First Phrases

Padel & pickleball · Français

Padel & pickleball in French: 10 phrases for tonight

Games are played in fours, so open sessions often need one more person. Turn up, say hello, say you are happy to be matched, and the court does the rest.

Register: Informal (friendly). Tu is normal in sport clubs in France, even with strangers. The sport name is "le padel" (pa-DEL); pickleball is "le pickleball".

How to read the sounds: Say the vowel through your nose where you see n/m after it (on, an, in); don't sound the n. r is a soft throat sound. Final consonants are mostly silent. Stress falls on the last syllable and is marked in CAPITALS.

10 phrases, door to goodbye

  1. 01 · Arriving
    Salut ! Il vous manque quelqu'un pour jouer ?
    Say it like: sah-LOO! eel voo MONK kel-KUN poor zhoo-AY
    Hi! Are you missing a player?
  2. 02 · Saying you're new
    Je suis nouveau/nouvelle dans le coin, je suis venu(e) seul(e).
    Say it like: zhuh swee noo-VOH/noo-VEL don luh KWAN, zhuh swee vuh-NOO suhl
    I'm new around here, I came on my own.
  3. 03 · Asking how it works
    Comment on s'organise ? On change de partenaire ?
    Say it like: koh-MON on sor-gah-NEEZ? on shonzh duh par-tuh-NAIR
    How do we organise? Do we swap partners?
  4. 04 · Small talk
    Tu joues depuis longtemps ?
    Say it like: too zhoo duh-PWEE lon-TON
    Have you been playing long?
  5. 05 · Small talk
    C'est toujours aussi plein ici ?
    Say it like: say too-ZHOOR oh-SEE plan ee-SEE
    Is it always this busy here?
  6. 06 · Small talk
    Tu habites dans le quartier ?
    Say it like: too ah-BEET don luh kar-TYAY
    Do you live around here?
  7. 07 · Being a beginner
    Je débute, ça vous va ?
    Say it like: zhuh day-BOOT, sah voo VAH
    I'm a beginner, is that okay with you?
  8. 08 · Cheering a shot
    Joli coup ! Bien joué !
    Say it like: zhoh-LEE KOO! byan zhoo-AY
    Nice shot! Well played!
  9. 09 · Calling the ball
    À moi ! / Pardon, c'était pour toi.
    Say it like: ah MWAH / par-DON, say-TAY poor TWAH
    Mine! / Sorry, that was yours.
  10. 10 · Leaving & keeping in touch
    Merci pour le match. Tu peux m'ajouter au groupe WhatsApp ?
    Say it like: mair-SEE poor luh MATCH. too puh mah-zhoo-TAY oh GROOP wat-SAP
    Thanks for the game. Can you add me to the WhatsApp group?

3 things you will probably hear

  1. H1 · You may hear
    On est trois, il nous en faut un quatrième.
    Say it like: on ay TRWAH, eel noo-ZON foh UN kah-tree-YEM
    There are three of us, we need a fourth.
  2. H2 · You may hear
    Tu as une raquette ? Je peux t'en prêter une.
    Say it like: too ah oon rah-KET? zhuh puh ton pray-TAY oon
    Do you have a racket? I can lend you one.
  3. H3 · You may hear
    On change de côté.
    Say it like: on shonzh duh koh-TAY
    We're switching sides.

Go and try it

Find padel and pickleball sessions on Come Alone

Quick answers

What do I say when I arrive alone at a padel or pickleball session in French?

Start with: "Salut ! Il vous manque quelqu'un pour jouer ?" (Hi! Are you missing a player?). Then say you are new: "Je suis nouveau/nouvelle dans le coin, je suis venu(e) seul(e)." (I'm new around here, I came on my own.)

Should I use informal or formal French at a padel or pickleball session?

Tu is normal in sport clubs in France, even with strangers. The sport name is "le padel" (pa-DEL); pickleball is "le pickleball".

How do I ask to meet again after a padel or pickleball session in French?

Try: "Merci pour le match. Tu peux m'ajouter au groupe WhatsApp ?" (Thanks for the game. Can you add me to the WhatsApp group?)

Same evening, another language

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French, another evening

Pub quiz Padel & pickleball Run club Sauna Book club Dinner with strangers Language café

All 7 × 6 cards · Phrases for a specific event near you

How it works

  1. Pick the evening and the language people will speak.
  2. Read the ten phrases in order: they follow the evening from the door to goodbye. Tap the speaker to hear each one in your device's voice.
  3. Print the card or keep it open on your phone. Native-speaker review is still pending; a "check" mark flags a phrase we are least sure of.
  4. Find the event on Come Alone, open it in Meet & Mint to see who else is going, and say the first phrase for real.

firstphrases.app/tonight/padel/fr/ · Meet & Mint