Seems like this question could either be here or in the Language forum. We are considering buying a house and it is the older ones that seem to appeal to us. In the real estate listings with descriptions in French, I'm not sure how to interpret the word "reduit," which Google usually translate as "reduced." In the place we saw today, it seemed to be the little rectangular structure with a shed room that was attached to the main house.
Other uses taken directly from listings: Un grand séjour avec cuisine agencée et réduit Appartement en attque de 2.5 pièces de 55.80m2 comprenant un séjour-salle à manger ouvert sur cuisine entièrement équipée avec accès au balcon, 1 chambre à coucher, 1 réduit et une salle de douche avec wc. The last item is a brand new apartment so now I am really uncertain about the meaning.
Thanks for your help!
It's usually a small room of some sort without a window ( so can't be counted as a room) which is usually used for storage.
If it's attached to the kitchen it's probably used as a pantry/food storage area.
Yes, a walk-in storage area.
Very small, like a pantry. Sometimes has wasing machine & drier in it.
Or a cloakroom (as in the accurate meaning and not the poncy US way of referring to a lav) - which is what ours is ....... and a dog bedroom.
Ours however has a window, and was marked as reduit on the plans, so lack of window does not have to be a stipulation, I think.
It is usually without a window in my experience but I think if a room is below a certain size it's also classed as a reduit.
Thanks everyone, that helps a lot!
I have also seen reduit used to describe an outside bike/wood/garden junk store - in both cases it was attached to the house although not directly accessible from inside the house.
Basically it connotes storage of some sort but not so big as one would expect a cellar to be.