secoués

Secoués is the masculine plural past participle of the French verb secouer, which means to shake or jolt. It functions as an adjective when describing nouns, and as the past participle in tenses formed with the auxiliary avoir. Like other French participles, it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies when used adjectivally.

In compound tenses with avoir, the agreement depends on the position of the direct object. If the direct object precedes the participle, secoués takes gender and number agreement; if it follows, no agreement is made. Examples: “J’ai secoué les rideaux” (no agreement because the object follows the participle), and “Les rideaux que j’ai secoués” (the participle agrees with rideaux, masculine plural).

Common uses include both literal and figurative senses. Literal: “Les arbres secoués par le vent” or “Des objets secoués par le tremblement de terre.” Figurative: “Des événements secoués par la crise” ou “des opinions secouées par une révélation” (note that in the last example, the feminine plural form would be secouées if the subject were feminine).

Etymology stems from the verb secouer, meaning to shake, with the past participle form secoués adapting according to gender and number. Related forms include secouée (feminine singular), secoués (masculine plural), secouées (feminine plural), and the present participle secouant. A closely related noun is secouement, meaning a shaking or upheaval.