hauteur
/o.tœʁ/feminine
The French word for height is hauteur.
hauteur is a feminine noun used to describe the distance from bottom to top.
Meaning: distance from bottom to top (noun)
Which one should you use?
While hauteur refers to the measurement of objects or distances, taille is the specific word used to refer to a person's height.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the colloquial expression grandeur might be used informally to describe height.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of hauteur is hauteurs.
How do you pronounce it?
/o.tœʁ/ (2 syllables)
Did you know?
- The word hauteur can also describe an attitude of arrogance or superiority in a person. It essentially refers to someone acting as if they are 'above' others.
- The word haut (high) and hauteur share a common ancestor with the English word 'altar', via the Latin 'altus' meaning high.
- In certain French idioms, prendre de la hauteur means to 'gain perspective' or to distance oneself emotionally from a situation to see it more clearly.
Examples in context
- Je suis tombé d’une hauteur.I fell from a height.This sentence shows how to describe falling from a height using hauteur.Tatoeba #10705257 by AutoBot, translation #10705254 by AutoBot
- La hauteur de la chaise est réglable.The chair's height is adjustable.This sentence demonstrates how to describe the adjustable height of an object using hauteur.Tatoeba #13270018 by lbdx, translation #6219092 by megamanenm
- De quelle hauteur est cette montagne ?What is the height of this mountain?This sentence illustrates how to ask about the height of a natural feature using hauteur.Tatoeba #827082 by sacredceltic, translation #59180 by nava
- Quelle est ta taille?What is your height?
- Il mesure combien?How tall is he?
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are measuring a window for new curtains.
- HugoQuelle est la hauteur de la fenêtre ?What is the height of the window?
- ManonElle fait environ un mètre vingt.It is about one meter twenty.
- HugoC'est une bonne hauteur pour des rideaux.That is a good height for curtains.
- ManonD'accord, je vais les acheter.Okay, I am going to buy them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “height” translations and entries hauteur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hauteur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
