vitrine
/vi.tʁin/feminine
The English phrase 'shop window' is vitrine in French.
The term vitrine refers to a large window at the front of a shop. It can also be used to describe a glass display case found inside a shop or a museum.
Meaning: large window at the front of a shop (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /vi.tʁin/ and has two syllables.
Did you know?
- While English speakers might say they are 'window shopping', a French speaker would say they are faire du lèche-vitrine, which literally translates to 'doing some window-licking'.
- In French politics and media, the term vitrine is often used metaphorically to describe a 'showcase' project meant to hide flaws or impress foreigners.
- The word vitrine shares the same Latin root, vitrum, as the English words 'vitreous' and 'vitreous humor'.
Examples in context
- Le garçon a collé son visage contre la vitrine.The boy pressed his face against the shop window.This sentence shows someone pressing their face against the vitrine.Tatoeba #8109449 by lbdx, translation #276855 by CK
- La robe dans la vitrine a accroché l'œil de Marie.The dress in the shop window caught Marie's eye.This sentence illustrates how an item in the vitrine caught someone's eye.Tatoeba #3855415 by Amastan, translation #3856334 by bobking12
- décorer la vitrineTo decorate the shop windowThis phrase is useful for describing the action of decorating the vitrine.
- J'ai vu une superbe robe dans la vitrine d'un magasin ce matin.I saw a gorgeous dress in a shop window this morning.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are walking down a street in Paris.
- LéaRegarde la vitrine de ce magasin, Lucas !Look at this shop window, Lucas!
- LucasElle est magnifique, cette vitrine.This shop window is magnificent.
- LéaJe veux acheter cette montre.I want to buy this watch.
- LucasElle est très chère.It is very expensive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shop window” translations and entries vitrine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vitrine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
