bal masqué
/bal mas.ke/
A masquerade ball in French is bal masqué.
The phrase refers to a formal dance party where guests wear costumes and masks to hide their identities.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bal (ball/dance) and masqué (masked).
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun bal is masculine, so the indefinite article used for 'a masquerade ball' is un bal masqué. To make the phrase plural, both the noun bal and the adjective masqué take an 's', resulting in des bals masqués.
How do you pronounce it?
/bal mas.ke/
Did you know?
- During the historical era of the 'bal masqué', guests often used masks not just for fun, but as a socially acceptable way to bypass strict 17th-century etiquette and flirt with people of higher social rank.
- The French word bal descends from the Late Latin ballare, which meant 'to dance'. This same root evolved into the English word 'ballet'.
- In modern French, if someone is described as being masqué, it can occasionally be used metaphorically to mean that someone is being deceptive or is hiding their true intentions in a conversation.
Examples in context
- Elle a été invitée à un bal masqué.She was invited to a masquerade ball.
- Le bal masqué était vraiment élégant.The masquerade ball was truly elegant.
- Nous portons des masques pour le bal masqué.We are wearing masks for the masquerade ball.
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are discussing their plans for the evening.
- NathanTu viens au bal masqué ce soir ?Are you coming to the masquerade ball tonight?
- ChloéOui, je porte une belle robe pour ça.Yes, I am wearing a beautiful dress for it.
- NathanTon masque sera magnifique, Chloé.Your mask will be magnificent, Chloé.
- ChloéMerci, j'ai hâte d'y être !Thank you, I can't wait to be there!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bal masqué, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
