French Conversation · Level 167
15 words
French word
boulette
Pronunciation
IPA/bulɛt/
Meaning
- feminine nounmeatball
Example
J'ai préparé des boulettes pour le dîner.
I made meatballs for dinner.
More examples
Il a fait une boulette en envoyant le message.
He made a mistake when sending the message.
Core concept
A compact round lump whose image extends naturally from food to a small, harmless-looking mistake.
Common phrases
faire une boulette
make a mistake
une boulette de viande
meatball
Similar words
croquette: A small compact food item covered in coating and fried.
bouchée: A small food item or portion designed to be eaten in one bite.
Definition in French
Petite portion ronde, surtout une préparation alimentaire en forme de boule (ex. boulettes de viande) ; familièrement, une bévue ou une faute mineure.
Word origin
Boulette is a diminutive formation from boule with -ette; its original concrete meaning broadened to include the figurative sense of a minor mistake.
Usage tips
- In the food sense, the plural boulettes commonly takes a complement such as boulettes de viande or boulettes de poisson.