glacier
/ɡla.sje/
The English phrase "ice cream shop" is translated into French as glacier.
The term glacier is used to refer to an ice cream shop. Interestingly, it can also refer to the person who makes or sells the ice cream.
Meaning: Translations (noun)
Which one should you use?
While une crèmerie can mean an ice cream parlor or dairy shop, glacier is the more common term for a specialized ice cream shop.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing that you are going to or are at an ice cream shop, use the preposition chez instead of à. For example, you would say chez le glacier to mean "at the ice cream shop".
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ɡla.sje/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word glacier also refers to a massive, slow-moving body of ice found in mountains. This shared term means a shopkeeper can be described as a 'glacier' even while standing next to a frozen river.
- The root word glace can mean 'ice cream', 'ice' or even 'mirror'. This is because mirrors were historically made by polishing glass or ice-like surfaces.
- In France, a glacier is treated as a skilled artisan, similar to how a boulanger is viewed as a master of bread rather than just a shopkeeper.
Examples in context
- Chez quel glacier vas-tu ?Which ice cream shop are you going to?This sentence is useful for asking which ice cream shop someone is going to using glacier.Tatoeba #1939219 by sacredceltic, translation #1937597 by CK
- Allons prendre une glace chez le glacier du coin !Let's go get some ice cream at the shop around the corner!
- Ce glacier est ouvert tard le soir.This ice cream shop is open late at night.
- Il y a un nouveau glacier dans le quartier.There is a new ice cream shop in the neighborhood.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are walking through the city center on a summer afternoon.
- HugoTu veux aller dans ce glacier ?Do you want to go to this ice cream shop?
- ManonOui, avec plaisir, il fait très chaud.Yes, with pleasure, it is very hot.
- HugoJe vais choisir un sorbet au citron.I am going to choose a lemon sorbet.
- ManonMoi, je préfère la glace à la vanille.Me, I prefer vanilla ice cream.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry glacier, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
