French Conversation · Level 134
30 words
French word
bascule
Pronunciation
IPA/baskyl/
Meaning
- feminine nounseesaw
Example
Les enfants jouent sur la bascule du parc.
The children are playing on the seesaw in the park.
More examples
La bascule du parc est cassée, il faut la réparer.
The park's seesaw is broken, so it needs to be fixed.
Core concept
A supported beam tips as weight shifts from one side to the other, or as a situation moves between two states.
Common phrases
jouer sur la bascule
play on the seesaw
monter sur la bascule
get on the seesaw
descendre de la bascule
get off the seesaw
Similar words
balançoire: A suspended playground seat for swinging forward and backward.
toboggan: A playground slide with a sloping surface for sliding down.
manège: A rotating playground ride carrying children in small vehicles.
Definition in French
Désigne soit un dispositif de pesage ou de basculement basé sur un point d'appui, soit un appareil de jeu similaire; par extension, l'effet du basculement entre deux états.
Word origin
French bascule was borrowed from Italian bascula, a term for a balance or lever, and its meanings extended from such devices to tipping and change.
Usage tips
- Bascule is feminine, so the device is une bascule, and its final -e is silent in the pronunciation /baskyl/.