basse
/bas/
The English phrase guitar bass is translated into French as basse.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word basse is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/bas/
Did you know?
- In a French musical score, the 'bass clef' is called clé de fa, meaning 'F clef' rather than 'bass clef'.
- The word basse is actually a shortened version of the phrase la voix basse, which means 'the low voice'.
- While basse is feminine, the Italian root basso is masculine, marking a gender shift during the adoption of the word into French.
Examples in context
- J'ai besoin d'acheter une nouvelle basse électrique.I need to buy a new guitar bass.
- Mon ami joue de la basse dans un groupe de rock.My friend plays guitar bass in a rock band.
- Il joue de la basse dans un groupe.He plays the bass in a band.
- J'ai acheté une nouvelle basse électrique.I bought a new electric bass.
- Elle cherche une basse pour son concert.She is looking for a bass for her concert.
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are talking about their music band.
- EmmaHugo, tu joues de la basse ?Hugo, do you play the bass?
- HugoOui, je joue de la basse depuis un an.Yes, I have been playing the bass for a year.
- EmmaC'est super, on a besoin d'un bassiste.That's great, we need a bass player.
- HugoJe peux venir essayer demain.I can come and try tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry basse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries basse, CC BY-SA 4.0.
