pièce
/pjɛs/feminine
The English word room translates to French as pièce. Wiktionary also lists salle and chambre.
Meaning: division in a building (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pièce | /pjɛs/ | feminine |
| salle | /sal/ | feminine |
| chambre | /ʃɑ̃bʁ/ | feminine |
In French, different words are used to describe a room depending on its type or how it is being discussed. While pièce refers to a division in a building, salle is used for large rooms or rooms dedicated to a specific function, like a dining room or bathroom. Also, in France, the term Chambre d'hôte is used to mean a room for a guesthouse.
Which one should you use?
Use pièce when you are counting the number of rooms in a house or apartment, such as a trois-pièces apartment. Use salle for a hall, a large room or a specialized room like a salle à manger (dining room).
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural forms are as follows: pièces is the plural of pièce, salles is the plural of salle and chambres is the plural of chambre.
How do you pronounce it?
/pjɛs/
Did you know?
- In French real estate listings, a T2 or F2 apartment refers to the number of pièces, but this count excludes the kitchen and the bathroom.
- A chambre de bonne is a tiny room traditionally found under the roof of Parisian apartment buildings, originally intended for domestic servants.
- While chambre is used for a bedroom, it can also refer to a legislative body, such as the Chambre des députés.
Examples in context
- Il a vu la salle.He saw the room.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use salle.Tatoeba #11964037 by Amastan, translation #8679832 by Amastan
- Voici ma chambre !Here's my room.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use chambre.Tatoeba #2384892 by sacredceltic, translation #2377094 by NotApplicable
- La pièce est vide.The room is empty.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use pièce.Tatoeba #5816582 by Aiji, translation #1898196 by CK
- Je voudrais une chambre dans cet hôtel, s'il vous plaît.I would like a room in this hotel
- 1865 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are looking at a new apartment.
- ChloéEst-ce que tu aimes cette pièce ?Do you like this room?
- LucasOui, la pièce est parfaite pour moi.Yes, the room is perfect for me.
- ChloéElle est un peu sombre, non ?It is a bit dark, isn't it?
- LucasPeut-être, mais elle est très calme.Maybe, but it is very quiet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “room” translations and entries pièce, salle, chambre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
