souvenir
noun
What souvenir means
Something you buy or keep to remember a place or a trip.
I bought a small teapot as a souvenir.
The shop sells souvenirs like postcards and magnets.
Test yourself
Five questions about souvenir
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Question 1 of 5Meaning
What does souvenir mean?
A souvenir is a small object, like a magnet or a postcard, that you bring home so you remember a place you visited.
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Question 2 of 5Situation
On the last day of your trip to Kyoto, you buy a small paper fan for yourself so that you will always remember the city. It is a…
You bought the fan to help you remember Kyoto, so it is a souvenir. A landmark is a famous building, and a refund and a fare are amounts of money.
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Question 3 of 5Gap
My grandmother kept a small stone from the beach as a ___ of her first trip abroad.
She kept the stone to remember the trip, and an object you keep to remember a place or a journey is a souvenir.
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Question 4 of 5Similar word
Which word is closest in meaning to souvenir?
A keepsake is a small thing you keep to remember a person, a place or a special time, which is very close to a souvenir.
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Question 5 of 5Correct use
Which sentence uses souvenir correctly?
You buy something as a souvenir, with as and the article a. Like a souvenir means similar to one, and a famous building such as the Colosseum is a landmark.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer, Enter goes on.
Souvenir in a sentence
5 more examples of souvenir in everyday situations.
- With friends
Don’t forget to bring me back a souvenir from Mexico.
- Shopping
Most of the souvenirs on this street are made in factories far away.
- At home
Her fridge is covered in magnets she kept as souvenirs of her trips.
- At a game
Fans took pieces of the old stadium seats home as souvenirs.
- A message
I got you a little souvenir in Rome, so I’ll give it to you on Monday.
How to use souvenir
A souvenir is a memory object. It is often small. The word comes from French. The last syllable sounds like “near”.
You buy a souvenir for yourself and a present for other people.
Forms
- souvenirsplural
Patterns
- a souvenir of / from a place
- buy / keep something as a souvenir
- a souvenir shop / stand
Common mistakes with souvenir
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NotI bought a souvenir for my mother birthday.
SayI bought a present for my mother’s birthday.
For a birthday the word is present, because a souvenir is something you bring back from a trip. Also say my mother’s birthday, not my mother birthday.
Souvenir or gift or memory?
- souvenir or gift
- A gift is anything you give to someone. A souvenir is something you buy or keep to remember a place; it can be a gift, but it does not have to be.
- souvenir or memory
- A memory is a picture or feeling in your mind. A souvenir is a real object that helps you remember a place or an event.
Souvenir is a B2 word. Is that your level? Take the level test or count the words you know.
Souvenir word family and collocations
The words that go with souvenir, so you can use it in a whole phrase.
Common collocations
- buy a souvenir
- a souvenir shop
- a souvenir from
- a cheap souvenir
- a souvenir of
Word family
- souvenir (noun)
Similar words
- keepsake
Questions about souvenir
Is it souvenir of or souvenir from?
Both are used. People say a souvenir from Paris or a souvenir of Paris, and of is also common with events, as in a souvenir of our wedding day.
How do you pronounce souvenir?
In American English it is usually said soo-vuh-NEER, with the stress on the last part. The word comes from French, where it means to remember.
The word before
Do you still remember onboarding?
One question about the word from 17 October. Remembering a word a day later helps it stay.
One question
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What does onboarding mean?
Onboarding is everything a company does to welcome a new person and teach them how things work, such as meeting the team and learning the systems.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer.
More travel words
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B1
departure
The act of leaving a place, especially at the start of a journey. -
C1
linger
To stay somewhere longer than necessary, because you enjoy it or do not want to leave. -
B2
accommodation
A place to stay while you travel, such as a hotel, a hostel or an apartment. -
B2
timetable
A list that shows the times when buses, trains or planes leave and arrive. -
C1
overbooked
Having more people with reservations than there are seats or rooms available. -
B2
destination
The place where a person or thing is going, especially at the end of a journey.