French Word of the Day: La bagnole
If you live outside of the city in France, you'll likely need one of these to get around.
Why do I need to know la bagnole?
Because you might have been confused when your French friend told you to get in one of these
What does it mean?
La bagnole– roughly lah bahn-yol – translates precisely to the wagon.
The term has been around for a long time - etymologists believe it is derived from the Latin word for “four wheeled cart.” But these days, if someone asks you to get in the bagnole, they are not telling you to jump in a wheelbarrow or a wagon - instead, they are asking you to get into the car - the modern version of the wagon.
Bagnole is a very commonly used synonym for voiture in French. You might also hear someone use the slang word caisse (which means “crate” in French) to refer to a vehicle.
Use it like this
Je vais devoir acheter une nouvelle bagnole pour pouvoir rouler dans les zones à faibles émissions en France. La mienne est trop vieille pour répondre aux normes. – I am going to need to buy a new car to drive in low-emissions zones in France, mine is too old to meet the standards.
Tout le monde doit être dans la bagnole à 6h pile si on veut arriver à l'heure au train. – Everyone needs to be in the car by 6am sharp if we want to make it to the train on time.
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Why do I need to know la bagnole?
Because you might have been confused when your French friend told you to get in one of these
What does it mean?
La bagnole– roughly lah bahn-yol – translates precisely to the wagon.
The term has been around for a long time - etymologists believe it is derived from the Latin word for “four wheeled cart.” But these days, if someone asks you to get in the bagnole, they are not telling you to jump in a wheelbarrow or a wagon - instead, they are asking you to get into the car - the modern version of the wagon.
Bagnole is a very commonly used synonym for voiture in French. You might also hear someone use the slang word caisse (which means “crate” in French) to refer to a vehicle.
Use it like this
Je vais devoir acheter une nouvelle bagnole pour pouvoir rouler dans les zones à faibles émissions en France. La mienne est trop vieille pour répondre aux normes. – I am going to need to buy a new car to drive in low-emissions zones in France, mine is too old to meet the standards.
Tout le monde doit être dans la bagnole à 6h pile si on veut arriver à l'heure au train. – Everyone needs to be in the car by 6am sharp if we want to make it to the train on time.
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