ballon
/ba.lɔ̃/masculine
The English word "ball" can be translated into French as ballon, balle or boule.
Meaning: object, generally spherical, used for playing games (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ballon | /ba.lɔ̃/ | masculine |
| balle | /bal/ | feminine |
| boule | /bul/ | feminine |
In French, the word for a spherical object used in games depends on the specific type of ball you are referring to.
Which one should you use?
Use ballon for large, inflated balls used in sports like soccer or basketball. Use balle for small balls, such as tennis balls or baseballs. Use boule for hard, solid spheres, such as those used in lawn bowling (boules) or billiard balls.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
balle and boule are feminine nouns, while ballon is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of ballon is /ba.lɔ̃/. It consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French slang, the word boule can be used to refer to a person's buttocks.
- In French, balle is used for both a sports ball and a bullet, as both are small and spherical or rounded.
- The word boule also describes the shape of a traditional French loaf of bread, known as a boule de pain.
Examples in context
- Il a le ballon.He got the ball.This sentence shows how to use ballon to indicate possession.Tatoeba #446522 by chtof, translation #292709 by CM
- Lance la balle !Throw the ball!This sentence demonstrates a command using balle.Tatoeba #6577031 by GB3, translation #6576997 by Eccles17
- Où est la balle ?Where's the ball?This sentence shows how to ask for the location of a balle.Tatoeba #7079965 by Aiji, translation #3826379 by CK
- Souhaites-tu jouer à la balle ?Would you like to play ball?
- La sphère de cristal dévoile ton futur.The crystal ball reveals your future.
- Passe-moi cette petite boule.Pass me that little ball.
- 183 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are at the park.
- ManonLucas, regarde le gros ballon !Lucas, look at the big ball!
- LucasEst-ce que c'est ton ballon ?Is it your ball?
- ManonNon, il appartient à ce garçon.No, it belongs to that boy.
- LucasD'accord, allons jouer avec le nôtre.Okay, let's go play with ours.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ball” translations and entries ballon, balle, boule, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries balle, ballon, boule, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
