Meaning & use
French windows
Last updated
Meaning
nounpluralBritish
A pair of tall glass doors that reach the floor and open onto a garden or balcony.
Grammar: Always plural in this meaning; a single one is called a French window or French door.
Patterns
- open the French windows
- French windows onto the garden
We left the French windows open so the cat could come in.
The dining room has French windows that look out over the lawn.
She stepped through the French windows onto the terrace.
Common combinations
- French windows onto something
- The living room has French windows onto a small courtyard.
- open the French windows
- It was hot, so we opened the French windows.
- a set of French windows
- They replaced the old set of French windows last summer.
- French windows at the back
- The French windows at the back lead into the garden.
Synonyms and how they differ
- French doors
- The usual American term for the same thing, and also common in British English.
- patio doors
- Similar sliding or hinged glass doors, but these usually slide rather than open like doors.
Word family
- French window noun
- The singular form, used for one such door.
Commonly confused: French windows or bay window?
French windows vs bay window
A bay window sticks out from the wall of a building; French windows are doors that reach the floor.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'French windows' are doors, so you open them. Sitting on them or driving them makes no sense, and windows are not on a ceiling.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “French windows”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.