donner un coup de main

\dɔ.ne.ʁ‿œ̃ ku də mɛ̃\

/\dɔ.ne.ʁ‿œ̃ ku də mɛ̃\/ verb

The verdict

“donner un coup de main” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
22
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Aider, rendre service.

Corpus desk

Index FR-donner-un-coup-de-main · donner un coup de main · French

donner un coup de main · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 22 letters
  • VOW-8 8 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for donner un coup de main
PropertyValue
Headworddonner un coup de main
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\dɔ.ne.ʁ‿œ̃ ku də mɛ̃\
Letters22
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « donner un coup de main » en français

donner un coup de mainreste hors des 100.000 mots français les plus fréquents, dans la longue queue du vocabulaire technique, archaïque ou rare, là où le doute d'orthographe frappe.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

donner un coup de main is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed \dɔ.ne.ʁ‿œ̃ ku də mɛ̃\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Aider, rendre service.".

No misspelling variants are generated for donner un coup de main in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is donner un coup de main, spelled D-O-N-N-E-R- -U-N- -C-O-U-P- -D-E- -M-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Aider, rendre service.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how donner un coup de main appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Mais, dit Mitral, Métivier et Chaboisseau peuvent nous donner un coup de main, en allant ce soir à la boutique de quelque journal de l’opposition, y faire saisir la balle au bond, et rempoigner l’article ministériel.
  2. Pour se sortir de la misère et donner un coup de main au reste du monde, les Américains devront se montrer solidaires et ça ne s’annonce pas simple.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "donner un coup de main"?
"donner un coup de main" is spelled D-O-N-N-E-R- -U-N- -C-O-U-P- -D-E- -M-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is \dɔ.ne.ʁ‿œ̃ ku də mɛ̃\.
What does "donner un coup de main" mean?
As a verb, "donner un coup de main" means: Aider, rendre service.
How do you pronounce "donner un coup de main"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "donner un coup de main" is \dɔ.ne.ʁ‿œ̃ ku də mɛ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "donner un coup de main" come from?
"donner un coup de main" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list