French Conversation · Level 56
75 words
French word
balance
Pronunciation
IPA/balɑ̃s/
Meaning
- feminine nounscale
Example
Pose la salade sur la balance pour la peser.
Put the salad on the scale to weigh it.
More examples
La balance de cuisine affiche 250 g.
The kitchen scale displays 250 g.
Core concept
A device that compares weight between two sides, with its tipping motion extended figuratively to someone who exposes another person.
Common phrases
balance de cuisine
kitchen scale
balance électronique
electronic scale
balance de poche
pocket scale
Similar words
pèse-personne: A household scale that measures a person's body weight.
balance de cuisine: A small, marked scale for weighing cooking and baking ingredients.
Definition in French
Appareil qui sert à mesurer le poids d'un objet; familièrement, personne qui dénonce quelqu'un.
Word origin
French balance developed from Old French balance, borrowed from Medieval Latin bilancia and linked to Latin bilanx, meaning a two-pan scale.
Usage tips
- The colloquial noun une balance means an informer and is insulting, so context and register matter when referring to a person.
Other meanings
- balancenoun
- informernoun
Related words
- balancerrockverb
- balancébalancedadjective
- balancierpendulumnoun