FlexiLingoIn one line
In French listings
T2means a flat with two main rooms — andle premier étageis one flight above the ground floor, not the ground floor itself.
Nouns
Types of housing
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
le logement | /lɔʒ.mɑ̃/ | housing, accommodation |
l'appartement (m.) | /a.paʁ.tə.mɑ̃/ | flat |
la maison | /mɛ.zɔ̃/ | house |
le studio | /sty.djo/ | studio flat |
l'immeuble (m.) | /i.mœbl/ | block of flats |
le bâtiment | /bɑ.ti.mɑ̃/ | building |
l'étage (m.) | /e.taʒ/ | floor, storey |
le rez-de-chaussée | /ʁed.ʃo.se/ | ground floor |
l'ascenseur (m.) | /a.sɑ̃.sœʁ/ | lift |
l'escalier (m.) | /ɛs.ka.lje/ | stairs |
la cave | /kav/ | cellar |
le grenier | /ɡʁə.nje/ | attic |
le garage | /ɡa.ʁaʒ/ | garage |
le jardin | /ʒaʁ.dɛ̃/ | garden |
le balcon | /bal.kɔ̃/ | balcony |
Rooms
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
la pièce | /pjɛs/ | room (as counted) |
la chambre | /ʃɑ̃bʁ/ | bedroom |
le salon | /sa.lɔ̃/ | living room |
la salle à manger | /sal a mɑ̃.ʒe/ | dining room |
la cuisine | /kɥi.zin/ | kitchen |
la salle de bains | /sal də bɛ̃/ | bathroom |
les toilettes (f. pl.) | /twa.lɛt/ | toilet |
l'entrée (f.) | /ɑ̃.tʁe/ | hallway |
le couloir | /ku.lwaʁ/ | corridor |
le bureau | /by.ʁo/ | study, office |
la piècecounts the main rooms only — the kitchen and bathroom do not count.un T3is a living room plus two bedrooms.
Two counting systems that do not match English.
1. English advertises bedrooms; French advertises rooms. A "two-bedroom flat" is a
T3in France — living room plus two bedrooms. So aT2is a one-bedroom flat, not two bedrooms. ReadingT2as "two bedrooms" is the single most expensive misunderstanding on this page.2. The floors.
le rez-de-chausséeis the ground floor andle premier étageis the first floor above it. British English matches; American English does not — so an American readingdeuxième étageas "second floor" arrives one storey too low.
Furniture
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
les meubles (m. pl.) | /mœbl/ | furniture |
le lit | /li/ | bed |
la table | /tabl/ | table |
la chaise | /ʃɛz/ | chair |
le fauteuil | /fo.tœj/ | armchair |
le canapé | /ka.na.pe/ | sofa |
l'armoire (f.) | /aʁ.mwaʁ/ | wardrobe |
l'étagère (f.) | /e.ta.ʒɛʁ/ | shelf |
le frigo le réfrigérateur | /fʁi.ɡo/ · /ʁe.fʁi.ʒe.ʁa.tœʁ/ | fridge |
le four | /fuʁ/ | oven |
la machine à laver | /ma.ʃin a la.ve/ | washing machine |
le lave-vaisselle | /lav.vɛ.sɛl/ | dishwasher |
le chauffage | /ʃo.faʒ/ | heating |
la fenêtre | /fə.nɛtʁ/ | window |
la porte | /pɔʁt/ | door |
le mur | /myʁ/ | wall |
le sol | /sɔl/ | floor |
le toit | /twa/ | roof |
la clé | /kle/ | key |
Renting
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
le loyer | /lwa.je/ | rent |
les charges (f. pl.) | /ʃaʁʒ/ | service charges |
la caution | /ko.sjɔ̃/ | deposit |
le bail | /baj/ | lease |
le propriétaire | /pʁɔ.pʁje.tɛʁ/ | landlord, owner |
le locataire | /lɔ.ka.tɛʁ/ | tenant |
l'agence immobilière (f.) | /i.mɔ.bi.ljɛʁ/ | estate agency |
l'état des lieux (m.) | /e.ta de ljø/ | inventory / condition report |
le garant | /ɡa.ʁɑ̃/ | guarantor |
la surface | /syʁ.fas/ | floor area |
le mètre carré | /mɛtʁ ka.ʁe/ | square metre |
Verbs
| Verb | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
habiter à dans | /a.bi.te a/ · /dɑ̃/ | to live in |
vivre | /vivʁ/ | to live |
louer | /lwe/ | to rent (either direction) |
déménager | /de.me.na.ʒe/ | to move out |
emménager | /ɑ̃.me.na.ʒe/ | to move in |
partager | /paʁ.ta.ʒe/ | to share |
meubler | /mœ.ble/ | to furnish |
ranger | /ʁɑ̃.ʒe/ | to tidy |
nettoyer | /nɛ.twa.je/ | to clean |
réparer | /ʁe.pa.ʁe/ | to repair |
visiter | /vi.zi.te/ | to view |
