French word

valse

Pronunciation

IPA/vals/

Meaning

  • feminine nounwaltz

Example

Ils ont dansé une valse toute la nuit.

They danced a waltz all night.

Illustration for valse (waltz)

More examples

On a appris à danser la valse ce week-end.

We learned to dance the waltz this weekend.

Core concept

Two dancers moving as one while the music circles steadily in three beats.

Common phrases

  • danser une valse

    dance a waltz

  • jouer une valse

    play a waltz

  • valse viennoise

    Viennese waltz

Similar words

danse: The act of moving the body to music as a form of expression.
bal: A social gathering where people meet to dance to music.
rythme: A flowing pattern of beats created by repeated changes in sound strength or length.
musique: An artistic work made by combining vocal or instrumental sounds for listening.

Definition in French

Pièce musicale en trois temps ou danse correspondante pratiquée en couple.

Word origin

The noun was borrowed from German Walzer, related to the verb walzen, "to turn," and French uses valse for both a waltz composition and the dance.

Usage tips

  • The final s in valse is pronounced, giving the word the sound /vals/ rather than a silent ending.

Related words

  • valserwaltzverb
  • valseurwaltzernoun

Word lists with this word