bergère
/bɛʁ.ʒɛʁ/
A bergère, the upholstered armchair with enclosed sides, is bergère in French too.
French uses bergère for this classic style of armchair, for example when shopping for a living room chair or when describing an antique piece from the eighteenth century.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is feminine, so a single chair is une bergère.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /bɛʁ.ʒɛʁ/, in two syllables, with the French r sound in both.
Did you know?
- In the world of French hairstyles, a bergère is also a type of wide, floppy straw hat designed to protect a woman from the sun.
- While the word describes a piece of furniture, its literal meaning is 'shepherdess'.
- The design of the bergère chair was specifically engineered to combat the drafts of 18th-century French châteaus by enclosing the sitter's sides.
Examples in context
- Cette bergère est très confortable.This armchair is very comfortable.
- Il a acheté une bergère en velours.He bought a velvet armchair.
- Pose le livre sur la bergère.Put the book on the armchair.
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are looking at furniture in a shop.
- EmmaRegarde cette belle bergère bleue.Look at this beautiful blue armchair.
- NathanElle est jolie, mais elle est chère.It is pretty, but it is expensive.
- EmmaNathan, assieds-toi dans la bergère pour tester.Nathan, sit in the armchair to test it.
- NathanElle est vraiment très douce.It is really very soft.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bergère, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
