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1 ♦ earlier
♦ earlier /ˈɜ:lɪə(r)/A a. (compar. di ► early)1 precedente; anteriore; di prima; trascorso; passato: earlier events, fatti precedenti; my earlier attempt, il mio tentativo precedente; I'll catch an earlier train, prenderò un treno prima; at an earlier date, precedentemente; prima; in earlier days, in passato; un tempo; in earlier times, in epoche precedenti; in tempi passati; in earlier years, in anni passati; anni prima2 iniziale; primo ( di due o di due parti); precedente: in the earlier chapters of the book, nel capitoli iniziali (o nei primi capitoli) del libro; Picasso's earlier work, la prima produzione di Picasso; le opere giovanili di PicassoB avv.1 più presto; prima; in anticipo: earlier than usual, prima del solito; ten minutes earlier, dieci minuti prima; con un anticipo di dieci minuti; no earlier than 1950, non prima del 1950; Can you make it earlier?, ti è possibile prima?; possiamo anticipare?2 in precedenza; precedentemente; prima; anteriormente: ten hours earlier, dieci ore prima; As I said earlier, come ho detto prima; We had met earlier, ci eravamo incontrati in precedenza; earlier this year, in precedenza quest'anno. -
2 before
I [bɪ'fɔː(r)]1) (earlier than) prima (di)2) (in order, sequence, priority) prima di, davanti afor him, work comes before everything else — per lui il lavoro viene prima di tutto
3) (this side of) prima di4) AE (in time expressions)5) (in front of) davanti a6) (in the presence of) davanti a, dinanzi a7) (confronting) di fronte aII [bɪ'fɔː(r)]aggettivo prima, precedenteIII [bɪ'fɔː(r)]the day, the year before — il giorno, l'anno prima
avverbio (at an earlier time) primaIV [bɪ'fɔː(r)]1) (in time)before I go, I would like to say that — prima di andare, vorrei dire che
before he goes, I must remind him that — prima che vada, devo ricordargli che
it was some time before he was able to walk again — ci volle un po' di tempo prima che riuscisse di nuovo a camminare
oh, before I forget... — ah, prima che mi dimentichi
2) (rather than) piuttosto che3) (or else)4) (as necessary condition) perché, affinchéyou have to show your ticket before they'll let you in — devi mostrare il biglietto perché ti facciano entrare
••before you know where you are — in quattro e quattr'otto, in men che non si dica
* * *[bi'fo:] 1. preposition1) (earlier than: before the war; He'll come before very long.) prima, davanti2) (in front of: She was before me in the queue.) davanti3) (rather than: Honour before wealth.) prima di2. adverb(earlier: I've seen you before.) prima, già3. conjunction(earlier than the time when: Before I go, I must phone my parents.) prima di* * *I [bɪ'fɔː(r)]1) (earlier than) prima (di)2) (in order, sequence, priority) prima di, davanti afor him, work comes before everything else — per lui il lavoro viene prima di tutto
3) (this side of) prima di4) AE (in time expressions)5) (in front of) davanti a6) (in the presence of) davanti a, dinanzi a7) (confronting) di fronte aII [bɪ'fɔː(r)]aggettivo prima, precedenteIII [bɪ'fɔː(r)]the day, the year before — il giorno, l'anno prima
avverbio (at an earlier time) primaIV [bɪ'fɔː(r)]1) (in time)before I go, I would like to say that — prima di andare, vorrei dire che
before he goes, I must remind him that — prima che vada, devo ricordargli che
it was some time before he was able to walk again — ci volle un po' di tempo prima che riuscisse di nuovo a camminare
oh, before I forget... — ah, prima che mi dimentichi
2) (rather than) piuttosto che3) (or else)4) (as necessary condition) perché, affinchéyou have to show your ticket before they'll let you in — devi mostrare il biglietto perché ti facciano entrare
