Chalet

/ʃæˈleɪ/

nounBeginner📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning1 question

Definitions

1

A usually wooden dwelling, typically in a mountainous region, often with a steeply pitched roof.

/ʃæˈleɪ/

nounneutralBeginner
General

A mountain dwelling

Our family spent a week in a beautiful chalet in the French Alps.

💡 Simply: Imagine a cozy little wooden house high up in the mountains – that's a chalet! It's often used for vacations and has a nice, slanted roof.

👶 For kids: A small house in the mountains, usually made of wood.

More Examples

2

The chalet was surrounded by snow-covered trees.

How It's Used

Tourism

"We stayed in a cozy chalet in the Swiss Alps."

Architecture

"The architect designed the building with chalet-style features."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

Borrowed from French *chalet*, ultimately from a Franco-Provençal word meaning 'small mountain hut'.

The word 'chalet' entered English in the 18th century, reflecting growing interest in Alpine tourism.

Memory tip

Think 'chalet' as a charming 'chateau' (castle) in the mountains.

Word Origin

LanguageFranco-Provençal
Original meaning

"small mountain hut"

cozy chaletmountain chaletSwiss chalet

Common misspellings

challetchalate

Usage

20%Spoken
80%Written