plein
Dutch edit
Etymology edit
From Old French plain, from Latin plānum (“level ground, a plain”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat”). Its use for "square" is an innovation, replacing Middle Dutch plaetse in standard language (compare dialectal plaats). Compare English plain, plane, Portuguese chão, Spanish llano.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
plein n (plural pleinen, diminutive pleintje n)
- square, plaza
- Het plein van ons dorp werd onlangs heraangelegd met nieuwe bloemenperken.
- The square in our village was recently redone with new flowerbeds.
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
French edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Old French plein, from Latin plēnus, from Proto-Italic *plēnos, from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós (“full”). Compare Catalan ple; Italian pieno; Portuguese cheio; Romanian plin; Sardinian prenu; Spanish lleno; English plene.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
plein (feminine pleine, masculine plural pleins, feminine plural pleines)
- full, full up
- La voiture est pleine. ― The car is full.
- C’est plein de légendes. ― It's full of stories
- plenty
- Il y a plein de choses à faire. ― There are plenty of things to do.
- solid
- (astronomy, of a moon) full
- (preceded by en) mid-; middle
- en plein match ― (right) in the middle of a match
- en plein concert ― mid-concert
- en plein essor ― on the rise
- en pleine attaque ― mid-attack
- (biology, of an animal) pregnant
Derived terms edit
- à plein
- à plein nez
- à plein régime
- à pleines dents
- à pleins poumons
- battre son plein
- de plein fouet
- de plein gré
- degré plein
- en avoir plein le cul
- en avoir plein le dos
- en avoir plein les bottes
- en mettre plein la vue
- en plein air
- en plein essor
- plein aux as
- plein comme un œuf
- plein comme une huître
- plein de soupe
- plein et entier
- plein pot
- pleine lune
- pleins pouvoirs
- sourire à pleines dents
- s’en mettre plein la lampe
- s’en mettre plein la panse
- s’en mettre plein les fouilles
- s’en mettre plein les poches
- s’en prendre plein la gueule
- tout plein
Related terms edit
Adverb edit
plein
- (of the four cardinal points) due
- Aller plein sud ― To go due north
- (colloquial) a lot, lots of, many
- J’en ai plein du monde ici ― I have lots of people here
Noun edit
plein m (plural pleins)
- full tank (of gas)
- downstroke (of a letter)
Derived terms edit
Preposition edit
plein
- (somewhat colloquial) in; all over; filling
- Avoir du vin plein sa cave. ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- J’ai de l’argent plein mes poches. ― I have money filling up my pockets.
Derived terms edit
Further reading edit
- “plein”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams edit
Louisiana Creole edit
Etymology edit
Determiner edit
plein
References edit
- Alcée Fortier, Louisiana Folktales
Old French edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
plein m (oblique and nominative feminine singular pleine)
- full (at capacity with respect to space)
Related terms edit
Descendants edit
Romansch edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
Adjective edit
plein m (feminine singular pleina, masculine plural pleins, feminine plural pleinas)