grande maison
The English phrase 'big house' is translated into French as grande maison.
The phrase grande maison refers to a building used as a home that is large in size. While grande maison is a standard way to describe a large home, you might encounter grande demeure, which carries an aristocratic connotation and is associated with a majestic or luxurious house.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase grande maison, the adjective grande precedes the noun maison. This is because grande is one of the short, common adjectives in French that typically come before the noun they modify.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using grand maison. This is a grammatical error because the masculine form grand does not agree with the feminine noun maison.
Did you know?
- The French word maison is a linguistic relative of the English word 'mansion'. While maison refers to any house, 'mansion' was borrowed into English to specifically describe a luxurious home.
- In French, maison can refer to a business or a brand, such as a maison de couture for a fashion house. In this context, it refers to the organization and its reputation rather than a physical building.
- While grande maison refers to size, using the word maisonnette would describe a house that is actually small. This diminutive form is used to denote a tiny or charming cottage.
Examples in context
- J'ai une grande maison.I have a big house.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase grande maison with the first-person singular pronoun.Tatoeba #2287301 by nimfeo, translation #2714833 by CK
- Tom a une grande maison.Tom has a big house.This sentence shows how to use grande maison when talking about a third-person subject.Tatoeba #1531685 by Rovo, translation #1025511 by CK
- C'est une grande maison.It's a big house.This sentence demonstrates how to use grande maison with the demonstrative pronoun 'it'.Tatoeba #7971035 by Aiji, translation #12762199 by rul
- Titus vit dans une grande maison à la campagne.Titus lives in a big house in the countryside.
- On a visité la nouvelle maison de Sophie. C'est une grosse baraque !We visited Sophie's new house. It's a big house!
- La villa qu'ils ont achetée est une grande demeure du XIXe siècle.The villa they bought is a grand 19th-century house.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are looking at real estate listings online.
- ManonRegarde cette grande maison en ville.Look at this big house in town.
- GabrielElle est magnifique, mais trop chère.It is magnificent, but too expensive.
- ManonTu veux une grande maison avec un jardin ?Do you want a big house with a garden?
- GabrielOui, ce serait l'idéal pour moi.Yes, that would be ideal for me.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries maison, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
