roue arrière
/ʁu a.ʁjɛʁ/feminine
The English phrase 'wheelie' can be translated into French as roue arrière. Wiktionary also lists wheeling.
Meaning: action or stunt where a bicycle, etc., is ridden while standing only on its rear wheel or wheels (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| roue arrière | /ʁu a.ʁjɛʁ/ | feminine |
| wheeling | /wi.liŋ/ | masculine |
The term refers to the action or stunt of riding a bicycle or similar vehicle while balancing only on the rear wheel.
Which one should you use?
The masculine form wheeling is provided, while the default feminine form is roue arrière.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁu a.ʁjɛʁ/
Did you know?
- The term wheeling is a pseudo-anglicism, meaning it is a word created to look and sound English but is not used by native English speakers in this way.
- In French slang, the word roue is used in the expression roue libre to describe someone who is completely free or unconstrained in their life.
- While roue arrière is the standard term, French youth often use the English term 'wheelie' directly in conversation, treating it as a loanword.
Examples in context
- Il a fait une roue arrière impressionnante.He did an impressive wheelie.
- Faire une roue arrière est assez difficile.Doing a wheelie is quite difficult.
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are at a park with their bikes.
- HugoEmma, regarde ma roue arrière !Emma, look at my wheelie!
- EmmaC'est impressionnant, Hugo !That's impressive, Hugo!
- HugoTu veux essayer de faire une roue arrière ?Do you want to try doing a wheelie?
- EmmaNon merci, j'ai peur de tomber.No thanks, I'm afraid of falling.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wheelie” translations and entries roue arrière, wheeling, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries arrière, roue, wheeling, CC BY-SA 4.0.