••before you know where you are — in quattro e quattr'otto, in men che non si dica
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3 former
I 1. ['fɔːmə(r)]1) (earlier) [era, life, size, state] precedenteto restore sth. to its former glory — restituire a qcs. il suo splendore originale
of former days o times di una volta, d'altri tempi; he's a shadow of his former self — non è più lo stesso o quello di prima
2) (no longer)3) (first of two) [proposal, course, method] primo, precedente2.II ['fɔːmə(r)]the former — (the first of two) il primo
* * *['fo:mə](of an earlier time: In former times people did not travel so much.) precedente, passato- formerly- the former* * *former (1) /ˈfɔ:mə(r)/n.2 (tecn.) attrezzo per dare una forma; stampo3 ( nei composti) (GB) studente ( di un dato anno): a fifth-former, uno studente del quinto anno ( delle secondarie).♦ former (2) /ˈfɔ:mə(r)/A a.1 precedente; passato; andato: on a former occasion, in un'occasione precedente; in former times, nei tempi andati (o passati); DIALOGO → - Signing on with an agency- Can I have the name and address of two former employers?, può darmi il nome e l'indirizzo di due precedenti datori di lavoro?2 ex; di un tempo: his former wife, la sua ex moglie; my former students, i miei ex alunni; a former colleague of mine, un mio ex collega; He's a former chairman of the company, è un ex presidente (o è stato presidente) della societàB pron.– the former, il primo ( di due); (correl. di latter:) questo; l'uno: Of the two pictures, I prefer the former, dei due quadri preferisco il primo; the former…, the latter, il primo… il secondo; quello… questo; l'uno… l'altro● She is once again her former self, è tornata quella di prima; è di nuovo leiformerlyavv.tempo addietro; un tempo; una volta; in passato; precedentemente; già.* * *I 1. ['fɔːmə(r)]1) (earlier) [era, life, size, state] precedenteto restore sth. to its former glory — restituire a qcs. il suo splendore originale
of former days o times di una volta, d'altri tempi; he's a shadow of his former self — non è più lo stesso o quello di prima
2) (no longer)3) (first of two) [proposal, course, method] primo, precedente2.II ['fɔːmə(r)]the former — (the first of two) il primo
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4 formerly
['fɔːməlɪ]1) (in earlier times) precedentemente, anteriormente2) (no longer) un tempo, una volta, in passatoMrs Vincent, formerly Miss Martin — la signora Vincent, da nubile signorina Martin
* * *adverb (in earlier times: Formerly this large town was a small village.) un tempo, in passato* * *formerly► former (2)* * *['fɔːməlɪ]1) (in earlier times) precedentemente, anteriormente2) (no longer) un tempo, una volta, in passatoMrs Vincent, formerly Miss Martin — la signora Vincent, da nubile signorina Martin
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5 early ***** ear·ly
['ɜːlɪ] - ier comp - iest superl1. advpresto, (ahead of time) in anticipoearly in the morning/afternoon — nelle prime ore del mattino/del pomeriggio
early in the spring/19th century — all'inizio della primavera/dell'Ottocento
2. adj(man) primitivo (-a), (Christians, settlers) primo (-a), (fruit, plant) precoce, (death) prematuro (-a), (reply) pronto (-a)an early general election — elezioni fpl generali anticipate
to be an early riser or an early bird — essere mattiniero (-a)
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6 above
I 1. [ə'bʌv]1) (vertically higher) sopra, al di sopra di2) (north of)3) (upstream of) a monte di4) (morally)5) (in preference to) più diabove all — soprattutto, più di tutto
above all else — più di tutto il resto o di ogni altra cosa
