French Conversation · Level 64
75 words
French word
sein
Pronunciation
IPA/sɛ̃/
Meaning
- masculine nounbreast
Example
Le bébé cherche le sein de sa mère.
The baby is looking for its mother's breast.
More examples
La mère a décidé de donner le sein à son bébé.
The mother decided to breastfeed her baby.
Core concept
A breast at the front of the body that serves as a model for the inner part of a larger whole.
Common phrases
donner le sein
breastfeed
Similar words
poitrine: The rounded fullness at the front of the chest.
Definition in French
Glande mammaire ou partie du corps chez la femelle produisant le lait; le mot peut aussi désigner la poitrine en général et, au sens figuré, l'intérieur d'une organisation (au sein de).
Word origin
The noun traces back through Old French to Latin sinus, whose meanings included a hollow or fold; French later used sein for both the breast and an inner setting.
Usage tips
- Au sein de is a fixed phrase meaning 'within' or 'among', while sein alone does not carry that prepositional meaning.
Other meanings
- chestnoun
- insidenoun