garçonnière

bachelor pad, studio apartment

noun gar-soh-NYEHR Rare

Usage Note

Garçonnière literally means 'a place for a young man' and historically referred to a small private apartment kept by a man for romantic liaisons away from the family home. Today it more neutrally describes a compact studio or one-room apartment typically rented by a young single person. The word has an elegant, slightly old-fashioned feel.

Examples

"Il loue une petite garçonnière en ville."

Natural Translation

He rents a small studio in town.

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