Skip to content

châssis

frame, chassis

noun shah-SEE Rare
Home & Lifestyle Construction

Origin: Old French chassis, from Latin capsa (box, case)

Also means

window frame

Usage Note

Châssis is invariable in spelling (the final -s is always present, even in the singular). In automotive contexts it refers to the vehicle's structural frame; in building it means a window or door frame (châssis de fenêtre). In French slang avoir un beau châssis (to have a nice chassis) is a somewhat dated compliment about someone's figure.

Examples

"Le châssis de la voiture était rouillé."

Natural Translation

The car's chassis was rusty.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic