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Word of the day: Douillet

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Word of the day: Douillet
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond"

Since we've all been spending much more time indoors, here is an essential word you should know when talking about a house or an apartment.

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Why do I need to know 'douillet'?

Sometimes you can get away with using the English translation of this word and people will understand what you are trying to say, but knowing the right French word is always better.

What does it mean?

Douillet has two meanings. When describing a place, the closest translation of douillet is 'cosy', used to talk about places or things that are snug or comfortable, like a tiny apartment or a living room with a fireplace.

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While you may hear people importing the word 'cosy' directly from English, particularly younger people, not everyone does, so this is the word you should use instead.

This word can also be used about people, and here it's a bit less positive. Someone is douillet when they are oversensitive to pain or wimpish.

Use it like this

Il est trop douillet ton appartement - Your apartment is so cosy

Il faisait un temps horrible dehors mais on avions un coin douillet près du feu - The weather outside was awful but we were nice and snug by the fire

Mon frère a peur du ski, il est très douillet - My brother is afraid of skiing, he's a wimp

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