billet
/bi.jɛ/masculine
The English word ticket translates to French as billet.
The word billet refers to admission to entertainment. For example, you can use billet de train for a train ticket, billet de concert for a concert ticket and billet d'avion for a plane ticket.
Meaning: admission to entertainment (noun)
Which one should you use?
While billet is used for tickets to events or travel, the word place is often used to refer specifically to a reserved seat or a ticket for a specific spot in a venue. If you are referring to a small paper receipt from a shop or a parking ticket, use ticket or reçu instead of billet.
How do you pronounce it?
/bi.jɛ/
Did you know?
- The French word billet is also the common term for a banknote, such as a ten euro note.
- The word billet shares an etymological ancestor with the English word 'bullet', as both stem from the Latin bulla, meaning a small ball or seal.
- In French, the term billet doux is a specific idiom for a love letter, using the word 'ticket' in a completely metaphorical sense.
Examples in context
- As-tu un billet ?Do you have a ticket?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has a billet.Tatoeba #1461919 by nimfeo, translation #1256377 by CK
- Où est mon billet ?Where is my ticket?This sentence is useful for asking for the location of a billet.Tatoeba #6711748 by felix63, translation #6716552 by Eccles17
- Il n'a pas le billet.He doesn't have the ticket.This sentence is useful for stating that someone does not have the billet.Tatoeba #1455106 by Julien_PDC, translation #1455109 by CM
- J'ai acheté une place pour le cinémaI bought a ticket for the movies
- J'ai un billet pour le concert.I have a ticket for the concert.
- Je vais prendre un ticket de métro.I'm going to buy a metro ticket.
- J'ai acheté un billet pour le train.I bought a ticket for the train.
- Il est préférable de réserver votre billet à l'avance.It is advisable to reserve your ticket in advance.
- 133 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are standing in front of a theater.
- EmmaTu as le billet pour la pièce ?Do you have the ticket for the play?
- LucasOui, je l'ai dans mon sac.Yes, I have it in my bag.
- EmmaSuper, on peut entrer maintenant.Great, we can go in now.
- LucasRegarde, la file est très longue.Look, the line is very long.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ticket” translations and entries billet, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries billet, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
