Le secourisme est essentiel, d’autant plus que Paul s’étouffe.

First-aid skills are essential, all the more because Paul is choking.

Breakdown of Le secourisme est essentiel, d’autant plus que Paul s’étouffe.

• être: to be
• Paul: Paul
• essentiel: essential
• le secourisme: first-aid skills

Questions & Answers about Le secourisme est essentiel, d’autant plus que Paul s’étouffe.

Why is it essentiel and not essentielle?

Because essentiel agrees with le secourisme, and secourisme is a masculine singular noun.

• le secourisme → masculine singular
• so the adjective is essentiel

If the noun were feminine, you would use essentielle instead.

What exactly does le secourisme mean?

Le secourisme refers to first aid, emergency aid skills, or the practice of giving first aid.

It is a fairly specific noun. In everyday French, people also often say:

• les premiers secours = first aid
• le secouriste = a first-aid responder
• porter secours = to give help / come to someone’s aid

So le secourisme est essentiel means that first-aid knowledge/training is essential.

What does d’autant plus que mean?

D’autant plus que is a fixed expression meaning something like:

• all the more because
• especially since
• even more so because

It strengthens the first statement by adding a reason.

So the structure is:

• statement 1: Le secourisme est essentiel
• stronger reason: d’autant plus que Paul s’étouffe

In natural English, this often sounds like:

• First aid is essential, especially since Paul is choking.