French word

vallée

Pronunciation

IPA/vale/

Meaning

  • feminine nounvalley

Example

Nous avons marché dans la vallée toute la journée.

We walked in the valley all day.

Illustration for vallée (valley)

More examples

La vallée de la rivière est belle au printemps.

The river valley is beautiful in spring.

Core concept

A long low corridor of land running between two higher slopes, often carrying a river.

Common phrases

  • la vallée de la rivière

    river valley

  • au fond de la vallée

    at the bottom of the valley

Similar words

montagne: A prominent mass of land rising far above its surroundings, usually with a summit.
colline: A low, rounded hill rising slightly above the surrounding land.
plaine: Wide, level lowland with very little variation in elevation.

Definition in French

Espace bas et allongé situé entre deux versants, souvent parcouru par un cours d'eau.

Word origin

French vallée comes from Latin vallis through Old French forms such as valee and valée.

Usage tips

  • Vallée is feminine, so place expressions use dans la vallée and names commonly use la vallée de ... .

Opposites

Word lists with this word