FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

donner (doh-nay) verb
  1. to give

Expression:
donner secours = to give help, aid

Listen:
Hear the word 'donner' pronounced: Download donner.wav

.........................
Citation du Jour:
Le vrai secours aux misérables, c'est l'abolition de la misère.
True aid to the poverty-stricken, is the abolition of poverty. --Victor Hugo


A Day in a French Life... by Kristin Espinasse

Jean-Marc and I are deeply saddened by the tragedy that has bouleversée* America. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by the devastating ouragan.* I share with you today a few randomly chosen headlines from the francophone press.

                                    *     *     *
From L'Express:
Un monde étonné observe les USA en lutte avec Katrina
An astonished world observes the US in a struggle with Katrina.

From Reuters.fr:
Chaos et dévastation en Nouvelle-Orléans après l'ouragan
Chaos and devastation in New Orleans after the hurricane

From Edicom:
le showbiz se mobilise pour les sinistrés
(those in) showbiz join forces for disaster victims

From Le Figaro:
La rupture des digues était prévisible
Rupture of the levees was foreseeable

From Libération:
La Louisiane et le Mississipi sous les eaux
Louisiana and Mississippi under water

From Le Petit Journal:
L'Amérique en état de choc
America in a state of shock

From Le Figaro:
La tragédie
The tragedy

From L'Express.mu:
La Nouvelle-Orléans en proie au pillage après le cyclone
New Orleans plagued by looting after the cyclone

From L'Humanité:
La Nouvelle-Orléans, toute une cité engloutie
New Orleans, an entire city swallowed up

From Radio-Canada:
Le monde vient en aide aux États-Unis
The world comes to the aid of the United States

From Libre Belgique:
Le cauchemar américain
The American nightmare

From Boursier.com:
La peur et la faim dans un camp de "réfugiés" en Louisiane
Fear and hunger in a "refugee" camp in Louisiana

From Edicom:
Le chanteur Fats Domino secouru
The singer Fats Domino is saved

From Radio-Canada:
Arrivée tardive des secours à La Nouvelle-Orléans
Late arrival of help to New Orleans

From Futura Sciences:
Dégâts apocalyptiques après le passage du cyclone Katrina
Apocalyptic damage after the passage of the Katrina cyclone


...........................................................................................
Donner = to give. A nonverbal way to practice today's French verb...

           http://www.redcross.org/

...................
*References: bouleverser = to shatter, to move deeply, to turn upside down: un
ouragan (m) = a hurricane

A school in Aix-en-Provence

s'éclater (say-klah-tay) verb
  1. to have a ball (a "blast," a good time)

[From éclater: to split, explode, blow up]

...........
Listen:
Hear my daughter Jackie pronounce the word s'éclater: Download seclater.wav

....................
Expression:
éclater de rire = to burst out laughing

.........................
Citation du Jour:
La joie ne peut éclater que parmi des gens qui se sentent égaux.
Joy never bursts forth freely except among those who are equals. --Balzac

......................................
A Day in a French Life...

                             La rentrée -- Back to school

Last night, on the eve of la rentreé scolaire,* our Citroën pulled into the loading zone of l'ecole primaire* and came to an abrupt halt. Its four passengers burst out of the car in a race to the school's entrance. The iron doors, still closed and locked as expected, displayed a dozen computer printouts in a horizontal line that extended from les portes* across the outer wall of school.

Max and Jackie hovered in front of each sheet of paper like Mediterranean bees moving from one fragrant lavender bud to the next. When Max located his name on the second to last class register, he shouted "Ouais!"* Next, he began to bounce up and down like a French pogo stick.

"All my friends are in my class!" he said, catching his breath. "On va S'ÉCLATER !*

....................
*References: la rentrée scolaire (f) = back to school; l'école primaire (f) = elementary school; la porte (f) = door; ouais (oui) = yes (slang); on va s'éclater! = we're going to have a blast! 

Dictionary of French Slang and Colloquial Expressions lists approximately 4,500 common slang words and colloquial expressions. Entries include grammatical information, the definition in English, a sentence or phrase to illustrate usage, and an English translation of the example and, where applicable, a corresponding English slang expression. Each entry also identifies the word or phrase by type: student or youth slang, political slang, literary slang, and criminal and drug-related slang.