Bruxelles
/bʁy.sɛl/feminine
Brussels is Bruxelles in French.
Bruxelles is the standard name for the capital city of Belgium. You can also refer to the city using the descriptive phrase la capitale belge, which means the Belgian capital.
Meaning: capital city of Belgium (name)
Which one should you use?
Bruxelles is the standard name, while Bxl is a common abbreviation used in written contexts. For a more casual spoken approach, the shortened form Brux can be used.
How does it change in a sentence?
Bruxelles is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /bʁy.sɛl/. It consists of two syllables.
Did you know?
- The name Bruxelles is actually a linguistic fossil of the city's geography, deriving from a Germanic term meaning 'marshy building'.
- The city of Bruxelles is officially bilingual, meaning all street signs and government documents must appear in both French and Dutch.
- Despite being the capital of Belgium, Bruxelles is not located in a specific Belgian province but is instead its own administrative region.
Examples in context
- Elle va à Bruxelles.She's going to Brussels.This sentence shows the use of Bruxelles as a destination.Tatoeba #1082545 by nimfeo, translation #8288919 by sundown
- Bruxelles est en Belgique.Brussels is in Belgium.This sentence shows the use of Bruxelles to state its location in Belgium.Tatoeba #8730443 by Julien_PDC, translation #7448848 by Hybrid
- Bruxelles, c'est tout un symbole.Brussels is a symbol in itself.This sentence shows how Bruxelles can be used to describe a symbol.Tatoeba #876104 by U2FS, translation #1725936 by belgavox
- La ville de Bruxelles est célèbre pour son architecture historique.The city of Brussels is famous for its historical architecture.
- La capitale belge, Bruxelles, abrite de nombreuses institutions européennes.The Belgian capital, Brussels, is home to numerous European institutions.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are talking about their travel plans.
- LéaTu vas bientôt à Bruxelles ?Are you going to Brussels soon?
- LucasOui, je pars à Bruxelles demain.Yes, I am leaving for Brussels tomorrow.
- LéaC'est une ville magnifique, Bruxelles.It is a magnificent city, Brussels.
- LucasJ'ai hâte de la découvrir.I can't wait to discover it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brussels” translations and entries Bruxelles, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Bruxelles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
