What does it mean word for word?
The phrase excursion en bateau literally means "excursion by boat", composed of excursion (excursion or trip), en (in or by) and bateau (boat).
Which one should you use?
While excursion en bateau is a general term for an outing, croisière specifically refers to a cruise, which typically involves a formal itinerary or overnight stays. For a more specific type of trip, you might also use une sortie en bateau to describe a recreational boat outing.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For casual or leisure-oriented descriptions, you can use the informal balade en bateau (boat ride/trip) or the informal sortie en bateau (boat outing). If you want to describe a more spirited or adventurous trip, the colloquial virée en bateau can be translated as a "boat adventure".
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural "boat trips", add an s to the word excursion to get excursions en bateau. The prepositional phrase en bateau does not change.
Did you know?
- The word bateau actually comes from the English word 'boat' via Anglo-Norman. It eventually replaced the older French word nef, which is a relative of the Latin word 'navis'.
- While bateau is the general term, French uses different words for 'boat' depending on the water. A trip on a river might be called une promenade en péniche if using a traditional canal barge.
- In French, the word croisière for a cruise comes from the verb croiser, meaning 'to cross'. It originally described the way ships crossed paths or crossed the sea.
Examples in context
- Mes grands-parents avaient prévu une excursion en bateau avec nous.My grand parents planned a boat trip with us.This sentence shows the use of excursion en bateau in a past tense context.Tatoeba #6058844 by christian63, translation #6060935 by colwem
- Je suis ravi de vous proposer une excursion en bateau lors de votre séjour en France.I am delighted to offer you a boat trip during your stay in France.
- L'office du tourisme organise des excursions en bateau sur la rivière.The tourist office organizes boat trips on the river.
- On pourrait faire une petite promenade en bateau dans l'après-midi.We could go for a short boat ride in the afternoon.
- Ça te dit de faire une sortie en bateau sur le lac demain ?Do you fancy going on a boat outing on the lake tomorrow?
- Je suis partant(e) pour une virée en bateau cet été avec mes amis.I'm up for a boat adventure this summer with my friends.
- Pourriez-vous m'indiquer les options d'excursions en bateau s'il vous plaît ?Could you please inform me about the boat trip options?
- J'aimerais faire une croisière romantique sur la Seine.I would like to take a romantic cruise on the Seine.
- Nous avons fait une excursion en bateau hier.We went on a boat trip yesterday.
- L'excursion en bateau dure deux heures.The boat trip lasts two hours.
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are discussing their vacation plans in a café.
- EmmaTu veux faire une excursion en bateau ?Do you want to go on a boat trip?
- HugoOui, c'est une excellente idée, Emma.Yes, it is an excellent idea, Emma.
- EmmaOn peut réserver pour demain.We can book it for tomorrow.
- HugoParfait, je suis prêt pour l'aventure !Perfect, I am ready for the adventure!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bateau, en, excursion, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
