French Conversation · Level 75
60 words
French word
tombeau
Pronunciation
IPA/tɔ̃bo/
Meaning
- masculine noungrave
Example
Nous avons mis des fleurs sur le tombeau de notre mère.
We put flowers on our mother's grave.
More examples
Des touristes prennent des photos près du tombeau.
Tourists are taking photos near the tomb.
Core concept
A formal tomb that stands as a lasting memorial to a dead person or an honored work.
Common phrases
un tombeau célèbre
a famous tomb
le tombeau de
the tomb of ___
au tombeau
at the tomb
Similar words
tombe: A grave or gravestone marking an individual's burial place.
cimetière: An area of land where many graves are arranged.
Definition in French
Tombe ou monument élevé à la mémoire d'un défunt ; terme plutôt soutenu, parfois employé pour un hommage musical.
Word origin
Tombeau was formed in Old French from tombe with the suffix -eau, while tombe comes from Latin tumba, ultimately from Greek tymbos.
Usage tips
- Tombeau is more formal and literary than tombe, which is the usual word for an ordinary grave.
Other meanings
- mausoleumnoun
- tombeaunoun