bandes dessinées
The English phrase "comic strips" is translated into French as bandes dessinées.
Unlike the English term "comic strip", which often suggests a short sequence found in newspapers, bande dessinée is the standard term for everything from short strips to full-length graphic novels.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bandes (strips) and dessinées (drawn).
Which one should you use?
For a more specific reference to the actual pages or boards containing the artwork, the formal term Les planches de bande dessinée can be used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form is bande dessinée, while the plural is bandes dessinées.
When do people say it?
In France and Belgium, comic strips are often referred to as le neuvième art (the ninth art) to denote their cultural importance.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, particularly when discussing the technical layout, a single page of a bande dessinée is called une planche, which literally translates to 'a plank'.
- In France, bande dessinée is treated with such high academic and artistic prestige that there are dedicated museums and university courses focused exclusively on BD.
- The word bande in bande dessinée originally referred to the physical strips of paper that were pasted together to form a long sequence of images.
Examples in context
- Les bandes dessinées de Tintin sont très populaires en FranceThe Tintin comic strips are very popular in France
- J'ai acheté un album de Titeuf qui contient plusieurs planches de bande dessinéeI bought a Titeuf album that contains several comic strip pages
- J'adore les BD de Lucky LukeI love the Lucky Luke comic strips
- Les bandes dessinées d'Astérix ont une grande influence en France.The Asterix comic strips have a great influence in France.
- J'ai récemment acquis une collection de planches de bande dessinée de Blake et Mortimer.I recently acquired a collection of comic strip pages from Blake and Mortimer.
- Les BD de Spirou me font toujours rire.The Spirou comic strips always make me laugh.
- Les jeunes adorent les dessins humoristiques dans les journauxThe young people love the comic strips in the newspapers
- J'adore lire des bandes dessinées le dimanche.I love reading comic strips on Sundays.
- Il collectionne de vieilles bandes dessinées.He collects old comic strips.
- Ces bandes dessinées sont très drôles.These comic strips are very funny.
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are at a bookstore.
- ManonRegarde toutes ces bandes dessinées ici !Look at all these comic strips here!
- HugoElles sont magnifiques, Manon.They are magnificent, Manon.
- ManonEst-ce que tu en veux une ?Do you want one?
- HugoOui, je vais en choisir une.Yes, I am going to choose one.
