spot encastré
The English phrase recessed light is translated into French as spot encastré.
A recessed light refers to a light fixture installed into a hollow opening in a ceiling or wall.
Which one should you use?
While spot encastré is common for small spotlights, luminaire encastré is a more technical term for any recessed lighting fixture. If you are referring to the general concept of recessed lighting, you can use Éclairage encastré. Lumière encastrée also serves as a formal alternative for a single recessed light.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions of France, the term plafonnier encastré is used to designate recessed lights.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural form, recessed lights, you must add an 's' to both the noun and the adjective: spots encastrés.
Did you know?
- While spot is widely used in France, a speaker in Quebec might prefer luminaire encastré to avoid using an English loanword in formal contexts.
- The adjective encastré comes from the verb encastrer, which means to set something into a frame or a casing, a term often used by traditional carpenters.
- While 'spot' is a direct loan from English, it is pronounced with a French accent, often making the 'o' sound much more closed and shorter than in English.
Examples in context
- J'ai installé des spots encastrés dans mon salonI installed recessed lights in my living room
- J'ai installé plusieurs éclairages encastrés dans ma cuisineI installed several recessed lights in my kitchen
- J'ai acheté plusieurs lumières encastréesI bought multiple recessed lights
- Il manque un spot encastré dans le plafond.One recessed light is missing from the ceiling.
- J'ai installé un nouveau spot encastré dans la cuisine.I installed a new recessed light in the kitchen.
- Ce spot encastré éclaire très bien le salon.This recessed light illuminates the living room very well.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are renovating their living room.
- GabrielOn installe un spot encastré au plafond ?Shall we install a recessed light in the ceiling?
- ChloéOui, ce serait beaucoup plus moderne.Yes, it would be much more modern.
- GabrielJe vais chercher le spot encastré dans le garage.I will go get the recessed light in the garage.
- ChloéD'accord, je t'attends ici, Gabriel.Okay, I'll wait for you here, Gabriel.
