balles
/bal/
The English phrase "bullets" is translated into French as balles.
balles is used to refer to bullets.
Which one should you use?
In a strictly technical or ballistic context, the word projectiles is often used to refer to the objects themselves instead of balles. Additionally, while balles refers to the projectile, the word cartouches refers to the complete unit of ammunition (the casing, primer, powder and bullet).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /bal/.
Did you know?
- The term balle is used in the informal expression une balle, which is slang for 'one euro'. For example, something that costs five euros might be described as costing cinq balles.
- An English speaker might say 'a lost bullet', but in French, the expression une balle perdue is a common metaphor for a 'stray remark' or a random insult that hits an unintended target.
- The word balle also refers to a 'ball' in sports like tennis or basketball. Because of this, the phrase balle perdue can mean both a 'stray bullet' and a 'lost ball'.
Examples in context
- Il n'y a plus de balles.There are no more bullets.Tatoeba #3598667 by sacredceltic, translation #3597385 by CK
- Nous sommes à court de balles.We're out of bullets.Tatoeba #4550699 by sacredceltic, translation #2547482 by CK
- Cette arme n'a plus de balles.This gun is out of bullets.Tatoeba #10918345 by lbdx, translation #58559 by CM
- Le rapport d'expertise a confirmé la présence de balles sur la scène du crime.The expert report confirmed the presence of bullets at the crime scene.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are preparing for a shooting sport competition.
- LucasEst-ce que tu as assez de balles ?Do you have enough bullets?
- ChloéOui, j'ai deux boîtes de balles.Yes, I have two boxes of bullets.
- LucasParfait, on peut commencer l'entraînement.Perfect, we can start the training.
- ChloéD'accord, Lucas, allons-y.Okay, Lucas, let's go.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry balles, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