6) (superior in status, rank) superiore a, al di sopra di7) (greater than) al di sopra di, oltreto rise above — superare [limit, average]
8) (beyond)9) (higher in pitch) più alto di10) (over)2.1) (higher up)3) (more)4) (in the sky)••II 1. [ə'bʌv]2.the above items — gli oggetti sunnominati o di cui sopra
* * *1. preposition1) (in a higher position than: a picture above the fireplace.) sopra, al di sopra di2) (greater than: The child's intelligence is above average.) superiore3) (too good for: The police must be above suspicion.) al di sopra di2. adverb1) (higher up: seen from above.) sopra2) ((in a book etc) earlier or higher up on the page: See above.) sopra•- above all* * *I 1. [ə'bʌv]1) (vertically higher) sopra, al di sopra di2) (north of)3) (upstream of) a monte di4) (morally)5) (in preference to) più diabove all — soprattutto, più di tutto
above all else — più di tutto il resto o di ogni altra cosa
6) (superior in status, rank) superiore a, al di sopra di7) (greater than) al di sopra di, oltreto rise above — superare [limit, average]
8) (beyond)9) (higher in pitch) più alto di10) (over)2.1) (higher up)3) (more)4) (in the sky)••II 1. [ə'bʌv]2.the above items — gli oggetti sunnominati o di cui sopra
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7 -to anticipate e anticipare-
Nota d'usoI verbi “anticipare” e to anticipate non vengono usati allo stesso modo in italiano e in inglese. Infatti, to anticipate viene utilizzato soltanto in alcuni contesti. “Anticipare” nel senso di “fare qc. prima del previsto” può essere tradotto con to bring (o move) forward: Can we move the lesson forward to one?, possiamo anticipare la lezione all'una?; oppure con to have (o do) st. earlier: Can we have the lesson earlier?, possiamo anticipare la lezione? “Anticipare” nel senso di “far sapere in anticipo” si può tradurre con to let sb. know: The teacher let us know that he won't be here on Tuesday, l'insegnante ci ha anticipato che non ci sarà martedì. -
8 antedate
[ˌæntɪ'deɪt]1) (put earlier date on) antidatare [cheque, letter]2) (predate) anticipare (by di)* * *antedate /ˈæntɪdeɪt/n.antidata.(to) antedate /æntɪˈdeɪt/v. t.antedatingn. [u]retrodatazione.* * *[ˌæntɪ'deɪt]1) (put earlier date on) antidatare [cheque, letter]2) (predate) anticipare (by di) -
9 get back
1) (return) (ri)tornarewhen we get back — quando ritorneremo, al nostro ritorno
2) (move backwards) tornare indietro, andare indietro, indietreggiareto get back at — vendicarsi di; get back to [sth.]
4) (return to) ritornare a, rientrare a [ house]; ritornare in [office, city]; ritornare a [ point]5) (return to former condition) tornare a [teaching, job]to get back to sleep — tornare a dormire, riaddormentarsi
6) (return to earlier stage) tornare a [main topic, former point]; get back to [sb.]7) (return to) tornare da, ritornare daI'll get right back to you — ti richiamo subito; get [sth.] back
9) (return) (personally) riportare, restituire; (by post etc.) rispedire10) (regain) riavere, recuperare [lost object, loaned item]; fig. riprendere, recuperare [ strength]* * *1) (to move away: The policeman told the crowd to get back.) indietreggiare2) (to retrieve: She eventually got back the book she had lent him.) riottenere* * *1. vt + adv2) (return: object, person) riportare2. vi + advto get back (home) — ritornare a casa, rincasare
to get back to — (start again) ritornare a, (contact again) rimettersi in contatto con
* * *1) (return) (ri)tornarewhen we get back — quando ritorneremo, al nostro ritorno
2) (move backwards) tornare indietro, andare indietro, indietreggiareto get back at — vendicarsi di; get back to [sth.]
