champagne
gb/ʃæmpˈeɪn/ us/ʃæmpˈeɪn/
B1
English
~ 9100
champagne, champagne-i pezsgő, pezsgő, pezsgőszínű, pezsgőszín, drága ízlés, luxuséletmód, Champagne régió
NOUN
B1
1
champagne
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] drinks champagne
The restaurant’s wine list includes several vintage champagnes from small producers in France.
Az étterem borlapján több évjáratos champagne-i pezsgő is szerepel kisebb francia termelőktől.
We toured three champagne houses in Reims during our trip to the Champagne region.
A Champagne régióba tett utunk során Reimsben három champagne-házat látogattunk meg.
Only wines made in this part of France can legally be sold as champagne in the European Union.
The sommelier recommended a dry champagne to pair with the oysters.
They chose a prestigious champagne for the wedding toast.
Learner examples
We drank real champagne from France at the party.
A bulin igazi francia champagne-t ittunk.
He wants to visit the Champagne region and taste the local champagne.
Szeretné meglátogatni a Champagne régiót, és megkóstolni a helyi champagne-t.
This shop sells only French champagne and other fine wines.
The guide explained how champagne is made in the Champagne area.
She bought a bottle of champagne from a famous French brand.
Common mistake:
Learners often think any sparkling wine can be called "champagne." In strict usage, only sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France, made in the traditional way, is true champagne. Also, "champagne" is usually treated as an uncountable noun for the drink in general ("We had some champagne"), while the countable form is used for specific types or bottles ("They sell many fine champagnes").
Meaning
sparkling wine from Champagne
Collocations
French champagne
|fine champagne
|bottle of champagne
|glass of champagne
|champagne from France
|champagne producer
Synonyms
French sparkling wine (More general; includes all sparkling wines from France, not only those legally called Champagne.)
|
Champagne wine (Clarifies that it is wine from the Champagne region; slightly more technical or explanatory.)
Antonyms
still wine (Wine without bubbles, contrasting with bubbly champagne.)
Themes
food_and_drink
|culture
|travel
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
A special kind of sparkling white wine that comes from the Champagne area of France and is made in a traditional way.
A sparkling white wine that is legally produced only in the Champagne region of northeastern France and made using the traditional method of secondary fermentation in the bottle.
NOUN
B1
2
pezsgő
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] pours champagne
Everyone raised a glass of champagne to celebrate the promotion.
Mindenki pezsgővel koccintott az előléptetésre.
We bought some inexpensive champagne for New Year’s Eve.
Vettünk néhány üveg olcsó pezsgőt szilveszterre.
They opened the champagne as soon as they heard the good news.
I don’t like very sweet champagnes, so I chose a dry one instead.
Champagne was flowing freely at the company’s holiday party.
Learner examples
We drank champagne at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Szilveszterkor, éjfélkor pezsgőt ittunk.
She poured champagne into ten glasses.
Tíz pohárba töltötte a pezsgőt.
They opened a bottle of champagne when the team won.
I don’t drink beer, but I like champagne.
He bought cheap champagne for the big party.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "champagne" with "wine" in general and say sentences like "We drank champagne wine" when they simply mean "We drank wine." Also, some learners overuse the countable form and say "We drank many champagnes" instead of "We drank a lot of champagne" when talking about quantity, not different types.
Meaning
sparkling wine in general
Collocations
glass of champagne
|bottle of champagne
|pour the champagne
|open the champagne
|cheap champagne
|sweet champagne
Synonyms
sparkling wine (Neutral, correct general term for wine with bubbles, regardless of where it is made.)
|
bubbly (Informal and playful word for sparkling wine, including champagne.)
Antonyms
still wine (Wine without carbonation, contrasted with any kind of champagne or sparkling wine.)
Themes
food_and_drink
|daily_life
|food_drink
Definition
Sparkling white wine, often from any country, that people casually call champagne.
Sparkling white wine of any origin, especially when casually or incorrectly referred to as champagne.
NOUN
B2
3
pezsgőszínű
B2
pezsgőszín
B2
Usage pattern:
champagne [noun]
She wore a stunning champagne dress to the awards ceremony.
