How to talk about feeling scared in French

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 fear and 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 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, on a first date, or even when watching a horror film.

Similar phrases include:

• Avoir peur - To be scared

• Être effrayé/terrifié - To be afraid/terrified

• 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 

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. 

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.

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