rez-de-chaussée
/ʁe.d(ə).ʃo.se/masculine
The French phrase for ground floor is rez-de-chaussée.
rez-de-chaussée is a masculine noun used to refer to the floor of a building that is closest to ground level.
Meaning: floor of a building closest to ground level (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term literally translates to 'level of the floor', where rez means level or flush and chaussée means roadway or floor.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say 'on the ground floor', use the preposition au (a contraction of a and le) instead of using sur.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁe.d(ə).ʃo.se/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid calling the ground floor premier étage. In French, premier étage refers to the first floor, which is the level actually above the ground floor.
Did you know?
- The word chaussée shares the same root as chaussure, meaning 'shoe', because both refer to something that covers the feet or the ground.
- The term rez comes from the Old French word ras, meaning 'shaved' or 'level', which is also used today in the phrase raser les murs to describe walking close to the walls.
- In traditional French architecture, the rez-de-chaussée was often reserved for commerce or animals, while the étage noble (noble floor) above it featured the highest ceilings and most ornate decorations for the owners.
Examples in context
- Elle vit au rez-de-chaussée.She lives on the ground floor.This sentence shows how to use rez-de-chaussée to describe where someone lives.Tatoeba #9978378 by lbdx, translation #5420903 by mailohilohi
- Le feu était au rez-de-chaussée.The fire was on the ground floor.This sentence uses rez-de-chaussée to indicate the location of a fire.Tatoeba #2163926 by sacredceltic, translation #11839181 by sundown
- Le rez-de-chaussée a été inondé.The ground floor was flooded.This sentence describes a situation where the rez-de-chaussée was flooded.Tatoeba #9978169 by lbdx, translation #2268160 by _undertoad
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are looking for a shop in a building.
- NathanOù se trouve la boulangerie ?Where is the bakery?
- ManonElle est au rez-de-chaussée, juste ici.It is on the ground floor, right here.
- NathanAh, je l'ai vue !Ah, I saw it!
- ManonParfait, allons-y.Perfect, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ground floor” translations and entries rez-de-chaussée, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
