boue
/bu/
In French, muck is translated as boue.
The word boue refers to anything filthy and vile, dirt.
Meaning: anything filthy and vile, dirt (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/bu/
Did you know?
- In French literature, la boue is often used as a metaphor for the lowest social class or extreme poverty. This usage goes beyond literal dirt to represent a state of moral or social degradation.
- The word boue traces its roots back to the Gaulish word bawā, meaning 'mud' or 'muck'.
- While boue refers to muck, the word vase describes the specific kind of slime or muck found at the bottom of a river. Using boue for riverbed silt would sound unnatural to a native speaker.
Examples in context
- Après la pluie, les rues étaient remplies de boue.After the rain, the streets were filled with muck.
- Il y avait de la crasse sur mes chaussures après la balade dans la forêt.There was muck on my shoes after the walk in the forest.
- J'ai marché dans la merde de chien sur le trottoir.I stepped into dog muck on the sidewalk.
- Oh non, mes vêtements sont pleins de crasse après cette partie de football.Oh no, my clothes are covered in muck after that soccer game.
- Je me suis sali dans la boue en jouant au rugby.I got dirty in the muck while playing rugby.
- Elle a marché dans une flaque de boue et maintenant ses chaussures sont couvertes de crasse.She stepped into a mud puddle, and now her shoes are covered in muck.
- Il y a de la boue sur tes chaussures.There is mud on your shoes.
- La route est couverte de boue après la pluie.The road is covered in mud after the rain.
- Fais attention à ne pas glisser dans la boue.Be careful not to slip in the mud.
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are walking in the rain.
- ManonRegarde Nathan, il y a de la boue partout !Look Nathan, there is muck everywhere!
- NathanC'est vrai, le chemin est impraticable.It's true, the path is impassable.
- ManonJe ne veux pas mettre de la boue dedans.I don't want to get any muck in there.
- NathanOn devrait faire demi-tour maintenant.We should turn back now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry boue, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries boue, CC BY-SA 4.0.
