French Conversation · Level 145
30 words
French word
séisme
Pronunciation
IPA/seizm/
Meaning
- masculine nounearthquake
Example
Il y a eu un séisme de magnitude 5 ce matin.
There was a magnitude-5 earthquake this morning.
More examples
En cas de séisme, suivez les consignes de sécurité.
In case of an earthquake, follow the safety instructions.
Core concept
A sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that makes the ground move in waves.
Common phrases
en cas de séisme
in case of an earthquake
un séisme de magnitude
an earthquake with a magnitude of ___
Similar words
tremblement de terre: A general term for strong ground shaking.
secousse: A brief, slight tremor.
réplique: A smaller tremor that follows the main earthquake.
Definition in French
Phénomène géologique consistant en des secousses de la Terre causées par la libération soudaine d'énergie dans la croûte terrestre.
Word origin
Séisme comes from Greek seismós, meaning shaking, and entered French as a learned scientific term.
Usage tips
- Séisme is masculine, so standard usage has un séisme and ce séisme.
Related words
- sismiqueseismicadjective