Éclatent

Éclatent is the third-person plural present indicative form of the French verb éclater. Éclater means to burst, explode, or break open, and it can be used figuratively to describe something that erupts suddenly, such as a light, a sound, or an emotion. As a present-tense form, éclatent corresponds to a plural subject, as in ils éclatent.

In practical usage, éclater can describe physical explosions or breaking apart, as in les feux d'artifice éclatent dans le ciel (fireworks burst in the sky). It is also used idiomatically to convey a rapid outbreak of feeling or activity, for example ils éclatent de rire (they burst into laughter) or la foule éclate en applaudissements (the crowd bursts into applause).

Etymology and related forms: éclater derives from the noun éclat, meaning a burst or flash and also connoting splendor or brilliance. Related forms include éclatant (brilliant, striking; also the present participle) and éclatement (the act of bursting or exploding). The term can thus carry literal senses of bursting objects or more figurative senses of abrupt or intense occurrences.

Notes: Éclater and its forms are common in written and spoken French when describing suddenness or intensity. The verb is intransitive and typically used with prepositions such as de (to express a burst into a mood) or en (to burst into appearances or noises).