Baton Rouge
/ba.tɔ̃ ʁuʒ/masculine
Baton Rouge is the French name for the city of the same name. Wiktionary also lists Bâton-Rouge and Bâton Rouge.
Meaning: city (name)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | /ba.tɔ̃ ʁuʒ/ /bɑ.tɔ̃ ʁuʒ/ |
masculine |
| Bâton-Rouge | masculine, uncommon | |
| Bâton Rouge | masculine, uncommon |
This phrase refers to the city of Baton Rouge.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means 'red stick' in French.
Which one should you use?
The forms Bâton-Rouge and Bâton Rouge are uncommon, and the standard French spelling of the phrase uses a circumflex accent on the a in bâton.
How do you pronounce it?
/ba.tɔ̃ ʁuʒ/ (2 syllables)
Did you know?
- The circumflex accent on the â in bâton is a linguistic fossil that often indicates an 's' used to be present in the word, as seen in the English 'bastion' or the Old French 'baston'.
- In French, if you were to describe a 'red stick' as a literal object, you would likely use the word canne for a walking stick or tige for a plant stem, rather than bâton.
- The word rouge and the English word 'rouge' (the makeup) both share the same origin from the Latin 'rubeus', meaning 'red'.
Examples in context
- Je vais à Baton Rouge.I am going to Baton Rouge.
- Il habite à Baton Rouge.He lives in Baton Rouge.
- Est-ce que Baton Rouge est grande ?Is Baton Rouge big?
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are discussing a trip to Louisiana.
- EmmaOù veux-tu aller en Louisiane ?Where do you want to go in Louisiana?
- LucasJe veux visiter Baton Rouge.I want to visit Baton Rouge.
- EmmaC'est une excellente idée, Lucas.That is an excellent idea, Lucas.
- LucasOn part quand pour Baton Rouge ?When are we leaving for Baton Rouge?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “baton rouge” translations and entries Baton Rouge, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bâton, rouge, CC BY-SA 4.0.
