sports d'hiver
The English phrase "winter sports" is translated into French as sports d'hiver.
This phrase is used to refer to athletic activities practiced during the winter season, such as skiing or snowboarding.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of sports (sports) and d'hiver (of winter). The d' is the elided form of de (of) used because it precedes a word starting with a silent h.
How does it change in a sentence?
While the plural sports d'hiver is the standard way to refer to the general category, the singular sport d'hiver can be used when referring to one single specific activity.
Did you know?
- In France, the term sports d'hiver is often used as a shorthand for a luxury lifestyle, evoking images of high-end resorts, après-ski fashion and champagne, rather than just the athletic effort.
- The word hiver comes from the Latin hiems, which is a rare linguistic survivor in French that shares a distant root with the English word 'hibernate'.
- While sports d'hiver covers all winter activities, the French use the term glisse (sliding) as a trendy, umbrella term to group skiing, snowboarding and ice skating together.
Examples in context
- Les sports d'hiver sont populaires dans les régions montagneuses de la France.Winter sports are popular in the mountainous regions of France.
- Les compétitions internationales de sports d'hiver attirent des athlètes du monde entier.International winter sports competitions attract athletes from all over the world.
- J'adore pratiquer les sports d'hiver pendant mes vacances à la montagne.I love practicing winter sports during my holidays in the mountains.
- J'adore les sports d'hiver.I love winter sports.
- Quels sont tes sports d'hiver préférés ?What are your favorite winter sports?
- Il pratique souvent les sports d'hiver en France.He often practices winter sports in France.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are discussing their hobbies at a cafe.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu aimes les sports d'hiver ?Do you like winter sports?
- ChloéOui, je fais du ski tous les ans.Yes, I go skiing every year.
- GabrielMoi aussi, je préfère la neige.Me too, I prefer the snow.
- ChloéC'est vrai, c'est très beau.It's true, it's very beautiful.
