Je joue au basket
The phrase 'I play basketball' in French is translated as Je joue au basket.
This phrase is used to state that you participate in the sport of basketball.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, Je joue au basket means 'I play at the basket'. The verb joue is the first-person singular conjugation of jouer (to play) in the present tense.
Which one should you use?
In French, you use the construction jouer au (a contraction of jouer + à + le) for ball sports or team games.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canadian French, you might say Je joue au basketball instead of the standard shortened form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The full, formal name of the sport is basket-ball, though the shortened basket is the standard form used in speech. The preposition au is a necessary contraction of à (at/to) and le (the) when using the verb jouer with sports.
Did you know?
- The word basket in France is the standard term for a sneaker. If you tell someone you have new baskets, they will think you bought shoes rather than a new sport.
- The pronoun je descends from the Latin egō̆, which is the direct ancestor of the English word 'ego'.
- The French verb jouer can also be used to describe gambling, making the phrase's structure similar to how one would say 'I gamble'.
Examples in context
- Après les cours, je joue au basket avec mes amis.I play basketball with my friends after school.
- Je joue au basket tous les samedis.I play basketball every Saturday.
- Je joue au basket avec mes amis.I play basketball with my friends.
- Est-ce que tu sais que je joue au basket ?Did you know that I play basketball?
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their weekend hobbies.
- LucasMoi, je joue au basket le dimanche.As for me, I play basketball on Sundays.
- ChloéC'est super, Lucas !That's great, Lucas!
- LucasEt toi, Chloé, tu fais du sport ?And you, Chloé, do you do sports?
- ChloéNon, je préfère la natation.No, I prefer swimming.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries basket, je, joue, CC BY-SA 4.0.
