# boule / balle / ballon



## semiller

What's the fine difference between these words that all mean "ball?"  Merci!


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## julieb01

Hello semiller,
 A boule is smaller than a balle. And a balle is smaller than a ballon.
In French, we talk about a : 
boule de pétanque
balle de tennis
ballon de basket


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## sophievm

Sauf qu'une balle de golf est plus petite qu'une boule de pétanque !
En fait, il n'y a pas de systématicité en fonction de la taille, j'ai l'impression que c'est l'usage qui détermine quel mot utiliser dans chaque cas.


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## julieb01

Et oui Sophie, j'ai l'impression qui'une balle est toujours plus petite qu'un ballon. Quant aux boules, ça m'a l'air d'être des balles et ballons en plus lourds, comme les boules de pétanque, de bowling, de billard, ...


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## AurélienD

semiller said:
			
		

> What's the fine difference between these words that all mean "ball?"  Merci!



Hi,

Balle and ballon is mainly used in sports. A 'balle' is smaller than a 'ballon'.

Boule is a little more complicated... it could be small or big.
*I think the purpose of a 'boule' is to roll*, You do not throw a 'boule' like in tennis or volleyball.
A boule is used in bowling, billard (snooker ?). A very small 'boule' is a 'bille' (used in flipper).


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## Agnès E.

AurélienD said:
			
		

> Boule is a little more complicated... it could be small or big.
> *I think the purpose of a 'boule' is to roll*, You do not throw a 'boule' like in tennis or volleyball.
> A boule is used in bowling, billard (snooker ?). A very small 'boule' is a 'bille' (used in flipper).


Yes, "boule" is something that you do not throw using your mere hands!


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## Jean-Michel Carrère

Agnès E. said:


> Yes, "boule" is something that you do not throw using your mere hands!


Then, maybe you could explain how you play pétanque, Agnès ?


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## Agnès E.

Well done, Jean-Michel... 

<desperate forera>


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## Benjy

Jean-Michel Carrère said:
			
		

> Agnès E. said:
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, "boule" is something that you do not throw using your mere hands!
> 
> 
> 
> Then, maybe you could explain how you play pétanque, Agnès ?
Click to expand...

you roll them more than throw them. and if you do throw them it isnt in the same way as you throw a tennis ball.

but as i think it has already been said as with most things concerning language there is no fixed rule or absolute logic as to the naming of the various spherical objects which we use to play games.


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## LV4-26

I think a "boule" isn't only heavier but also harder than a "balle". I mean those which are used in sports or in games. 

But, unlike "balle" or "ballon", "boule" isn't only used in sports or game contexts.


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## Jean-Michel Carrère

I am not sure this hasn't been said before, but the main difference I see between a boule on the one hand and a balle or a ballon on the other hand is a balle or a ballon are *filled with gas*, whereas a boule isn't.


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## AurélienD

Jean-Michel Carrère said:
			
		

> Agnès E. said:
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, "boule" is something that you do not throw using your mere hands!
> 
> 
> 
> Then, maybe you could explain how you play pétanque, Agnès ?
Click to expand...

I try to extract generic rules, to help semiller uses them.
As always, there's exceptions  I noticed the pétanque, but I hope nobody will note them too . But in pétanque, as Benjy said, you roll the "boules" too.

A boule roll... a ball...fly ?


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## Jabote

Jean-Michel Carrère said:
			
		

> I am not sure this hasn't been said before, but the main difference I see between a boule on the one hand and a balle or a ballon on the other hand is a balle or a ballon are *filled with gas*, whereas a boule isn't.



Aahh ! I was waiting for this because I thought that is what the difference is, but I was not sure, so I chickened out and was waiting for someone else to say it !!!

;o


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## Jean-Michel Carrère

As a consequence of what I said in my former post, you can *bounce* a balle or a ballon, not a boule ...


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## LV4-26

Jean-Michel Carrère said:
			
		

> I am not sure this hasn't been said before, but the main difference I see between a boule on the one hand and a balle or a ballon on the other hand is a balle or a ballon are *filled with gas*, whereas a boule isn't.


I don't think une "balle de ping pong" is filled with gas.
And what about "une balle de foin" ? (I know, this is also a minus to what I said just before  )

EDIT : sorry, of course une "balle de ping pong" *is* filled with air (which is a gas, of course). When Jean-Michel sayed "filled with gas" I understood "inflated".
So maybe we could say that a "balle" or a "ballon" are hollow, couldn't we ?


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## fetchezlavache

une balle de golf seems hardly filled with gas, or is it ? nor is a balle de tennis...


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## Jabote

OK, then let's say a balle and a ballon are hollow, whereas a boule is solid.

Is this OK with everybody ? Ou bien est-ce qu'on continue à se lancer la balle et à perdre la boule ?


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## Jean-Michel Carrère

Yes, they are ! What else could they be filled with ?


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## fetchezlavache

i don't know, i've always thought they were full...


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## Jabote

fetchezlavache said:
			
		

> i don't know, i've always thought they were full...


 
Yes they are... full of gas or air !


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## LV4-26

Jabote said:
			
		

> OK, then let's say a balle and a ballon are hollow, whereas a boule is solid.
> 
> Is this OK with everybody ? Ou bien est-ce qu'on continue à se lancer la balle et à perdre la boule ?


Right. This is what I said in my post #16 but it took me much too long to edit.
See, it's taken us 22 posts to get there  .


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## Jean-Michel Carrère

Well, come to think of it, the 'balle de golf' seems to be one exception to the general rule I edicted ...


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## Jabote

Jean-Michel Carrère said:
			
		

> Well, come to think of it, the 'balle de golf' seems to be one exception to the general rule I edicted ...


 
Why is that JMC ? A balle de golf is hollow alright !


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## Jean-Michel Carrère

Great ! I am pleased !!!!


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## Benjy

golf balles have a rubber core. right?


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## LV4-26

Et si, par hasard, il n'y avait pas de règle stricte ?


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## Jabote

Benjy said:
			
		

> golf balles have a rubber core. right?



lol you're right Benjy ! Went to lunch and was thinking about this and then I realized that golf balls are really hard *and* solid ! In fact what happened is that I did read "golf balls", but registered "ping-pong balls"...



			
				LV4-26 said:
			
		

> Et si, par hasard, il n'y avait pas de règle stricte ?



Well la balle est dans ton camp !


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## semiller

After reading all the posts (much appreciated by the way) I have come to the conclusion that yes, "les balles" et "les ballons" are often full of air or gas, wheras "les boules" are solid indeed.  Les balles sont plus petites que les ballons.  Un autre exemple qui me vient à l'espirt, ce sont des *boules * attachées aux chaînes qui sont utilisés comme arme dans les arts martiaux.  Vous comprenez tous ce que j'essaie de dire?  Merci!


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## fetchezlavache

what i understand is that i'm a nincompoop... other than that, yes semiller, you might have narrowed it down to a simple enough explanation...


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## atcheque

Bonjour,


Kotuku33 said:


> une boule de canon



Un boulet


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