Learning French: when and why do we say avoir la boule au ventre?
A phrase for when you are feeling stressed or nervous
Meditation or deep breathing may help to calm your nerves when you have a boule au ventre
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J’ai la boule au ventre !
If you hear a French person use this expression, do not be alarmed… they have not actually swallowed a ball.
The saying is used in a figurative sense, to describe strong feelings of anxiety.
We look at how to use it in stressful or scary situations, just like a native French speaker.
What does avoir la boule au ventre mean?
It literally translates as: to have a ball in your stomach.
It is more similar, however, to the English expressions: to have butterflies in your stomach, or, to have your stomach in knots.
The expression is used to refer to the anxious, nervous feeling that we have surely all experienced: where you feel a pressure in the pit of your abdomen and develop a lump in your throat.
It can describe the feelings you might experience before a job interview or first date.
Similar phrases include:
Avoir peur - To be scared
Être effrayé - To be afraid
Avoir une peur bleue - To have a phobia
Avoir l'estomac noué - To have your stomach doing somersaults
Avoir la frousse - To get the heebie-jeebies
Avoir les chocottes - To get the collywobbles
Read also: Learning French: the origins and meaning of avoir le cœur qui bat la chamade
What are the origins of avoir la boule au ventre?
Most theories suggest that the origins of this phrase are relatively recent, dating to the end of the 20th Century.
It was made popular by young people comparing anxious feelings to the physical impression of having a ball of nerves tumbling inside of you.
Read also: Learning French: what does ça va aller mean and when should it be used?
When do you say avoir la boule au ventre?
Use this expression whenever you feel stressed, nervous or scared:
Le matin de son examen de conduite, elle avait la boule au ventre. - On the morning of her driving test she was a ball of nerves.
J'ai eu la boule au ventre en regardant le bord de la falaise. - I got the collywobbles when I looked over the edge of the cliff.
Lorsque vous avez la boule au ventre, n'oubliez pas de respirer lentement et profondément. - When you have butterflies in your tummy, remember to take deep, slow breaths.
Read also: Learning French: when and why do we say se jeter dans la gueule du loup ?
To whom do you say avoir la boule au ventre?
It is colloquial language that can be used in a range of contexts and situations.
You can say this to friends and family when expressing a fear, or use it with colleagues to show that you feel nervous about a meeting or presentation.
It is mainly used in spoken French but you may also see it written down.
If you would like us to explain a particular word or expression, or if you have any other Learning French suggestions, let us know at: feedback@connexionfrance.com
