Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bande dessinée | /bɑ̃d de.si.ne/ | feminine |
| BD | /be.de/ | feminine |
In French, the term for the medium of a comic book is bande dessinée. This is distinct from the adjective comique, which describes something that is funny or related to comedy. If you are referring to a more sophisticated or complex narrative, you may use the term roman graphique.
What does it mean word for word?
The term bande dessinée literally translates to 'drawn strip'.
Which one should you use?
The full term is bande dessinée. The abbreviation BD is the most common way to refer to a comic in everyday conversation. For a more playful or colloquial tone, you can use Bédé, which is a shortened version of bande dessinée. When discussing more complex or sophisticated narratives, the term roman graphique is used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
BD is an informal abbreviation. Bédé is a playful, colloquial term. For formal contexts involving sophisticated narratives, use roman graphique.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms for the noun 'comic' are feminine. You may also encounter the blend BDthèque, which combines BD and bibliothèque to refer to a personal collection or library of comics.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɑ̃d de.si.ne/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the adjective comique to refer to the medium of a comic book. In French comique means 'funny' or 'related to comedy', not the actual comic book itself.
Did you know?
- In France, bande dessinée is officially referred to as the Neuvième Art or 'Ninth Art'. This classification places comics on the same cultural level as cinema, architecture and painting.
- The word bande in bande dessinée shares an ancient root with the English word 'bind', as both come from a Germanic term meaning 'to join or link'.
- French enthusiasts use the portmanteau BDthèque, blending BD with bibliothèque, to describe a comic book library.
Examples in context
- J'adore la bande dessinée.I love comic books.This sentence is useful for expressing a love for comic books using bande dessinée.Tatoeba #3641742 by sacredceltic, translation #261872 by CK
- Sami ne connaissait rien aux BD.Sami didn't know anything about comic books.This sentence shows how to use the abbreviation BD to say someone knew nothing about comic books.Tatoeba #6376185 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #6376175 by OsoHombre
- Thomas lisait une bande dessinée.Thomas was reading a comic.This sentence illustrates a person reading a bande dessinée.Tatoeba #6850593 by Blabla, translation #6861515 by kaiperkins271
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are at a bookstore.
- EmmaTu cherches une bande dessinée en particulier ?Are you looking for a particular comic?
- LucasOui, je veux celle avec le chat.Yes, I want the one with the cat.
- EmmaRegarde, cette bande dessinée est en promotion !Look, this comic is on sale!
- LucasC'est super, je vais la prendre.That's great, I'll take it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “comic” translations and entries bande dessinée, BD, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries BD, bande, bande dessinée, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
