Example: The ball is in your court now, so please make a decision.
Definition
"The ball is in your court" is an expression used to indicate that it is someone else's turn to take action or make a decision, especially after a previous step or offer has been made, suggesting responsibility or opportunity now lies with that person.
Translations
la pelota está en tu tejado
de bal ligt in jouw kamp
la pilota és a la teva teulada
la balle est dans votre camp
der Ball liegt bei dir
Etymology
The phrase "the ball is in your court" originates from sports like tennis or basketball, where the ball physically being in one player's court means it is their turn to act. This metaphor was adopted into everyday language to signify that it is someone's responsibility to respond or decide next.
Learn to use this expression actively
"The ball is in your court" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 106 commonly used expressions.
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