# French speakers, language question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 7, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-speakers-language-question/278623 "2004-12-07T21:14:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-speakers-language-question/278623/1 "2004-12-07T21:14:30Z")
Does anyone know the word for gravestone? The dictionary I have has two. Is there a specific or can I use either one? The words are: 1)Pierre 2)Tombale ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-speakers-language-question/278623/2 "2004-12-07T21:40:32Z")
I’m not a French speaker, although I am studying French. I think \*une pierre \* is simply the generic noun for a stone. \*Tombal \* is an adjective, relating to a tomb (which is _un tombeau_). So a tombstone would be _une pierre tombale_. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-speakers-language-question/278623/3 "2004-12-07T22:47:42Z")
I’ve also heard the term: _une pierre sépulcrale_. Which refers to the stone that marks a burial-place. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-speakers-language-question/278623/4 "2004-12-07T22:53:27Z")
Oh, but please note: **Cuncator** is using the term I’ve heard more often. If you want to get really fancy, you can also say _monument funéraire_, but “monument” implies something a little fancier than your average gravestone. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-speakers-language-question/278623/5 "2004-12-08T04:08:25Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I’m not a French speaker, although I am studying French. I think \*une pierre \* is simply the generic noun for a stone. \*Tombal \* is an adjective, relating to a tomb (which is _un tombeau_). So a tombstone would be _une pierre tombale_. _Pierre tombale_ is correct. _Tombe_ is the more accurate translation of “tomb” and is feminine. _Tombeau_, strictly speaking, refers to monuments on a tomb but is usually used to refer to larger tombs. _Sépulcre_ is a litterary equivalent to _tombeau_. _Pierre sépulcrale_ is a terribly flowery term that doesn’t show up at all in regular conversation. You’ll only find it in very formal documents. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-speakers-language-question/278623/6 "2004-12-09T20:07:01Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > _Pierre tombale_ is correct. _Tombe_ is the more accurate translation of “tomb” and is feminine. _Tombeau_, strictly speaking, refers to monuments on a tomb but is usually used to refer to larger tombs. > > _Sépulcre_ is a litterary equivalent to _tombeau_. _Pierre sépulcrale_ is a terribly flowery term that doesn’t show up at all in regular conversation. You’ll only find it in very formal documents. I suppose “sepulchral stone” would sound odd in English too. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-speakers-language-question/278623/7 "2004-12-09T20:23:16Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > I suppose “sepulchral stone” would sound odd in English too. To be honest, the only time I’ve seen _pierre sépulcrale_ (aside from older literature) has been in the pamphlets for burial markers that they have at funeral homes where you can pick 'em out of the catalog and the language used is overly austere. Never heard it in day-to-day usage.