monastery
The monks lived in a remote monastery in the mountains.
Les moines vivaient dans un monastère isolé, dans les montagnes.
Bâtiment ou ensemble de bâtiments où vivent des religieux (moines ou moniales) vivant en communauté sous une règle religieuse, généralement chrétienne.
The monastery was founded in the 12th century and still operates today.
Le monastère a été fondé au XIIe siècle et fonctionne toujours aujourd'hui.
She decided to spend a week in a monastery to meditate and reflect.
Elle a décidé de passer une semaine dans un monastère pour méditer et réfléchir.
In French, 'monastère' can refer to both male and female religious communities, though 'couvent' is more commonly used for female communities (nuns).
Collocations
Antonymes
Conseil pro
Gender and number
The plural of 'monastère' is 'monastères'. It is a masculine noun in French.
Règle d'or
Avoid confusion with 'couvent'
'Couvent' typically refers to a convent (for nuns), while 'monastère' is more general and can include both male and female communities. However, in everyday language, 'couvent' is often used for female communities.
Origine du mot
From Late Latin 'monasterium', from Greek 'μοναστήριον' (monastērion), from 'μονάζειν' (monazein, 'to live alone'), from 'μόνος' (monos, 'alone'). The term entered English via Old French 'monastere'.
Notes d'usage
In French, 'monastère' is a formal term, often associated with Christian monasticism. It is not used for non-Christian religious communities (e.g., Buddhist monasteries are called 'monastère bouddhiste' or 'temple bouddhiste').