jouer à la balle
To play catch in French is jouer à la balle.
The phrase jouer à la balle is used to describe the activity of playing catch. It is a more general expression that can imply playing with a ball in any manner.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb jouer to refer to playing a game or a sport, it is followed by the preposition à.
Did you know?
- The word balle also refers to a bullet in French. This usage comes from the same root as 'ball' because early ammunition consisted of small lead spheres.
- In French, the word for 'ball' changes depending on the size. While balle is used for small balls like those in tennis or catch, a larger ball like a football or basketball is called ballon.
- The verb jouer comes from the Latin iocārī, which meant to joke or jest. This links the act of playing a game with the act of being playful or humorous.
Examples in context
- On devrait aller dans le jardin pour jouer à se passer la balle.We should go to the garden to play catch.
- Les enfants se lancent la balle dans le parc tous les jours.The children play catch in the park every day.
- Les enfants veulent jouer à la balle dans le jardin.The children want to play catch in the garden.
- Est-ce que tu veux jouer à la balle avec moi ?Do you want to play catch with me?
- On peut jouer à la balle si le vent tombe.We can play catch if the wind dies down.
Example conversation
Two siblings are in the backyard on a sunny afternoon.
- NathanChloé, on va jouer à la balle ?Chloé, shall we play catch?
- ChloéOui, je suis prête, Nathan !Yes, I am ready, Nathan!
- NathanPrends bien le gant pour ne pas te faire mal.Make sure to wear the glove so you don't get hurt.
- ChloéNe t'inquiète pas, je vais l'attraper facilement.Don't worry, I will catch it easily.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries balle, jouer, la, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
