French Word of the Day: Rafale
From complaining about the weather to discussing military manoeuvres, this word has all sorts of handy applications.
Why do I need to know rafale?
Because this word might blow you away.
What does it mean?
Rafale, pronounced raff-ahl, has multiple meanings but is most commonly used to talk about a sudden and powerful gust of wind.
So if there is a storm, it's common to hear French media use phrases like this:
Météo France a relevé des rafales jusqu'à 150km/h - Météo France recorded gusts of wind up to 150km/h
De fortes rafales pourraient toutefois encore souffler - Strong gusts could still blow
Les fortes rafales de vent couplées aux marées hautes en cours font craindre des inondations - Strong winds coupled with high tides raise fears of flooding
The other main usage of rafale comes from the battlefield, where the word is used to describe a burst of machine gun or artillery fire.
In this sense, you could use it like this:
Deux hommes sont morts sous la rafale - Two men died under a hail of bullets
Son arme est en mode rafale - His gun is in automatic/burst mode
The idea of a rapid burst can also be applied to speech:
Je vais poser mes questions en rafale - I am going to ask my questions in quick succession
The French arms manufacturer, Dassault, sells a warplane known as the Dassault Rafale, which is sold to airforces around the world. The French government is a part-owner in the company.
Synonyms
For talking about the windy weather, there is a wide range of vocabulary at your disposal:
Vent/venteux - Wind/windy
Coup de vent - Gust of wind
Tempête/orage - Storm
Orageux/houleux/tumultueux - Stormy
When it comes to the battlefield usage, you could also use the following:
Mitrailler - To strafe (with bullets)
Mitrailleuse - Machine gun
Pluie de balles/déluge de balles - A hail of bullets
Comments (1)
See Also
Why do I need to know rafale?
Because this word might blow you away.
What does it mean?
Rafale, pronounced raff-ahl, has multiple meanings but is most commonly used to talk about a sudden and powerful gust of wind.
So if there is a storm, it's common to hear French media use phrases like this:
Météo France a relevé des rafales jusqu'à 150km/h - Météo France recorded gusts of wind up to 150km/h
De fortes rafales pourraient toutefois encore souffler - Strong gusts could still blow
Les fortes rafales de vent couplées aux marées hautes en cours font craindre des inondations - Strong winds coupled with high tides raise fears of flooding
The other main usage of rafale comes from the battlefield, where the word is used to describe a burst of machine gun or artillery fire.
In this sense, you could use it like this:
Deux hommes sont morts sous la rafale - Two men died under a hail of bullets
Son arme est en mode rafale - His gun is in automatic/burst mode
The idea of a rapid burst can also be applied to speech:
Je vais poser mes questions en rafale - I am going to ask my questions in quick succession
The French arms manufacturer, Dassault, sells a warplane known as the Dassault Rafale, which is sold to airforces around the world. The French government is a part-owner in the company.
Synonyms
For talking about the windy weather, there is a wide range of vocabulary at your disposal:
Vent/venteux - Wind/windy
Coup de vent - Gust of wind
Tempête/orage - Storm
Orageux/houleux/tumultueux - Stormy
When it comes to the battlefield usage, you could also use the following:
Mitrailler - To strafe (with bullets)
Mitrailleuse - Machine gun
Pluie de balles/déluge de balles - A hail of bullets
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.