Adjectives
| Masculine | Feminine | English |
|---|---|---|
grand /ɡʁɑ̃/ | grande /ɡʁɑ̃d/ | large |
petit /pə.ti/ | petite /pə.tit/ | small |
spacieux /spa.sjø/ | spacieuse /spa.sjøz/ | spacious |
lumineux /ly.mi.nø/ | lumineuse /ly.mi.nøz/ | bright |
calme /kalm/ | calme /kalm/ | quiet |
bruyant /bʁɥi.jɑ̃/ | bruyante /bʁɥi.jɑ̃t/ | noisy |
meublé /mø.ble/ | meublée /mø.ble/ | furnished |
vide /vid/ | vide /vid/ | empty |
neuf /nœf/ | neuve /nøv/ | newly built |
ancien /ɑ̃.sjɛ̃/ | ancienne /ɑ̃.sjɛn/ | old, period |
rénové /ʁe.no.ve/ | rénovée /ʁe.no.ve/ | renovated |
bien situé /bjɛ̃ si.ty.e/ | bien située /bjɛ̃ si.ty.e/ | well located |
Set phrases
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
Je cherche un appartement. | /ʒə ʃɛʁʃ œ̃n a.paʁ.tə.mɑ̃/ | I'm looking for a flat |
C'est à louer. | /sɛt a lwe/ | it's to let |
Le loyer est de 800 euros. | /lə lwa.je ɛ də ɥi.sɑ̃ ø.ʁo/ | the rent is 800 euros |
charges comprises | /ʃaʁʒ kɔ̃.pʁiz/ | charges included |
charges non comprises | /ʃaʁʒ nɔ̃ kɔ̃.pʁiz/ | charges not included |
à cinq minutes du métro | /a sɛ̃k mi.nyt dy me.tʁo/ | five minutes from the metro |
au premier étage | /o pʁə.mjeʁ e.taʒ/ | on the first floor |
faire le ménage | /fɛʁ lə me.naʒ/ | to do the housework |
être chez soi | /ɛtʁ ʃe swa/ | to be at home, in one's own place |
Il y a trois pièces. | /i.lja tʁwa pjɛs/ | there are three rooms |
Traps
| Trap | Explanation |
|---|---|
le premier étage is one floor up | The ground floor is le rez-de-chaussée. Critical when giving an address. |
T2 or F2 means two main rooms | Living room plus one bedroom. Kitchen and bathroom are not counted. |
louer works in both directions | Je loue un appartement can mean I rent it or I let it out. Context decides. |
la salle de bains keeps the s | Always plural: bains. |
les toilettes is always plural | Où sont les toilettes ? |
la caution is a deposit, not caution | Usually one or two months' rent. |
déménager versus emménager | The first is moving out, the second moving in. |
Reading a housing ad
the abbreviations that appear in every listing
French housing ads are dense with abbreviations, and they turn up in exam reading passages too:
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
T2 F2 | two main rooms | /te dø/ · /ɛf dø/ |
m² | square metres | /mɛtʁ kaʁ.ʁe/ |
RDC | ground floor | /ɛʁ.de.se/ |
CC | charges included — charges comprises | /se.se/ |
HC | charges not included | /aʃ.se/ |
Meublé | furnished | /mø.ble/ |
Non meublé vide | unfurnished | /nɔ̃ mø.ble/ · /vid/ |
Prox. métro | near the metro | /pʁɔks/ · /me.tʁo/ |
Cuis. équipée | fitted kitchen | /kɥi/ · /e.ki.pe/ |
Asc. | lift | /ask/ |
Parking | parking | /paʁ.kiŋ/ |
DPE | energy rating | /dp/ |
And a French rental application is a heavy file. To rent a flat you will normally be asked for:
| Document | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| proof of identity | pièce d'identité | /pjɛs di.dɑ̃.ti.te/ |
| last three payslips | trois derniers bulletins de salaire | /tʁwa dɛʁ.nje byl.tɛ̃ də sa.lɛʁ/ |
| employment contract | contrat de travail | /kɔ̃.tʁa də tʁa.vaj/ |
| tax assessment | avis d'imposition | /a.vi dɛ̃.po.zi.sjɔ̃/ |
| a guarantor | garant | /ɡa.ʁɑ̃/ |
Income normally has to be three times the rent. This also comes up in administration.
One expectation to reset. In Canada, the UK and the US the decisive test is a credit check. France does not run one — there is no equivalent score. The file replaces it, and the garant replaces the reference: a third party who signs to pay your rent if you cannot. Foreigners without a French guarantor generally use a paid guarantee service, which is normal and not held against you.