balade

Balade is a French noun meaning a casual walk or promenade. It denotes a stroll, a short outing on foot, often with attention to scenery or leisure. Expressions include faire une balade or se promener. In everyday language it is used for both urban and rural trips, such as a stroll along a seaside promenade or a walk through a park. In travel and tourism, balade is used to describe planned walking routes or scenic circuits.

Balade is also the root of related words in poetry and music. In medieval French literature the word ballade (with two l) refers to a fixed verse form—a narrative lyric with a refrain and usually three stanzas followed by an envoy. This form influenced later ballads in French and English. In modern French, ballade refers to a ballad or sentimental song; balade (one l) remains the everyday word for a stroll. The two terms are etymologically connected but used in distinct senses today.

Although the two senses share a historical link, the context typically clarifies meaning. The English-language ballad derives from the French ballade, not balade. Related terms include ballade (the fixed verse form) and ballad (the English term for a narrative song).