Lenyűgöző pezsgőszínű ruhát viselt a díjátadón.
We chose champagne curtains to keep the living room feeling light and warm.
Pezsgőszínű függönyöket választottunk, hogy a nappali világos és meleg hangulatú maradjon.
The bride asked her bridesmaids to wear long champagne gowns.
He bought a new car in a subtle champagne color instead of bright silver.
The designer recommended champagne walls with white trim for a soft, elegant look.
Learner examples
She likes her champagne dress because the light color looks good on her.
Szereti a pezsgőszínű ruháját, mert jól áll neki ez a világos szín.
The walls in their bedroom are a champagne color.
A hálószobájuk falai pezsgőszínűek.
I want to buy champagne shoes for the wedding.
The curtains are champagne, not white.
He painted the room a soft champagne color.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "champagne" as a color always looks exactly like the drink in a glass, but in fashion and design it often means any soft, light beige-gold shade. Some learners also confuse it with "champion" because the words look similar, but their meanings are unrelated.
Meaning
pale yellow-gold color
Collocations
champagne dress
|champagne-colored dress
|champagne gown
|champagne curtains
|champagne paint
|champagne heels
Synonyms
beige (A similar light, neutral color but usually less golden than champagne.)
|
pale gold (Highlights the soft golden quality of the color, close to champagne but sometimes a bit richer.)
Antonyms
navy blue (A dark, strong color that contrasts clearly with light champagne tones.)
Themes
fashion
|design
|colors
|core_vocabulary
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A light yellow-gold or beige color, like the color of some champagne.
A pale, slightly golden or beige shade of yellow, similar to the color of some champagne wines.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
4
drága ízlés
B1
luxuséletmód
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] has champagne tastes
He has champagne tastes on a beer budget and is always in debt.
Drága az ízlése, de kevés a pénze, ezért folyton adósságban van.
Social media often promotes a champagne lifestyle that most people can’t realistically afford.
A közösségi média gyakran olyan luxuséletmódot népszerűsít, amelyet a legtöbben valójában nem engedhetnek meg maguknak.
The article criticized politicians who live a champagne lifestyle while talking about helping the poor.
Her friends joke about her champagne tastes whenever she picks the most expensive item on the menu.
The show follows influencers who try to maintain a champagne lifestyle after their fame fades.
Learner examples
She has champagne tastes but not much money.
Drága az ízlése, de nincs sok pénze.
He wants a champagne lifestyle with designer clothes and expensive food.
Luxuséletmódra vágyik, márkás ruhákkal és drága ételekkel.
They talk about helping poor people but live a champagne lifestyle.
My cousin has champagne tastes and buys only luxury brands.
The movie shows a man trying to keep his champagne lifestyle after he loses his job.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes misunderstand this sense as literally about drinking champagne, but it usually describes a general love of expensive, luxury things. It is often used in the fixed phrase "champagne tastes on a beer budget" to show a contrast between expensive desires and limited money.
Meaning
luxurious lifestyle or tastes
Collocations
champagne lifestyle
|champagne tastes
|champagne habits
|champagne budget
|champagne and caviar lifestyle
Synonyms
luxury lifestyle (More neutral and formal; does not carry the playful or critical tone that "champagne lifestyle" often has.)
|
the high life (Informal; focuses on enjoying wealth and luxury, similar to champagne lifestyle but without the built‑in contrast with limited money.)
Antonyms
frugal lifestyle (Focuses on saving money and avoiding expensive things, opposite to a champagne lifestyle.)
Themes
money
|lifestyle
|daily_life
|emotions
Definition
A way of living, or tastes, that are very rich and expensive, like people who often drink champagne.
An expensive, luxurious lifestyle or taste, especially when someone desires high-end things they cannot easily afford.
NOUN
B2
5
Champagne
B2
Usage pattern:
the Champagne region of [country]
They spent a long weekend touring vineyards in Champagne.
Egy hosszú hétvégét töltöttek Champagne-ban, és szőlőültetvényeket jártak be.
Reims and Épernay are two major cities in the Champagne region.
Reims és Épernay a Champagne régió két fontos városa.
Tourism is an important part of the economy in Champagne.
