une tasse en porcelaine.

Other meanings

  • chinanoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word