Ma famille et ce que fait chaque personne

What does “debout” mean in French?

“Debout” means “standing up” or “on your feet.” Here is the surprise: it never changes. Other position words in French add letters. “Assis” (sitting) becomes “assise” for a woman. But “debout” stays the same for a man, a woman, or many people. You always write it one way. So you can say “il est debout” and “elle est debout” with no change at all.

In the clip the family is described one by one. The father says he is sitting: “Je suis assis dans un fauteuil” (“I am sitting in an armchair”). Then the mother: “Ma femme aussi est assise” (“My wife is also sitting”) — note the extra -e for a woman. But for the daughter: “Marie est debout près de la fenêtre” (“Marie is standing near the window”). No -e is added. That is the whole point of “debout”: it is invariable. “Debout” comes from “de” + “bout,” an old sense of “bout” meaning “upright tip” or “end.” Today it feels like one fixed word. It works as an adverb too: “Il mange debout” means “He eats standing up.” You will hear it a lot. A common morning line is “Debout !” — “Get up!” or “On your feet!” Compare the three body positions in this clip: “assis” (sitting), “debout” (standing), and “à genoux” (kneeling). The boy is “à genoux sur le plancher” — “kneeling on the floor.”