piscine à balles
The English phrase ball pit is translated into French as piscine à balles.
In French, you can refer to this area using either piscine à balles or the alternative piscine à boules.
Meaning: type of play area (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase piscine à balles literally translates to 'pool of balls'.
Which one should you use?
piscine à balles and piscine à boules are both common ways to describe the same play area.
Did you know?
- The word piscine in piscine à balles shares its roots with the word for 'fish' because the term originally referred to a pond for raising fish.
- The term piscine à boules can be ambiguous because boules also refers to the heavy metal spheres used in the traditional game of pétanque.
- In some French-speaking regions, a ball pit is called a bassin à balles, utilizing the word for 'basin' instead of 'pool'.
Examples in context
- Les enfants s'amusent dans la piscine à balles.The children are having fun in the ball pit.
- Les enfants adorent la piscine à balles.The children love the ball pit.
- Il y a une grande piscine à balles ici.There is a large ball pit here.
- Est-ce que la piscine à balles est propre ?Is the ball pit clean?
Example conversation
Two parents are at an indoor playground.
- ChloéRegarde la piscine à balles, Nathan !Look at the ball pit, Nathan!
- NathanElle est immense, Chloé.It is huge, Chloé.
- ChloéLes petits veulent y aller maintenant.The little ones want to go there now.
- NathanD'accord, allons-y.Okay, let's go.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries piscine, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
