ciel

sky, heaven

noun SYEL Common

Usage Note

Ciel has an irregular plural: les cieux in a religious or poetic register ('the heavens'), but les ciels in everyday or artistic contexts (les ciels de Turner = Turner's skies). The expression ciel ! is an exclamation of surprise. Sous le ciel (under the sky) and tomber du ciel (to fall from the sky, meaning to arrive unexpectedly) are common idioms.

Examples

"Le ciel est bleu et sans nuages."

Natural Translation

The sky is blue and cloudless.

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