French Word of the Day: RDC
Why do I need to know
RDC?
Because
this acronym might help you find your way out of a French building if you are lost.
What does it mean?
RDC
- roughly pronounced RDC - may be the acronym for the central African country, known as 'DRC' or Democratic Republic of Congo in English.
But it has a more common meaning in French too, and you might see it on an invitation, an address, or when riding in an elevator.
RDC is the acronym for
rez-de-chaussée
, meaning the part of the building on the ground level, though you might occasionally also see people refer to this as the
rez-de-cour
or
rez-de-jardin.
Americans should beware that in Europe, the ground floor is either RDZ or '0' on elevators and staircases. The first floor, instead, is the first floor above the ground floor.
Advertisement
For example, if you are visiting a new friend in France, they might leave instructions saying
Sonnez pour Dupont, première porte à droite, RDC
(Ring for Dupont, first door on the right on the ground level).
The word
rez-de-chaussée
has existed since the 14th century, according to the
Académie Française
. The old preposition
rez
comes from the Latin
rasus
, the past participle of
radere
, meaning to shave or polish. As for
chaussée
, linguists say that it likely came from the Latin
calciata
, referring to roads made of limestone.
Use it like this
Suivez les panneaux indiquant le bâtiment C. Le cabinet se trouve au numéro 12, RDC. -
Follow the signs to Building C. The office is located at number 12, ground floor.
J'étais perdue en cherchant sa place partout au premier étage, mais après j'ai compris qu'il avait dit RDC.
- I was lost looking for his place anywhere on the first floor, but then I realised he'd said RDC.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
11 hours ago
- France 24
Millions sit China's high-stakes university entrance exam
Nationwide, 13.35 million students have registered for the multi-subject "gaokao" series this year, according to the Ministry of Education, down from last year's record-high 13.42 million test takers. Outside the central Beijing secondary school, a proud parent who gave her name as Chen said "12 years of hard work have finally led to this moment" -- as she waved a fan in front of her daughter while the student reviewed her notes one last time before the test. "We know our kids have endured so much hardship," Chen told AFP, adding that she was not nervous. "I'm actually quite excited. I think my child is excellent, and I'm sure she will get the best score," she said. China's gaokao requires students to use all their knowledge acquired to this point, testing them on subjects including Chinese, English, mathematics, science and humanities. The exam results are critical for gaining admission to university -- and determining whether they will attend a prestigious or more modest institution. While teachers and staff offered students their support, holding up signs of encouragement, some test takers, dressed in school uniforms, appeared panicked, including a girl with tears in her eyes. "There's no need for us parents to add pressure. The children are already under a lot of it," said a woman named Wang, whose son had just entered the exam hall. Like many mothers, she wore a traditional Chinese qipao in hopes of bringing good luck. "I hope my son achieves immediate success and gets his name on the (list of high-scoring candidates)," Wang said with a smile. Higher education has expanded rapidly in China in recent decades as an economic boom pushed up living standards -- as well as parents' expectations for their children's careers. But the job market for young graduates remains daunting. As of April, 15.8 percent of people aged 16 to 24 living in urban areas were unemployed, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Due to this pressure, many Chinese students prepare for the gaokao from a young age, often with extra lessons after the regular school day. 'Safe gaokao' And every year education authorities are on guard against cheating and disruptions during the exam. This week, China's Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang called for a "safe gaokao", stressing the importance of a rigorous campaign against cheating. Areas around exam centres are closely guarded by police, with road lanes closed to traffic and several cities banning motorists from honking their horns so as not to disrupt the concentration of students. In some schools, facial recognition is even used to prevent fraud. While the university admission rate for gaokao test takers has exceeded 80-90 percent in recent years, many students disappointed with their results choose to repeat the exam. As there is no age limit for the test, some have become notorious for attempting the exam dozens of times, either after failing it or not getting into their top-choice university. One teacher at the Beijing school where parents saw off their children on Saturday estimated that only about 10 of the approximately 600 final-year students there would earn a place at one of the capital's top universities. Jiang, a final-year high school student who only gave one name, said he dreamt of attending a Beijing university, and was remaining calm shortly before his Chinese exam. "Even though the pressure is intense, it's actually quite fair," he told AFP.
Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
veterans gather in Normandy to mark 81st anniversary of D-Day landing
D-Day veterans gathered in Normandy on Friday to mark the 81st anniversary of the pivotal military landing in World War II. Along the coastline and near the D-Day landing beaches, tens of thousands of onlookers attended the commemorations, which included parachute jumps, flyovers, remembrance ceremonies, parades, and historical reenactments. Many were there to cheer the ever-dwindling number of surviving veterans in their late 90s and older. All remembered the thousands who died. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth commemorated the anniversary of the D-Day landings, in which US soldiers played a major role, with veterans at the American Cemetery overlooking the shore in the village of Colleville-sur-Mer. On 6 June 1944, the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France represented the largest-ever armada of ships, troops, planes and vehicles to breach Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's defences in western Europe. A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself. In the ensuing Battle of Normandy, 73,000 Allied forces were killed and 153,000 wounded. The battle — and especially Allied bombings of French villages and cities — killed around 20,000 French civilians between June and August 1944. The exact German casualties are unknown, but historians estimate between 4,000 and 9,000 men were killed, wounded or missing during the D-Day invasion alone. 'The heroism, honour and sacrifice of the Allied forces on D-Day will always resonate with the US Armed Forces and our Allies and partners across Europe,' said Lt Gen Jason T Hinds, deputy commander of US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. 'So let us remember those who flew and fell." "Let us honour those who survived and came home to build a better world. And let us ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain by meeting today's challenges with the same resolve, the same clarity of purpose, and the same commitment to freedom.' Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed on D-Day. Of 160,000 troops landing in Normandy on D-Day, 73,000 were from the US and 83,000 from the UK and Canada. Forces from several other countries took part in the fighting, including French troops under General Charles de Gaulle. The Allies faced around 50,000 German forces. More than 2 million Allied soldiers, sailors, pilots, medics and other people from a dozen countries were involved in the overall Operation Overlord, the battle to wrest western France from Nazi control that started on D-Day. A jury in Malta found two men guilty on Friday of complicity in the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, after a six-week-long trial covering two homicides ended late on Thursday. Jamie Vella and Robert Agius were found guilty of supplying the bomb that killed her. Caruana Galizia was murdered on 16 October 2017 by a car bomb that was detonated while she was driving near her home. In her career, she had written extensively about suspected corruption in political and business circles in Malta, and her murder shocked Europe and triggered angry protests in the Mediterranean island country. Caruana Galizia's investigative reports had targeted people in then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's inner circle whom she accused of having offshore companies in tax havens disclosed in the Panama Papers leak. She also targeted the opposition and at the time of her death was facing more than 40 libel suits. The Caruana Galizia family said in a statement that Thursday's verdict brings them a step closer to justice. "Yet, eight years after Daphne's brutal assassination, the institutional failures that enabled her murder remain unaddressed and unreformed," the family added. Vella and Robert Agius, together with two other men – George Degiorgio and Adrian Agius – also faced charges related to the separate murder of a lawyer, Carmel Chircop, who was shot and killed in 2015. Vella, Degiorgio and Adrian Agius were found guilty of charges tied to the murder, while Robert Agius was found not guilty. The judge will decide on sentencing at a later date. George Degiorgio and his brother Alfred Degiorgio both pleaded guilty in 2022 to carrying out the murder of Caruana Galizia and were each sentenced to 40 years in prison. A third man, Vincent Muscat, pleaded guilty in 2021 for his role in the Caruana Galizia murder and was sentenced to 15 years. He testified in the recent jury trial after being granted a presidential pardon for his role in the Chircop murder on the condition that he tell the whole truth. Yorgen Fenech, a prominent Maltese businessman, is currently out of jail on bail awaiting trial on charges of alleged complicity in Caruana Galizia's murder.
Local France
a day ago
- Local France
French Word of the Day: RDC
Why do I need to know RDC? Because this acronym might help you find your way out of a French building if you are lost. What does it mean? RDC - roughly pronounced RDC - may be the acronym for the central African country, known as 'DRC' or Democratic Republic of Congo in English. But it has a more common meaning in French too, and you might see it on an invitation, an address, or when riding in an elevator. RDC is the acronym for rez-de-chaussée , meaning the part of the building on the ground level, though you might occasionally also see people refer to this as the rez-de-cour or rez-de-jardin. Americans should beware that in Europe, the ground floor is either RDZ or '0' on elevators and staircases. The first floor, instead, is the first floor above the ground floor. Advertisement For example, if you are visiting a new friend in France, they might leave instructions saying Sonnez pour Dupont, première porte à droite, RDC (Ring for Dupont, first door on the right on the ground level). The word rez-de-chaussée has existed since the 14th century, according to the Académie Française . The old preposition rez comes from the Latin rasus , the past participle of radere , meaning to shave or polish. As for chaussée , linguists say that it likely came from the Latin calciata , referring to roads made of limestone. Use it like this Suivez les panneaux indiquant le bâtiment C. Le cabinet se trouve au numéro 12, RDC. - Follow the signs to Building C. The office is located at number 12, ground floor. J'étais perdue en cherchant sa place partout au premier étage, mais après j'ai compris qu'il avait dit RDC. - I was lost looking for his place anywhere on the first floor, but then I realised he'd said RDC.
