botter
/bɔ.te/
To kick it in French is botter.
The verb botter means to strike something with one's foot. Note that other informal French expressions like Se détendre entre potes or Se la couler douce are used to mean 'to chill' or 'to take it easy', rather than the physical act of kicking.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the phrase in the present tense with the masculine direct object pronoun 'it', the pronoun le precedes the conjugated verb, as in je le botte (I kick it).
How do you pronounce it?
/bɔ.te/
Did you know?
- In French, the noun botte refers to a 'boot', but it is also the word used for a 'bouquet' of flowers.
- While botter means to kick, the expression botter en touche is a common idiom meaning 'to avoid the subject' or 'to sidestep'.
- The word botte is also used in the expression une botte secrète, which translates to having a 'secret weapon' or a 'trump card'.
Examples in context
- On se détend entre potes ce soir?Shall we chill/hang out tonight?
- Ce weekend, on va juste se la couler douce.This weekend, we're just going to take it easy.
- Il veut botter la balle.He wants to kick the ball.
- Elle a voulu botter le ballon.She wanted to kick the ball.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are playing with a ball in the garden.
- ChloéLucas, regarde le ballon !Lucas, look at the ball!
- LucasJe vais le botter très fort.I am going to kick it very hard.
- ChloéFais attention aux fleurs, Chloé te regarde.Be careful with the flowers, Chloé is watching you.
- LucasNe t'inquiète pas, je vise le but.Don't worry, I'm aiming for the goal.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry botter, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
