The living room is often the heart of the home, a place for relaxation, socializing, and spending time with family. When you're learning French, being able to talk about your home is a key part of everyday conversation.

But what do you call this central space? You might be surprised to learn there isn't just one single way to say 'living room' in French. Depending on the context, the size of the room, or even regional preferences, you have several options to choose from.

Let's dive into 9 different ways to talk about your salon and more!

1. The standard 'living room' – le salon

Le salon is the most common and standard way to say 'living room' in French. It's the go-to term you'll hear and use in most everyday situations, equivalent to the American 'living room' or the British 'lounge'.

Historically, a salon was a formal room used to receive and entertain guests, often associated with intellectual and artistic gatherings in the 17th and 18th centuries. While its modern usage is much broader, this hint of a social, presentable space remains.

Today, le salon refers to the main communal room in a house or apartment where family and friends gather to relax, watch TV, and socialize. It's the primary space for shared leisure time.

You might also hear la salle de séjour, which literally means 'the room for staying/living'. In modern French, the two are often used interchangeably. However, if a distinction is made, le salon might refer to a slightly more formal sitting room, while la salle de séjour is the everyday family room. For most learners, using le salon is always a safe bet.

You'll often see le salon used in compound phrases to describe items within it, such as:

la table de salon - the coffee table (literally, 'the table of the living room')
un meuble de salon - a piece of living room furniture

💡 * Les invités attendent dans le salon. (The guests are waiting in the living room.)

J'ai mis une nouvelle lampe dans le salon. (I put a new lamp in the living room.)

Viens t'asseoir avec nous dans le salon ! (Come sit with us in the living room!)

Le soir, toute la famille se retrouve au salon. (In the evening, the whole family gets together in the living room.)

The other standard 'living room' – la salle de séjour

Beyond le salon, another essential and very common term for the main living area in a French home is la salle de séjour.

Literally, this translates to the “room of stay” (salle = room, séjour = stay). This name highlights the room’s function as the primary space where the family lives and spends their time, rather than just a formal space for receiving guests.

What’s the difference between le salon and la salle de séjour? Traditionally, le salon was a more formal reception room, while la salle de séjour was the everyday family living room. Think of the classic distinction between a 'parlor' and a 'family room'.

In modern apartments and houses, this distinction is often blurred, and the terms can be used interchangeably. However, salle de séjour is frequently used in real estate listings to describe the main living space, especially if it's an open-plan area that includes a dining space.

A good way to think about it is function. If a single room contains both the sofa and TV area as well as the dining table, calling it la salle de séjour is very appropriate, as it encompasses all the daily 'living' activities.

While both terms are widely understood, think of la salle de séjour as a slightly more functional, modern term for the central living hub of the home.

💡 * Nous dînons dans la salle de séjour car nous n'avons pas de salle à manger.

La salle de séjour est la plus grande pièce de la maison.

J'ai mis un nouveau tapis dans la salle de séjour.

Les fenêtres de la salle de séjour donnent sur le parc.

The short version of 'living room' – le séjour

While le salon is the classic term for a living room, another extremely common word you'll encounter is le séjour. It's frequently used in everyday conversation, real estate listings, and descriptions of modern homes.

At its core, le séjour refers to the main living space where daily activities take place. It's the room for relaxing, entertaining, and spending time with family. In many contemporary French apartments and houses, this room often combines the living and dining areas.

The terms le séjour and le salon are often used interchangeably. However, there can be a subtle distinction. Le salon might sometimes imply a more formal sitting room, separate from other areas. In contrast, le séjour often refers to the primary, multi-functional living area, sometimes called the salle de séjour.

Crucially, le séjour has a second common meaning: 'a stay', referring to a period of time spent in a place. For example, un séjour à l'hôtel means 'a hotel stay'. Context is your best guide to understanding which meaning is intended.

Distinguishing between the two meanings is usually straightforward. If the conversation is about parts of a house (la visite de l'appartement), le séjour is the living room. If it's about travel or a period of time (mon séjour en Italie), it means 'my stay in Italy'.

💡 * On passe nos soirées dans le séjour à regarder des films.

Le séjour donne sur un petit balcon.

J'ai réservé un séjour de trois nuits à Paris.

C'est un grand séjour avec une cuisine ouverte.

The 'living space' – la pièce à vivre

The ‘living space’ – la pièce à vivre

Literally translating to “the room for living,” la pièce à vivre refers to the main living area of a house or apartment. It's the central space where daily life unfolds, distinct from more formal or specific rooms.

Unlike le salon, which can sometimes imply a more formal sitting room, la pièce à vivre emphasizes functionality and daily use. It often describes an open-concept space that might combine the living room, dining area, and even an open kitchen, serving as the heart of the home.

The phrase is grammatically feminine because its core noun, pièce (room), is feminine. Consequently, it is always preceded by a feminine article like la or une.

💡 * Notre pièce à vivre est très lumineuse grâce aux grandes fenêtres. (Our living space is very bright thanks to the large windows.)

Nous passons la plupart de nos soirées dans la pièce à vivre. (We spend most of our evenings in the living room.)

La cuisine est ouverte sur la pièce à vivre, ce qui rend l'espace très convivial. (The kitchen is open to the living space, which makes the area very welcoming.)

Ils ont décidé de repeindre les murs de la pièce à vivre. (They decided to repaint the walls of the living space.)

The (slightly dated) Anglicism – le living

One of the most well-known Anglicisms you'll encounter in French is le living, a direct loanword for the living room.

Le living is a classic example of Franglais—the blending of French and English. It simply means "the living room," the main communal space in a house.

While widely understood, using le living can sound a bit dated or old-fashioned. It was particularly popular in the mid to late 20th century but has since been largely superseded by the native French term.

