agitation
/a.ʒi.ta.sjɔ̃/feminine
In French, the English phrase bustle can be translated as agitation, affairement, branlebas or remue-ménage.
Meaning: excited activity (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| agitation | /a.ʒi.ta.sjɔ̃/ | feminine |
| affairement | /a.fɛʁ.mɑ̃/ | masculine |
| branlebas | masculine | |
| remue-ménage | /ʁə.my.me.naʒ/ | masculine |
Which one should you use?
remue-ménage is a more colloquial term often used to describe a noisy or messy bustle or upheaval.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
remue-ménage is an informal way to say bustle.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
agitation is a feminine noun. remue-ménage is a masculine noun and is typically used in the singular. affairement and branlebas are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.ʒi.ta.sjɔ̃/ (4 syllables)
Did you know?
- The word branlebas originates from naval history and describes the order for sailors to move quickly to their battle stations.
- The word ménage in remue-ménage refers to a household or domestic management, meaning the phrase literally translates to 'stirring up the household'.
- While 'agitation' in English often implies a state of nervous anxiety, in French agitation can more neutrally describe the physical movement or the busy 'hum' of a crowd.
Examples in context
- Quelle agitation dans les rues !What bustle in the streets!This sentence is useful for describing bustle in a location using agitation.Tatoeba #672162 by qdii, translation #672161 by qdii
- Le marché est en pleine agitation.The market is full of hustle and bustle.This sentence is useful for describing a place full of bustle using agitation.Tatoeba #14051750 by Myrano_, translation #10816694 by sundown
- L'activité et l'affairement de la vie citadine me manquent.I miss the hustle and bustle of city life.This sentence is useful for describing the bustle of city life using affairement.Tatoeba #801034 by sacredceltic, translation #727180 by darinmex
- Cette rue est toujours pleine d'animation, même la nuit.This street is always bustling, even at night.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are walking through a busy train station.
- ChloéIl y a une grande agitation ici.There is a lot of bustle here.
- LucasOui, tout le monde semble pressé.Yes, everyone seems to be in a hurry.
- ChloéL'agitation de la gare m'impressionne.The bustle of the station impresses me.
- LucasC'est vrai, c'est un endroit très animé.It's true, it's a very lively place.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bustle” translations and entries agitation, affairement, remue-ménage, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
