plafond
/pla.fɔ̃/masculine
The English word ceiling is plafond in French.
The word plafond refers to the upper limit of a room. It is also used figuratively to mean a maximum limit or a cap, such as a price ceiling or a budget limit.
Meaning: upper limit of room (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of plafond is plafonds.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /pla.fɔ̃/.
Did you know?
- The word plafond literally translates to 'flat bottom' because it comes from the combination of 'plat' meaning 'flat' and 'fond' meaning 'bottom'.
- The French word plafond is used in finance to describe a 'cap' on interest rates or prices. This figurative use is so common that a bank might talk about your plafond de retrait to refer to your daily ATM withdrawal limit.
- The word plafond is used in the expression plafond de verre, which translates to 'glass ceiling'. This describes an invisible barrier that prevents women or minorities from reaching top professional positions.
Examples in context
- Je fixai le plafond.I stared at the ceiling.This sentence shows how to use plafond when staring at it.Tatoeba #2311048 by sacredceltic, translation #2309176 by Hybrid
- J'ai peint le plafond.I've painted the ceiling.This sentence shows how to use plafond when painting it.Tatoeba #3655155 by sacredceltic, translation #848767 by CM
- Il regarda le plafond.He looked up at the ceiling.This sentence shows how to use plafond when looking up at it.Tatoeba #6936906 by Aiji, translation #301757 by CK
- J'admire la beauté du plafond de cette salle.I admire the beauty of the ceiling in this room.
- 55 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are in a new apartment looking at the room.
- GabrielLe plafond est très haut ici.The ceiling is very high here.
- LéaOui, c'est magnifique.Yes, it is magnificent.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu vois cette fissure au plafond ?Do you see this crack on the ceiling?
- LéaNon, je ne la vois pas.No, I don't see it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ceiling” translations and entries plafond, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries plafond, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
