Skip to content

cottage

cottage, small country house

noun KOH-tahzh Rare

Origin: Borrowed from English 'cottage'.

Usage Note

Cottage is a direct English borrowing and keeps the English pronunciation in French. It specifically evokes a quaint rural or seaside dwelling, often associated with British or Irish architecture. Unlike the French pavillon or maison de campagne, it retains a foreign, picturesque connotation.

Examples

"Ils ont loué un cottage en Normandie."

Natural Translation

They rented a cottage in Normandy.

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