château gonflable
The English phrase 'bounce house' is translated into French as château gonflable.
A bounce house refers to an inflatable structure used as a play area for children to jump in.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase château gonflable literally translates to 'inflatable castle', where château means castle and gonflable means inflatable.
Did you know?
- In French, the verb gonfler can also be used colloquially to describe someone who is acting arrogant or 'full of themselves'.
- The word château is a cognate with the English word 'castle' through their shared ancestor in the Latin word castellum, which was a diminutive meaning 'small fort'.
- In some French-speaking regions, children might simply call these 'trampolines' if they are used to jumping, even though a trampoline is a specific piece of equipment with a metal frame. This can lead to confusion if you are looking for a specific type of toy.
Examples in context
- Les enfants adorent le château gonflable.The children love the bounce house.
- On a loué un château gonflable pour l'anniversaire.We rented a bounce house for the birthday party.
- Est-ce que le château gonflable est installé ?Is the bounce house set up?
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are preparing for a backyard party.
- ManonGabriel, où est le château gonflable ?Gabriel, where is the bounce house?
- GabrielIl est dans le jardin, Manon.It is in the garden, Manon.
- ManonSuper, les enfants vont être ravis !Great, the children will be delighted!
- GabrielOui, c'est parfait pour eux.Yes, it is perfect for them.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries château, gonflable, CC BY-SA 4.0.
