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debout

Debout is a French adjective and adverb meaning standing, upright, or on one’s feet. It describes a person, animal, or object in an upright position, or the act of standing when used adverbially. As an adjective, it is used with être to describe a subject’s state: “Elle est debout.” In phrases like “rester debout,” it can indicate remaining in a standing position: “Ils restent debout malgré la fatigue.” As an adverb, it can modify a verb, for example in contexts such as rising and continuing to stand. The term is typically contrasted with “assis,” meaning sitting.

Etymology and usage notes: Debout is the result of the construction “être debout,” meaning to be standing.

Political and cultural usage: In French politics, the term has been used as a rallying slogan and

See also: standing, upright, French vocabulary related to posture. The word’s primary sense remains its literal

It
is
not
a
standalone
verb
but
a
state
descriptor
that
functions
within
sentences
to
express
vertical
position
or
readiness.
in
party
names,
notably
in
Debout
la
République
(later
Debout
la
France),
founded
in
2008
by
Nicolas
Dupont-Aignan.
The
name
and
its
variants
convey
a
call
to
civic
engagement,
vigilance,
and
standing
up
for
particular
policies
or
values.
Beyond
politics,
debout
appears
in
literature,
journalism,
and
media
as
a
descriptive
term
for
characters
or
scenes
that
depict
a
figure
in
an
upright
posture
or
a
moment
of
arrival
and
readiness.
meaning
of
being
in
a
vertical,
standing
position,
but
it
is
also
used
symbolically
in
slogans
and
titles
to
evoke
alertness
and
participation.