The more common, standard, and universally accepted term for the living room in modern French is le salon. If you want to sound natural and current, this is the word you should use.

It's useful to recognize le living as you will certainly hear it, especially from older speakers or see it in older texts. However, in your own speech, it's best to stick with le salon to avoid sounding like you learned French from a 1970s textbook.

💡 * On a acheté un nouveau canapé pour le living.

Ma grand-mère passe toutes ses soirées dans le living.

Viens t'asseoir dans le living, on va prendre l'apéritif.

Les invités sont dans le salon, ou le living, comme disent certains.

The 'common room' – la salle commune

The direct and most accurate French translation for a 'common room' is la salle commune. It's a straightforward term used in various institutional settings.

The phrase breaks down literally. Salle translates to 'room,' and commune is the feminine adjective for 'common' or 'shared.' So, it literally means 'the common room' or 'the shared room.'

This term is most famously associated with schools, dormitories, and university residences. For fans of Harry Potter, la salle commune de Gryffondor is the Gryffindor Common Room. It's the central space for students to socialize, study, and relax.

Beyond academic life, la salle commune is also used to describe shared lounges in other collective living spaces like retirement homes (maisons de retraite), community centers, or even the shared recreational area in an office or apartment building.

💡 * Les étudiants se retrouvent dans la salle commune pour réviser avant les examens.

La salle commune de notre résidence est au rez-de-chaussée.

Il y a une fête ce soir dans la salle commune de l'immeuble.

Les résidents aiment regarder la télévision ensemble dans la salle commune.

The 'living-dining room' – le salon-salle à manger

The term le salon-salle à manger is a compound noun in French used to describe a common feature in modern homes: an open-plan room that serves as both a living room and a dining room. It directly combines the words le salon (the living room) and la salle à manger (the dining room).

This compound noun is masculine. In French, the gender of such hyphenated nouns is typically determined by the first word. Since salon is masculine (le salon), the entire phrase is masculine, even though salle is feminine.

You will frequently encounter le salon-salle à manger in real estate listings, when describing apartment layouts, or in conversations about home design. It reflects the modern trend of combining living spaces.

💡 * Notre nouvel appartement dispose d'un grand salon-salle à manger très lumineux. (Our new apartment has a large, very bright living-dining room.)

On va repeindre les murs du salon-salle à manger ce week-end. (We are going to repaint the walls of the living-dining room this weekend.)

C'est un salon-salle à manger de 30 mètres carrés. (It's a 30-square-meter living-dining room.)

The modern 'living area' – l'espace de vie

The modern 'living area' – l'espace de vie

The term l'espace de vie translates to 'the living space' or 'living area.' It's a contemporary term used in real estate and design to describe the main, often open-concept, area of a home where daily life happens.

Unlike the more traditional le salon (living room), l'espace de vie suggests a multifunctional, integrated space. It typically combines the kitchen, dining area, and lounge into one fluid zone, reflecting modern living trends.

This term emphasizes the functionality and flow of a home's primary hub. It’s less about a formal room for receiving guests and more about the central area for cooking, eating, relaxing, and socializing as a family.

💡 * Notre nouvel appartement a un grand espace de vie avec une cuisine ouverte. (Our new apartment has a large living area with an open kitchen.)

Nous avons réaménagé l'espace de vie pour le rendre plus lumineux et convivial. (We remodeled the living space to make it brighter and more welcoming.)

C'est dans l'espace de vie que toute la famille se retrouve le soir. (It's in the living area that the whole family gets together in the evening.)

The formal 'reception room' – la salle de réception

For a formal setting, the most accurate and widely used term for a 'reception room' or 'reception hall' in French is la salle de réception. This term specifically refers to a room or hall designated for hosting events, parties, or formal gatherings.

Let's break it down: salle translates to 'room' or 'hall,' and réception means 'reception.' Put together, it literally means 'reception room.' This makes it easy to remember and understand its direct purpose.

You would typically encounter la salle de réception in contexts like weddings (réception de mariage), corporate events, conferences, or in large, stately homes and hotels. It's distinct from a general living room (le salon) because its primary function is to formally receive and entertain guests for a specific occasion.

💡 * La salle de réception de l'hôtel était magnifiquement décorée pour le mariage. (The hotel's reception hall was beautifully decorated for the wedding.)

Nous avons loué une salle de réception pour la conférence annuelle de l'entreprise. (We rented a reception hall for the company's annual conference.)

Les invités sont priés de se rendre dans la salle de réception pour le cocktail. (Guests are requested to proceed to the reception room for the cocktail hour.)

Le château dispose d'une immense salle de réception avec vue sur le parc. (The castle has a huge reception room with a view of the park.)

Are there other ways to say 'living room' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say ‘living room’ in French, from the classic le salon to the more modern la pièce à vivre. But French is a rich language, and you might encounter other terms depending on the region, the type of home, or even older architectural styles.

For instance, you could search online for ‘comment dit-on salon en français québécois’ to explore Canadian French variations, or look into architectural terms for specific rooms in historical French homes.

When you encounter a new term for a living space, pay attention to the context. Is it a grand, formal room (un grand salon) or a cozy family den (un séjour)? Understanding the nuance will make your French sound more natural.

A great way to discover these variations is through immersion. Watch French home renovation shows, browse real estate websites like SeLoger or Logic-Immo, or pay attention to how rooms are described in French novels and films. You'll start to notice the subtle differences.

For a deeper dive into vocabulary related to the home, the WordReference entry for salon is an excellent starting point. You can also find forums discussing different terms for rooms.

I hope this guide has helped you feel more at home with French vocabulary. To finish, here’s a comforting French proverb that perfectly captures the essence of this important room: À chaque oiseau, son nid est beau. (To each bird, his own nest is beautiful.)

'9 ways to say "living room" in French'