jouer au basket
To play basketball in French is jouer au basket.
The phrase is used to describe participating in the sport where players throw a ball through a hoop.
Which one should you use?
While jouer au basket is the standard way to express this, you may also encounter Faire du basket in informal contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
When talking about sports involving a ball, use the construction jouer au (which is a combination of jouer + à + le). This contrasts with the construction jouer de, which is used specifically for musical instruments.
Did you know?
- If you ask a friend to go play 'le basket', they might think you are inviting them to put on their 'baskets' and head out for a walk. In French, the word 'baskets' is the standard term for sneakers or trainers.
- The verb jouer shares a root with the English word 'joke'. Both come from the Latin iocārī, which meant to jest or play.
- In French, saying jouer au basket refers specifically to the act of playing a game, whereas faire du basket suggests the sport is a regular habit or part of one's lifestyle.
Examples in context
- J'aime jouer au basket-ball.I like to play basketball.This example shows how to express a personal preference for the sport using jouer au basket.Tatoeba #135174 by nimfeo, translation #321679 by CK
- Nous sommes là pour jouer au basket.We're here to play basketball.This sentence expresses a purpose or reason for being in a location using jouer au basket.Tatoeba #5304070 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #5133789 by CK
- Je n'ai jamais vu quelqu'un capable de jouer au basket en lisant seulement des livres, il en va de même pour les langues étrangères.I've never met anyone who was able to learn how to play basketball just by reading a book. The same holds true for learning foreign languages as well.This sentence uses a comparison to illustrate that skills like jouer au basket cannot be learned solely through reading.Tatoeba #633658 by sysko, translation #633656 by sysko
- Je joue au basketball avec mon équipe tous les mercredis après-midi.I play basketball with my team every Wednesday afternoon.
- Nous faisons du basketball dans notre club sportif.We play basketball in our sports club.
- On joue au basket ce soir avec les copains.We're playing basketball tonight with friends.
- Tu as envie de faire du basket cet après-midi ?Do you want to play basketball this afternoon?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are talking about their weekend plans.
- EmmaTu veux jouer au basket avec nous samedi ?Do you want to play basketball with us on Saturday?
- GabrielOui, j'adore jouer au basket !Yes, I love playing basketball!
- EmmaSuper, on se retrouve au parc à dix heures.Great, we will meet at the park at ten o'clock.
- GabrielC'est parfait, à samedi alors.That's perfect, see you Saturday then.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries basket, jouer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
