auberge de jeunesse
/o.bɛʁ.ʒ(ə) də ʒœ.nɛs/feminine
The English phrase 'youth hostel' is auberge de jeunesse in French.
A auberge de jeunesse refers to an inexpensive supervised lodging place, primarily for young people.
Meaning: an inexpensive supervised lodging place, primarily for young people (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'inn of youth', where auberge means inn and jeunesse means youth.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun auberge is feminine, so it is preceded by the feminine indefinite article une auberge de jeunesse. In the plural form, des auberges de jeunesse, only the word auberge takes an 's'. jeunesse remains singular.
How do you pronounce it?
/o.bɛʁ.ʒ(ə) də ʒœ.nɛs/
Did you know?
- The word auberge shares an ancient root with the word 'army', coming from the Frankish term for a place where an army might shelter.
- In some French regions, an auberge is not just a place to sleep but is primarily known as a traditional restaurant serving local terroir cuisine.
- French speakers sometimes use the slang term gîte to describe rural homestays, which are often confused with auberges de jeunesse but are typically more private and less supervised.
Examples in context
- Y a-t-il une auberge de jeunesse ici?Is there a youth hostel here?Tatoeba #5707952 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #5707200 by AlanF_US
- Nous les rencontrâmes à l'auberge de jeunesse.We met them at the youth hostel.Tatoeba #1696432 by sacredceltic, translation #1692742 by Scott
- Est-ce qu'il y a une auberge de jeunesse près d'ici ?Is there a youth hostel near here?Tatoeba #3481 by bourdu, translation #1662 by confusion
- Je vais réserver une chambre à l'auberge de jeunesse pour mon séjour à Paris.I am going to book a room at the youth hostel for my stay in Paris.
- Je vais passer la semaine dans une auberge de jeunes à Nice.I am going to spend the week in a youth hostel in Nice.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their travel plans in a cafe.
- ManonOn dort dans une auberge de jeunesse ?Are we staying in a youth hostel?
- HugoOui, c'est moins cher pour notre budget.Yes, it is cheaper for our budget.
- ManonL'auberge de jeunesse est-elle loin de la gare ?Is the youth hostel far from the station?
- HugoNon, elle est juste à côté.No, it is right next to it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “youth hostel” translations and entries auberge de jeunesse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries auberge, de, jeunesse, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
