French word

sol

Pronunciation

IPA/sɔl/

Meaning

  • masculine nounfloor

Example

Le chat dort sur le sol.

The cat is sleeping on the floor.

Illustration for sol (floor)

More examples

Après la fête, ils ont lavé le sol.

After the party, they washed the floor.

Core concept

The solid surface that supports feet, whether it is soil outside or flooring inside.

Common phrases

  • sur le sol

    on the floor

  • balayer le sol

    sweep the floor

  • nettoyer le sol

    clean the floor

Similar words

terre: The soil layer covering the Earth's surface.
parquet: Wooden boards arranged to form an indoor floor.
carrelage: A floor surface covered with fitted tiles.
tapis: A floor covering made of fabric or wool.

Definition in French

Couche de terre qui forme le terrain ; par extension, surface horizontale praticable, intérieure ou extérieure.

Word origin

The French noun sol developed from Latin solum, meaning ground or bottom, through Old French into the modern word for ground, soil, and floor.

Usage tips

  • In construction, sol names the general floor surface, while plancher can mean the floor structure and parquet a wood floor covering.

Other meanings

  • groundnoun
  • soilnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word