The climate in Champagne is cooler than in many other wine regions.
Champagne attracts visitors from all over the world who want to see where their favorite wine is made.
Learner examples
We want to visit Champagne when we go to France.
Szeretnénk ellátogatni Champagne-ba, amikor Franciaországba megyünk.
She took a train from Paris to the Champagne region.
Vonattal ment Párizsból a Champagne régióba.
Many small villages in Champagne make wine.
The Champagne region is famous for its sparkling wine.
Thousands of tourists come to Champagne every year.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes forget that the region name "Champagne" is usually capitalized, while the drink can be written with a small letter in less formal contexts. Some also think Champagne is only a brand, not a whole region with many producers.
Meaning
Champagne region of France
Collocations
the Champagne region
|travel to Champagne
|Champagne vineyards
|Champagne houses
|Champagne producers
|Champagne countryside
Synonyms
Champagne region (Longer phrase that clearly shows that Champagne is a wine-making area.)
Antonyms
non-wine-producing region (A region not known for producing wine, in contrast to Champagne as a famous wine area.)
Themes
geography
|travel
|food_and_drink
|food_drink
Definition
An area in the northeast of France called Champagne, known for making champagne wine.
A historic wine-producing region in northeastern France, famous for creating the sparkling wine known as Champagne.
Grammar
Dictionary form
champagne
IPA
GB/ʃæmpˈeɪn/
US/ʃæmpˈeɪn/
Syllables & stress
cham - pagne (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (pagne)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: champagne
- Plural: champagne, champagnes
Word family
Forms
champagnes
noun
Expressions
champagne lifestyle on a beer budget
1/ʃæmpˈeɪn lˈaɪfstˌaɪl ˈɔn ə bˈɪɹ bˈʌd͡ʒɪt/
idiom
informal
expensive tastes, little money
When someone wants to live a rich, expensive life but does not have enough money to pay for it.
Examples
- He’s living a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget, and his credit cards are maxed out.
- The show follows people with a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget who are trying to get out of debt.
- Her friends warn her that she’s got a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget.
champagne problems
1/ʃæmpˈeɪn pɹˈɑbləmz/
idiom
informal
small problems from good fortune
Problems that are not very serious and exist only because your life is already good or comfortable.
Examples
- Not getting into your first-choice college when you have several other offers is a champagne problem.
- She laughed and said her stress about choosing between two great jobs was a champagne problem.
- Complaining about where to go on vacation is really a champagne problem.
champagne socialist
1/ʃæmpˈeɪn sˈoʊʃəlɪst/
fixed phrase
informal
wealthy person with left politics
A person who says they support left-wing or socialist ideas but lives a rich, comfortable life.
Examples
- Critics called him a champagne socialist for attacking big business while dining in luxury restaurants.
- The newspaper ran an article about so‑called champagne socialists in the city’s arts scene.
- Some voters see her as a champagne socialist who doesn’t understand ordinary people.
champagne taste on a beer budget
1/ʃæmpˈeɪn tˈeɪst ˈɔn ə bˈɪɹ bˈʌd͡ʒɪt/
idiom
informal
liking expensive things, low funds
When someone likes very expensive things but only has money to buy cheap things.
Examples
- She has champagne taste on a beer budget and always picks the most expensive option.
- The book gives advice for people with champagne taste on a beer budget.
- His parents joke that he has champagne taste on a beer budget.
crack open the champagne
1/kɹˈæk ˈoʊpən ðə ʃæmpˈeɪn/
idiom
informal
open champagne for success
To open a bottle of champagne because you are celebrating a success or happy event.
Examples
- They cracked open the champagne when they heard she’d passed the exam.
- It’s too early to crack open the champagne; we haven’t signed the contract yet.
- Once the baby was born, the grandparents cracked open the champagne.
pop the champagne
1/pˈɑp ðə ʃæmpˈeɪn/
idiom
informal
open champagne to celebrate
To open bottles of champagne because something very good has happened and you want to celebrate.
Examples
- When the deal finally closed, the whole team popped the champagne.
- If we win the final, we’ll pop the champagne in the locker room.
- They popped the champagne as soon as the clock struck midnight.