ornement
/ɔʁ.nə.mɑ̃/masculine
The English word 'ornament' translates to French as ornement.
ornement is a noun used to refer to an element of decoration.
Meaning: element of decoration (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word ornement has 3 syllables and is pronounced /ɔʁ.nə.mɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- The root of ornement is linked to the Latin word ornare, which originally meant 'to equip' or 'to arm'.
- The term ornement is frequently used in French music theory to refer to specific melodic flourishes like trills or turns. It is not just for physical objects but also for auditory ones.
- While an English speaker might call a Christmas tree decoration an 'ornament', a French speaker is more likely to use the word décoration for the whole set of items.
Examples in context
- Ce bel ornement embellit la pièceThis beautiful ornament enhances the room.
- J'ai acheté cet ornement en tant que décoration de NoëlI bought this ornament as a Christmas decoration.
- J'ai ramené une jolie babiole de mes vacancesI brought back a nice ornament from my vacation.
- Je porte une jolie pendeloque en argentI am wearing a beautiful silver ornament.
- Cet ornement est très élégant.This ornament is very elegant.
- Elle a ajouté un petit ornement doré.She added a small golden ornament.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are decorating a room.
- GabrielOù veux-tu placer cet ornement, Chloé ?Where do you want to place this ornament, Chloé?
- ChloéJe pense que cet ornement va bien ici.I think this ornament looks good here.
- GabrielC'est vrai, ça complète bien la décoration.That's true, it completes the decoration well.
- ChloéMerci, Gabriel, c'est maintenant parfait.Thank you, Gabriel, it is perfect now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ornament” translations and entries ornement, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
