1. Light meal, snack: This is the most common meaning of "collation" in French. It refers to a light meal or snack, often eaten between main meals.
Examples:
* "On a pris une collation avant de partir en randonnée." (We had a snack before going hiking.)
* "Les enfants ont mangé une collation à l'école." (The children had a snack at school.)
2. Checking, comparing: This is a less common meaning of "collation" in French. It refers to the act of checking or comparing something, especially in the context of legal or administrative processes.
Example:
* "La collation des votes a confirmé les résultats." (The counting of votes confirmed the results.)
3. Religious ceremony: In a religious context, "collation" can refer to a ceremony where someone is granted a benefice (a job in the church). This is a more archaic meaning.
4. Collation: This is also the French word for collation, referring to the process of comparing and sorting data.
Context is key: To understand the meaning of "collation" in French, you need to consider the context in which it's used.
Important Note: The word "collation" itself is not commonly used in everyday French conversation. You're more likely to hear other words like "goûter" (snack), "repas léger" (light meal), or "collation de données" (data collation) instead.