Learning French: what is the difference between la mer and l’océan?

Thinking of heading to the seaside this month? For the French, when planning a visit à la plage there is one distinction to make when determining which coast to head to. 

Unlike Anglophiles, for whom the sea is the sea no matter its geographical location, for the French it is all about la mer (the sea) versus l’océan (the ocean). Notwithstanding the broad sense of these distinct water areas – “In terms of geography, seas are smaller than oceans and are usually located where the land and ocean meet. Typically, seas are partially enclosed by land,” writes the American National Ocean Service – generally speaking it differentiates the Atlantic Coast from all the other coastal areas. 

Read more: Learning French: the origins and meaning of ce n’est pas la mer à boire

From personal experience, people in my part of southwest France refer to l’océan when talking about taking a summer holiday along the swathe of Atlantic coastline from the Spanish border up to about La Rochelle. Anywhere else, from Brittany to the Riviera, is plain old la mer.

It appears that the basis for this specificity is a solid understanding of the nature of the beaches, specifically the power of their waves and undertow. The southern Atlantic shoreline is deemed more dangerous for swimmers, especially youngsters or weak swimmers, due to its courants d’arrachement (rip currents – intense, narrow currents that flow offshore and are induced by breaking waves) and vagues de bord (onshore waves). 

A 2024 Santé Publique France survey revealed that of all drownings, 45% occurred at sea, 23% in rivers and 17% in lakes. Our advice to would-be beachgoers is research your beach beforehand and adhere strictly to beach surveillance zones, whether à la mer or à l’océan.

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