j'ai une question

[Mary Ellen McCormack-Mervis]

What does the term "circuler l'information" mean? What kind of imperative verb would I put in front of that?

[Neil Coffey]

Mmmm I don't think French speakers would say that to be honest.

 

Do you mean "diffuser les informations/l'information"? -- which would mean 'to spread/circulate/broadcast the (piece of) information'.

 

I guess you could say "faire circuler l'information", but I'm not sure it's as common as "diffuser".

 

Hopefully we'll get some opinions from others too.

[Mary Ellen McCormack-Mervis]

I know it sounds confusing to me as well. It's a phrase in a workbook in which I am supposed to fill in an imperative verb before those two words. I looked up "circuler" and it means to run. I can't begin to think of a command that makes sense with those words. I thought it might just have been my lack of vocabluary. Thanks very much for the help...

[Ed la mouette]

Circuler l'information alone has no meaning. The verb to add is faire :  faire circuler l'information.

Diffuser une information (to broadcast an information) is done when one emitter is directed towards a mass of receivers (think about tv broadcasting)

Faire circuler une information (to spread/to circulate) is done when an information is given from one person to another, then to another, etc...

For example, in a recent affair you have probably heard of : dans un grand hôtel new-yorkais, on a fait circuler une rumeur de viol, et cette information a ensuite été diffusée par les médias.

[Neil Coffey]

OK, if you have to put an imperative word BEFORE those two words-- i.e. insert an extra word, then you could say "fais circuler l'information" using the imperative of "faire". The thing is you do have to insert an extra word for it to make sense-- I thought the exercise was asking you to change just those words, and that wouldn't make sense.