Today we’ll look at a beginner noun which is essesntial for all students to know: la mer, which means sea, seaside and coast. I’m now by the sea in Mexico and have incluced a beautiful picture at the bottom of the page! Keep reading!
la mer
sea
Word origin
The French feminine noun mer (sea) comes from marinus in Latin.
Example sentences
This first sentence is audiobiographical as I spent over ten years in both Thailand and on the island of Martha’s Vineyard!
J’ai passé plus de dix ans de ma vie au bord de la mer.
I spent more than ten years of my life by the seaside.
I wrote this next sentence using à la mer (to the sea) but could have also written à la plage (to the beach).
Cette année, nous partons en vacances à la mer.
We’ll go on vacation to the sea this year.
The word depuis means “since” in French. However, it can also mean “from” in the context of “from a vantage point”. This lesson explains depuis.
On peut voir la mer agitée depuis le balcon.
You can see the rough sea from the balcony.
A lot of students have difficulties with the pronunciation of Méditerranée (Mediterranean). Try breaking it down by its five syllables: Mé-di-terr-a-née
La mer Méditerranée est située au sud de l’Europe et au nord de l’Afrique.
The Mediterranean Sea is located to the south of Europe and north of Africa.
Conclusion
Félicitations! You now know how to say sea (la mer) in French! Now check our lesson covering vacances, which means “vacation” in French.
La mer au Mexique = the sea in Mexico
