basket-ball
/bas.kɛt.bol/masculine
The English word 'basketball' is translated into French as basket-ball. Wiktionary also lists basketball and ballon-panier.
Meaning: the sport (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| basket-ball | /bas.kɛt.bol/ | masculine |
| basketball | /bas.kɛt.bol/ | masculine |
| ballon-panier | /ba.lɔ̃.pa.nje/ | Canada, Louisiana, New England, masculine, rare |
The term refers to the sport of basketball. In everyday spoken French, the word is almost always shortened to just le basket.
Which one should you use?
While basket-ball is the traditional spelling, the unhyphenated basketball is also widely accepted and used in modern French.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The rare form ballon-panier is used in Canada, Louisiana and New-England.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb jouer (to play) with basketball, you must use the contraction au (à + le) rather than de, as in jouer au basket.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /bas.kɛt.bol/. It consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In France, if you tell someone you are wearing des baskets, you are talking about your sneakers, not the sport.
- In Quebec, using ballon-panier is a way to respect linguistic purism, as the government encourages using French terms rather than English borrowings like basket.
- French sports commentary often uses the English term dunk because there is no single French word that captures the action's essence.
Examples in context
- Tom aime le basket-ball.Tom likes basketball.This sentence is useful for expressing that Tom likes basket-ball.Tatoeba #7151899 by Micsmithel, translation #2237164 by CK
- J'aime jouer au basket-ball.I like to play basketball.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to play basket-ball.Tatoeba #135174 by nimfeo, translation #321679 by CK
- J'aime vraiment le basketball.I really like basketball.This sentence is useful for expressing a strong liking for basketball.Tatoeba #8274169 by dolomitt, translation #8274141 by CK
- Je joue au basketI play basketball
- On va jouer au basketball ce soirWe're going to play basketball tonight
- Le basket est mon sport préféréBasketball is my favorite sport
- Je suis un grand fan de basketI am a big basketball fan
- Mon équipe a remporté le match de basketball hier soirMy team won the basketball game last night
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their weekend plans.
- ManonTu veux jouer au basket-ball demain ?Do you want to play basketball tomorrow?
- HugoOui, j'adore le basket-ball !Yes, I love basketball!
- ManonOn se retrouve au gymnase à dix heures.We'll meet at the gym at ten o'clock.
- HugoC'est parfait, à demain Manon.That's perfect, see you tomorrow Manon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “basketball” translations and entries basket-ball, basketball, ballon-panier, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
