Meaning & use
souvenir
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Meaning
nouncountable
An object you keep to remember a place, event, or person, often bought while traveling.
Grammar: Countable: a souvenir, two souvenirs.
Patterns
- a souvenir from a place
- a souvenir of an event
- buy a souvenir
- keep a souvenir
She brought back a small souvenir from Paris.
This shell is a souvenir of our trip to the beach.
The shop sells souvenirs like keychains and postcards.
Word forms
| plural | souvenirs |
|---|
Common combinations
- souvenir shop
- We bought some local crafts at a souvenir shop.
- souvenir from
- He gave me a souvenir from his trip to Japan.
- keep as a souvenir
- I kept the ticket as a souvenir.
Synonyms and how they differ
- memento
- More formal and often for personal reminders, not necessarily bought; a souvenir is typically a purchased item from a trip.
- keepsake
- Often a small item kept for sentimental value, not necessarily from travel; souvenir is more specific to travel or events.
- token
- A token can be a symbol or a small gift; souvenir is more concrete and usually physical.
Word family
- souvenir verb
- Rare: to take something as a souvenir.
Commonly confused: souvenir or memory?
souvenir vs memory
A memory is a mental recollection; a souvenir is a physical object that helps you remember.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The preposition 'from' is used to show the origin of a souvenir: a souvenir from a place or trip. 'Of' is possible in some contexts but less common for travel items; 'for' and 'to' are not used in this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “souvenir”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.