Alliance Française Raleigh-Durham-Chapel-Hill
Menu icoMenu232Dark icoCross32Dark
<
>
  • Lost in Translation
  • E-Library - Culturethèque
  • Frantastique
  • Raleigh Accueil
  • Photo Gallery

Add a logo, a button or social media links

Edit
icoFacebook24Color icoTwitter24Color icoYoutube24Color icoLinkedin24Color icoInstagram24Color icoPinterest24Color
  • Alliance Française Raleigh-Durham-Chapel-Hill
  • Alliance Française Raleigh-Durham-Chapel-Hill
  • About Us ▴▾
    • Home
    • Who we are
    • Board & Staff
    • Contact Us
  • Learn French ▴▾
    • Group Classes
    • 2023 Spring Schedule
    • Specialty Classes
    • Private Tutoring
    • Class Registration
    • Placement Test
    • French Textbooks
  • TEF Certification ▴▾
    • TEF Certification
    • PrepMyFuture!
    • TEF Registration
  • Events ▴▾
    • Upcoming Events
    • 2023 Haiku Contest in Schools
    • Club Ados
    • New! Trip to France
    • Host a French Teen
    • Newsletters
  • Membership ▴▾
    • Become a Member
    • Volunteer
  • Donate ▴▾
  • Resources ▴▾
    • Lost in Translation
    • E-Library - Culturethèque
    • Frantastique
    • Raleigh Accueil
    • Photo Gallery
  • Log in
  • Home
  • Who we are
  • Board & Staff
  • Contact Us
  • Group Classes
  • 2023 Spring Schedule
  • Specialty Classes
  • Private Tutoring
  • Class Registration
  • Placement Test
  • French Textbooks
  • TEF Certification
  • PrepMyFuture!
  • TEF Registration
  • Upcoming Events
  • 2023 Haiku Contest in Schools
  • Club Ados
  • New! Trip to France
  • Host a French Teen
  • Newsletters
  • Become a Member
  • Volunteer
  • Lost in Translation
  • E-Library - Culturethèque
  • Frantastique
  • Raleigh Accueil
  • Photo Gallery
Lost in Translation E-Library - Culturethèque Frantastique Raleigh Accueil Photo Gallery
Back
Claire BARTHELEMY
November 7, 2022
Un coup de main

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to our newsletter
icoCross16Dark

Un coup de main

Every once in a while, you come across a vocabulary word with a lot of potential. The French word coup is one of them; it is used in a wide range of expressions that seem mostly unrelated to each other, and sometimes even contradictory.

On its own, un coup just means a blow, a punch, or a bang.   Two very common expressions with coup are un coup de poing (a punch or "strike of the fist,") and un coup de pied (a kick or "strike of the foot.")   But here comes the confusing part: coup doesn’t always refer to violence.  As it turns out, donner un coup de main, (litterally to give a blow with the hand,) has nothing to do with slapping someone's face.  Quite the opposite: it means giving a helping hand.

Really?  How can one word be used in such opposite ways?

Origin

We find references of prêter la main (lending a helping hand,) as far back as the 17th century.  At the time, there was clearly an expectation that the lucky recipient would return the favor down the road.  The expression developed into a more generous donner la main (giving a helping hand) in the 18th century.  What about un coup de main? Well, un coup was added in the early 19th century whenever you wanted to stress that the kind of help you needed would be a quick affair.

And that's why we hear so many expressions using un coup de in French today: they all refer to something quick.

Un coup d'oeil is a glance, un coup de foudre is love at first sight, un coup de tonnerre is a clap of thunder, un coup de téléphone is a (presumably quick) phone call, boire un coup means having a drink (again, presumably a quick one,) and tout-à-coup means all of a sudden.  The English word coup, from the French coup d'état, similarly refers to a sudden overthrow of a government. 
Totally unrelated expressions, all referring to something happening quickly or suddenly.

Examples

Tu peux me donner un coup de main pour mon déménagement demain?
Can you give me a hand with my move tomorrow?

Il a eu besoin d'un coup de pouce pour finir son travail.
He needed a push in the right direction to finish his work.

icoFacebook35Color icoTwitter35Color icoLinkedin35Color
icoFacebook35Color icoTwitter35Color icoLinkedin35Color
See also
Appuyer sur le champignon

Appuyer sur le champignon

Do you often dream of stepping on the gas when you drive?  Then this common vegetable expression...

March 14, 2023
Faire la pluie et le beau temps

Faire la pluie et le beau temps

Wouldn't you feel powerful if you could control the weather?  Faire la pluie et le beau temps -...

Claire BARTHELEMY
February 20, 2023
Pour des prunes

Pour des prunes

Une prune is a plum - not to be confused with un pruneau, a prune.  While this lovely fruit is...

January 17, 2023
À la queue leu leu

À la queue leu leu

The poetry of those words!  They are a favorite of preschoolers.  But you will also hear them in...

December 27, 2022
Une image d'Epinal

Une image d'Epinal

When you’re told that you're providing une image d'Epinal - an Épinal print - it means you only...

Claire BARTHELEMY
December 6, 2022
Alliance Française of Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill
5510 Munford Road, Raleigh, NC 27612
frenchallianceraleigh@gmail.com
More
  • Contact Us
icoFacebook24Color icoTwitter24Color icoYoutube24Color icoLinkedin24Color icoInstagram24Color icoPinterest24Color
  • Site map
  • Licenses
  • Legal notice
  • T&C
  • Configure cookies
  • Log in
  • Powered by Springly, created with 💙 for organizations everywhere