dada
/da.da/masculine
In French, 'hobby horse' can be translated as dada or violon d'Ingres.
Meaning: topic about which someone loves to talk (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| dada | /da.da/ | masculine |
| violon d'Ingres | masculine |
Both terms are used to describe a topic or subject that someone loves to talk about or is particularly fond of discussing. When referring to a physical toy horse fitted with wheels, a casual way to say this is Le cheval à roulettes.
Which one should you use?
dada refers to a favorite topic or obsession, whereas violon d'Ingres is a more formal way to express the same idea.
How does it change in a sentence?
dada is a masculine noun. When using possessive adjectives, you should use masculine forms such as mon or son.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /da.da/ and has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The phrase violon d'Ingres refers to the 19th century painter Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, who played the violin at a professional level.
- While dada describes an obsession, it is linguistically identical to the term used for the avant-garde art movement 'Dadaism', though they stem from different origins.
- While violon d'Ingres is now used for any favorite pastime, it originally specifically described a secondary talent that was as polished as one's primary profession.
Examples in context
- La géographie est son dada.Geography is her hobby horse.This sentence shows how to use dada to describe a person's favorite subject.Tatoeba #14044773 by Myrano_, translation #14044771 by Myrano_
- L'astronomie, c'est son dada.Astronomy is his hobby horse.
- Le football est son dada depuis l'enfance.Football has been his hobby horse since childhood.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are talking about their colleague's interests.
- HugoEst-ce que Marc parle encore de trains ?Is Marc still talking about trains?
- ChloéOui, c'est son dada depuis toujours.Yes, it has always been his hobby horse.
- HugoIl peut parler d'cela pendant des heures.He can talk about it for hours.
- ChloéC'est vrai, il adore ce sujet.That's true, he loves that topic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hobby horse” translations and entries dada, violon d'Ingres, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dada, violon, violon d'Ingres, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
