French Conversation · Level 26
89 words
French word
debout
Pronunciation
IPA/dəbu/
Meaning
- adverbstanding
Example
Il est debout près de la fenêtre.
He is standing near the window.
More examples
Elle est debout depuis une heure.
She has been standing for an hour.
Core concept
A body or object standing upright with its weight carried by a lower end.
Common phrases
être debout
be standing
rester debout
remain standing
se tenir debout
stand upright
Definition in French
Décrit l'état d'une personne ou d'un objet placé verticalement, posé sur les pieds.
Word origin
Debout developed from Old French de bout, an expression meaning on or from the end, which came to describe an upright position.
Usage tips
- Debout can also occur in tenir debout for something that holds together or remains viable, so context distinguishes the literal and figurative senses.
Other meanings
- uprightadjective