| French | English explanation |
| 2, 3, 4 pièces |
2, 3 or 4 rooms (plus kitchen and bathroom) |
| maison 4 pièces |
4 roomed house plus kitchen and bathroom |
| T1, T2, F1, F2 etc. |
Technically, an apartment (T) or house (F) with the specified number of rooms (pièces), not including kitchen or bathroom(s), although you can find T being used for houses and F for apartments too.
Example: F2 (maison deux-pièces) = one-bedroom apartment
Example: T2 (appartement deux-pièces) = one-bedroom apartment |
| à rafraichir |
to be redone / needs decorating |
| ancien (anc.) |
old building (built more than 20 years ago) |
| année de la construction |
year built |
| appartement meublé à louer |
furnished flat/apartment to rent |
| appartement à vendre |
apartment for sale |
| arrondissement (arr) |
district/borough |
| ascenseur (asc) |
lift |
| assurance habitation |
home insurance |
| balcon (blc) |
balcony |
| buanderie |
utility room/laundry room |
| belles prestations |
attractive/quality fittings/fixtures |
| box |
covered parking space |
| branchement lave-linge |
washing machine outlet |
| bureau(x) |
office(s) |
| cabanon |
shed / stone building with a roof on it (local usage) |
| calme |
quiet |
| caution |
damage deposit (rental property) |
| cave |
cellar |
| cellier |
storeroom/still room |
| + charges |
rental price excludes building charges / outgoings |
| chambre (ch, chbr) |
bedroom |
| charges comprises (cc) |
including building charges / outgoings |
| charges locatives |
service and maintenance fees for collective amenities |
| chauffage collectif |
(shared) heating included in building charges |
| chauffage au gaz |
gas heating |
| chauffage au mazout |
oil heating |
| cheminée |
fireplace |
| concierge/gardien |
superintendent/caretaker |
| copropriété |
shared property (apartments) |
| coin cuisine |
breakfast nook / kitchenette |
| commerce |
commercial space/shop |
| cuisine (cuis) |
kitchen |
| cuisine americaine |
open-plan kitchen |
| cuisine équipée |
equipped kitchen |
| cuisine aménagée |
fitted kitchen |
| de plain pied |
single storey/bungalow |
| dépendances |
outbuildings |
| dépot de garantie |
rental deposit |
| digicode |
security door (lock) keypad/keycode |
| dossier de candidature |
rental application form |
| douche (dche) |
shower |
| en 3 niveaux |
3 storey |
| en bon état |
in good condition/repair |
| entrée (ent) |
entry |
| étage (et.) |
floor |
| état des lieux |
condition of property report completed on moving in and referred to on leaving |
| exclusivité |
available with this agent only / sole agency |
| exposé sud |
south facing |
| frais d'agence inclus (FAI) |
inclusive of agency fees |
| frais de Notaire |
notary's fees |
| garage (gge)/box |
garage |
| gardien (gard) |
caretaker |
| Genoise(s) |
the layer of roof tiles as seen from the edge. The more layers the better |
| gîte |
a gîte or gîte rural is a house, cottage or self-contained accommodation available to rent for a few days, a weekend, weekly or a period of several weeks |
| hauteur sous plafond (HSP) |
ceiling height |
| honoraires d'agence |
agency fees |
| immeuble (imm) |
building or residence |
| immobilier |
real estate |
| jardin (jard.) |
garden |
| jumelé |
semi-detached |
| largeur (larg.) |
width |
| logement meublé |
furnished rental or property |
| logement vide |
unfurnished rental or property |
| longère |
agglomeration of buildings in a line, normally only 6 metres deep (typical to Brittany) |
| loyer |
rent |
| maison d'amis |
separate guest house |
| maison meublé à louer |
furnished house to rent |
| mazet (or maset) |
separate cottage (usually the original on the land) |
| meublé/équipé |
furnished |
| neuf |
all-new construction |
| nombre de pieces |
total number of rooms including reception and bedrooms |
| nombreux (nbx) |
many |
| parking |
parking place included |
| penderies |
wardrobe, hanging closet |
| pièce (p) |
room |
| pierre de taille (pdt) |
stone building (dressed stone) |
| placards |
built-in cupboards/wall cupboards |
| porte (pte ) |
door |
| préavis |
notice period (period to give notice of intent to vacate premises) |
| prix (px ) |
price |
| quartier (quart) |
district/neighbourhood |
| rangements |
built-in cupboards / storage spaces |
| récent |
built in the last decade |
| résidence (rés) |
building |
| restanques |
terraced land usually with drystone walls |
| rez de chaussée (RDC/rdc) |
ground floor |
rez de jardin
(RDJ/rdj) |
ground floor |
| salle de bain (sdb) |
bathroom |
| salle de bains (baignoire) |
bathroom with bath |
| salle de douche |
shower |
| salle d'eau (s.d'eau) |
washroom with shower |
| salle à manger (sàm) |
dining room |
| salle de séjour (séj ss) |
living room |
| sans vis-a-vis |
not overlooked |
| séjour (séj) |
lounge/sitting room |
| séparé (sép.) |
separated |
| sous-sol (s.sol, s/s) |
basement |
| sous terrain (s/terrain) |
below ground level |
| standing (std) |
quality / luxury building |
| sur terrain de... |
property size (literally, "on a plot of...") |
| superficie totale |
total floor space |
| surface habitable (SH) |
total living space (a legal term defining habitable space, which excludes floor areas where the ceiling is below a certain height) |
| terrasse |
terrace, paved exterior area, large balcony |
| très bon état (TBE) |
in good repair |
| tout confort (tt cft.) |
well equipped |
| vue imprenable |
superb view / unobstructed view |
| WC séparées |
separate toilet |