chalet

chalet — noun

1. A type of house made of wood, usually small in size and situated in high mountai

1.nounB1
Definition

A type of house made of wood, usually small in size and situated in high mountain areas — most famously in the Swiss Alps — or any building designed to copy that traditional look, often used as holiday accommodation.

Example

The Watanabe family rented a wooden chalet in the Japanese Alps for their winter holiday.

collocation: rent a chalet

Guests can choose between a hotel room or a private chalet with a stone fireplace.

collocation: private chalet

Common collocations
  • ski chalet
  • mountain chalet
  • wooden chalet
  • private chalet
  • rent a chalet
  • stay in a chalet
  • book a chalet
  • chalet-style
Synonyms
  • cabin

    A simpler, often rougher wooden house in a forest or rural area; 'cabin' does not carry the Swiss-Alpine style or the roof-shape association that 'chalet' does.

  • lodge

    Usually a larger building in a wilderness or mountain area used by hunters, skiers, or travellers; 'lodge' can be made of logs or stone and is often a commercial accommodation rather than a private home.

  • cottage

    A small, cozy house typically in a village or countryside setting; 'cottage' is not specifically wooden or mountain-situated, and its architectural style is different.

Grammar Patterns

a/an + chalet

the + chalet

chalet + noun (as modifier)

Usage Note

Countable noun. Often used as a modifier before another noun — for example, 'chalet-style,' 'chalet roof,' or 'chalet accommodation.'

Common Mistakes

We rented a château for our ski trip in the Alps.
We rented a chalet for our ski trip in the Alps.
A château is a large French castle or manor, not a mountain wooden house.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A chalet is specifically a wooden house in the Swiss-Alpine style, usually found in high mountain areas and often associated with ski resorts. A cabin is a simpler, more rustic wooden structure, often in a forest or remote setting — picture a log cabin by a lake in Canada. A cottage is a small, charming house, typically in a village or countryside, with no particular mountain or wood requirement — a thatched cottage in the English countryside is a classic image. A lodge is usually a larger building used for accommodation by groups of travellers, hunters, or skiers, and may be built from logs or stone. For instance, you might rent a ski chalet in the French Alps, sleep in a log cabin near a national park, visit a stone cottage in Ireland, or stay at a mountain lodge on a hiking trip.

cabin ↗cottage ↗lodge ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • ski chalet
  • mountain chalet
  • wooden chalet
  • holiday chalet
  • private chalet
  • luxury chalet
  • chalet-style

Phrases

  • rent a chalet
  • book a chalet
  • stay in a chalet
  • own a chalet
  • a chalet in the mountains

Prepositions

  • in a chalet
  • at a chalet
  • to a chalet

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchFrenchEnglish

The word 'chalet' entered English from French, where it originally referred to a herdsman's hut or seasonal dwelling in the Alps. The French term came from Old French 'chasel,' meaning a small farmhouse, which traces back to Latin 'casella' — a diminutive form of 'casa,' meaning 'house' or 'hut.' Over time, the meaning shifted from a simple Alpine shelter to the distinctive wooden holiday homes we know today.