fontaine

fountain, spring

noun fohn-TEN Rare

Usage Note

Fontaine can be an ornamental public fountain or a natural spring. La Fontaine is also the name of the famous 17th-century French fabulist Jean de La Fontaine, so the word carries literary resonance. The idiom il ne faut pas dire 'fontaine, je ne boirai pas de ton eau' warns against being too sure you'll never need something.

Examples

"Les enfants jouent près de la fontaine."

Natural Translation

The children are playing near the fountain.

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