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rez-de-chaussée

ground floor

noun reh-duh-sho-SEH Rare
Home & Lifestyle Rooms

Usage Note

Rez-de-chaussée literally means 'level of the road surface' and refers to the ground floor (British English) — what Americans call the first floor. In French apartment buildings it is abbreviated RDC. The floor above is le premier étage, a source of frequent confusion for English speakers.

Examples

"L'appartement est au rez-de-chaussée."

Natural Translation

The apartment is on the ground floor.

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