French word

marelle

Pronunciation

IPA/maʁɛl/

Meaning

  • feminine nounhopscotch

Example

Les enfants jouent à la marelle dans la cour.

The children are playing hopscotch in the courtyard.

Illustration for marelle (hopscotch)

More examples

Les enfants jouent à la marelle pendant la récréation.

The children play hopscotch during recess.

Core concept

A child hops through a numbered path drawn in squares on the ground, following its sequence on one foot.

Common phrases

  • jouer à la marelle

    play hopscotch

  • tracer une marelle

    draw a hopscotch grid

Similar words

jeu: A broad term for any activity played for amusement or enjoyment.
cache-cache: A children's hiding game in which one player seeks the others.
corde à sauter: A game in which players jump repeatedly over a rope being swung around them.

Definition in French

Jeu d'enfants consistant à sauter, généralement sur un pied, sur une suite de cases ou de chiffres tracés au sol en respectant un ordre.

Word origin

Marelle comes from Old French merelle, a word for this game whose deeper origin remains uncertain.

Usage tips

  • Marelle is feminine, and the usual expression is jouer à la marelle, with à rather than dans or sur.

Word lists with this word