bol
/bɔl/
The French word for bowl is bol.
bol refers to a deep, round dish used for eating soup or cereal. If you need to be more specific, you can use saladier for a salad bowl or bol en porcelaine to specify a porcelain bowl.
Which one should you use?
While bol is the standard term, you might encounter gamelle in informal situations. The term saladier is used specifically when referring to a bowl intended for salad.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɔl/
Did you know?
- In French slang, avoir le bol means to be very lucky, similar to the English phrase 'to have a stroke of luck'.
- The word bol has two distinct histories. One version was borrowed from the English word 'bowl', while another version traces back to the Ancient Greek word βῶλος, meaning a 'clod of earth' or a 'lump'.
- While bol is the standard term, if you use the word gamelle instead, you are implying the bowl is a cheap, tin, or makeshift container often used by soldiers or campers.
Examples in context
- J'ai besoin d'un bol de soupeI need a bowl of soup
- Je vais laver les gamelles du chienI'm going to wash the dog's bowls
- Je voudrais un bol de céréales pour le petit déjeuner.I would like a bowl of cereal for breakfast.
- Nous avons besoin de plusieurs bols à soupe pour le dîner.We need several soup bowls for dinner.
- Elle a un bol de céréales.She has a bowl of cereal.
- Le bol est sur la table.The bowl is on the table.
- Je cherche un bol pour la soupe.I am looking for a bowl for the soup.
Example conversation
In the kitchen during breakfast.
- NathanChloé, où est mon bol ?Chloé, where is my bowl?
- ChloéIl est dans le placard, Nathan.It is in the cupboard, Nathan.
- NathanMerci, j'en ai besoin pour mon lait.Thanks, I need it for my milk.
- ChloéDe rien, prends-en un autre si tu veux.You're welcome, take another one if you want.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bol, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bol, CC BY-SA 4.0.
