bail
thing / situation / deal
Advanced Noun Masculine
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Pronunciation
/baj/
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Cultural Note
In standard French, 'bail' means 'lease' (as in apartment lease). In slang, it became a catch-all word for 'thing/situation/event.' 'C'est quoi le bail?' = 'What's going on?' A 'bon bail' is a good deal or good situation. 'Ça fait un bail' means 'it's been ages' (literally 'it's been a lease-length of time'). The journey from legal contract to universal slang pronoun is quintessentially French — bureaucracy infiltrating even informal speech.
📝 Example Sentences
C'est quoi le bail ce soir ?
What's the deal tonight? / What's the plan?
Y'a un bail de ouf là-bas, viens !
There's something crazy going on over there, come!