accessible en fauteuil roulant
Wheelchair accessible in French is accessible en fauteuil roulant.
You will see it describing hotels, venues, transport and toilets.
What does it mean word for word?
accessible means accessible, en means in and fauteuil roulant means wheelchair, literally a rolling armchair.
How does it change in a sentence?
accessible adds an s in the plural. The rest of the phrase does not change.
When do people say it?
Signs in France often use an abbreviation meaning people with reduced mobility.
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'wheelchair accessible', French signage usually prioritizes the person over the equipment. You will typically see PMR, meaning 'people with reduced mobility', instead of a phrase about the chair.
- The word fauteuil descends from a Frankish word for a 'folding seat', which makes it a linguistic relative of the English word 'foldstool'.
- French distinguishes between different types of accessibility using the term mobilité réduite. This encompasses not only wheelchair users but also people with walkers or those who struggle with stairs.
Examples in context
- Ce restaurant est accessible en fauteuil roulant.This restaurant is wheelchair accessible.
- Est-ce que le musée est accessible en fauteuil roulant ?Is the museum wheelchair accessible?
- Nous cherchons un hôtel accessible en fauteuil roulant.We are looking for a wheelchair accessible hotel.
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are planning a trip to a gallery.
- EmmaOn va à cette galerie ?Shall we go to this gallery?
- NathanOui, mais est-elle accessible en fauteuil roulant ?Yes, but is it wheelchair accessible?
- EmmaLe site dit que oui, Nathan.The website says so, Nathan.
- NathanC'est parfait, alors on y va.That's perfect, let's go then.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries accessible, en, fauteuil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
