sous-sol
/su.sɔl/masculine
The French word for basement is sous-sol. Wiktionary also lists cave.
Meaning: floor below ground level (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sous-sol | /su.sɔl/ | masculine |
| cave | /kav/ | feminine |
In French, there are two ways to refer to a basement depending on its function and the type of building you are discussing.
What does it mean word for word?
The term sous-sol is a compound of sous (under) and sol (ground/floor), literally meaning under-ground.
Which one should you use?
Use sous-sol when referring to a functional floor level of a building, such as in an apartment block or office. Use cave when referring to a storage space, typically found in a house, often used for wine or household goods.
How does it change in a sentence?
sous-sol is a masculine noun, while cave is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/su.sɔl/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse the French word cave with the English word 'cave' meaning a natural cavern. In French, cave refers to a cellar or basement.
Did you know?
- In modern French slang, the word cave is used to describe someone who is gullible or easily tricked.
- The French language has a specific term, caveau, which refers to a burial vault, sharing the same linguistic root as cave.
- The word cave can also be used in a playful or archaic context related to old games, stemming from the past participle of 'caver'.
Examples in context
- Tom est au sous-sol.Tom is down in the basement.This sentence shows the location of a person in the sous-sol.Tatoeba #6375667 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #6049136 by CK
- Je suis au sous-sol.I'm in the basement.This sentence describes being inside the sous-sol.Tatoeba #8010401 by Aiji, translation #5958499 by CK
- Notre cave est inondée.Our basement is flooded.This sentence describes a cave that is flooded.Tatoeba #9341293 by felix63, translation #9729892 by CK
- La salle de réunion se trouve au sous-sol.The meeting room is located in the basement.
- Les archives sont stockées dans le sous-sol.The archives are stored in the basement.
- Les objets inutilisés sont entreposés dans la cave.Unused items are stored in the basement.
- La salle de jeux est aménagée dans la cave.The game room is set up in the basement.
- 40 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are looking for some old boxes in their house.
- LéaOù sont les cartons ?Where are the boxes?
- HugoIls sont dans le sous-sol.They are in the basement.
- LéaEst-ce que c'est très sombre ?Is it very dark?
- HugoOui, apporte une lampe pour descendre.Yes, bring a lamp to go down.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “basement” translations and entries sous-sol, cave, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cave, sous-sol, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