4) (return to) ritornare a, rientrare a [ house]; ritornare in [office, city]; ritornare a [ point]5) (return to former condition) tornare a [teaching, job]to get back to sleep — tornare a dormire, riaddormentarsi
6) (return to earlier stage) tornare a [main topic, former point]; get back to [sb.]7) (return to) tornare da, ritornare daI'll get right back to you — ti richiamo subito; get [sth.] back
9) (return) (personally) riportare, restituire; (by post etc.) rispedire -
10 go back
1) (return) ritornare, tornare indietro; (turn back) fare marcia indietro, retromarcia; (resume work) riprendere il lavoro; (resume classes, studies) riprendere la scuola, gli studi2) (in time)to go back in time — risalire o andare indietro nel tempo
3) (revert)* * *(to return to an earlier time, topic of conversation etc: Let's go back for a minute to what we were talking about earlier.) tornare* * *vi + adv1)to go back (to) — (return, revert) (ri)tornare (a)
2) (date back) risalire3) (extend: garden, cave) estendersi, (go again) andare di nuovo* * *1) (return) ritornare, tornare indietro; (turn back) fare marcia indietro, retromarcia; (resume work) riprendere il lavoro; (resume classes, studies) riprendere la scuola, gli studi2) (in time)to go back in time — risalire o andare indietro nel tempo
3) (revert) -
11 advance
I 1. [əd'vɑːns] [AE -'væns]1) (forward movement) avanzamento m.; mil. avanzata f.; fig. (of civilization, in science) avanzamento m., progresso m.2) (sum of money) anticipo m., acconto m. (on su)3) (increase) aumento m.any advance on Ј 100? — (at auction etc.) 100 sterline, chi offre di più?
4) in advance [book, notify, pay] in anticipo, anticipatamentehere's Ј 30 in advance — ecco 30 sterline di anticipo o in acconto
5) in advance of prima di, in anticipo rispetto a [ person]2.nome plurale advances (sexual) avances f.; (other contexts) approcci m.II 1. [əd'vɑːns] [AE -'væns]to make advances to sb. — (sexually) fare delle avances a qcn
1) (move forward) mandare avanti [ tape]; mettere avanti [ clock]; mil. (far) avanzare [ troops]2) (put forward) avanzare [ theory]4) (move to earlier date) anticipare [time, date] (to a)5) (pay up front) anticipare [ sum] (to a)2.1) (move forward) [ person] avanzare (on, towards verso); mil. [ army] avanzare (on su)2) (progress) [civilization, knowledge] progredire, fare progressi3) (increase) [ prices] aumentare* * *1. verb1) (to move forward: The army advanced towards the town; Our plans are advancing well; He married the boss's daughter to advance (= improve) his chances of promotion.) avanzare2) (to supply (someone) with (money) on credit: The bank will advance you $500.) anticipare2. noun1) (moving forward or progressing: We've halted the enemy's advance; Great advances in medicine have been made in this century.) avanzata2) (a payment made before the normal time: Can I have an advance on my salary?) anticipo3) ((usually in plural) an attempt at (especially sexual) seduction.) avance, approccio3. adjective1) (made etc before the necessary or agreed time: an advance payment.) anticipato2) (made beforehand: an advance booking.) in anticipo, anticipato3) (sent ahead of the main group or force: the advance guard.) (1) avanguardia•- advanced- in advance* * *I 1. [əd'vɑːns] [AE -'væns]1) (forward movement) avanzamento m.; mil. avanzata f.; fig. (of civilization, in science) avanzamento m., progresso m.2) (sum of money) anticipo m., acconto m. (on su)3) (increase) aumento m.any advance on Ј 100? — (at auction etc.) 100 sterline, chi offre di più?
4) in advance [book, notify, pay] in anticipo, anticipatamentehere's Ј 30 in advance — ecco 30 sterline di anticipo o in acconto
5) in advance of prima di, in anticipo rispetto a [ person]2.nome plurale advances (sexual) avances f.; (other contexts) approcci m.II 1. [əd'vɑːns] [AE -'væns]to make advances to sb. — (sexually) fare delle avances a qcn
1) (move forward) mandare avanti [ tape]; mettere avanti [ clock]; mil. (far) avanzare [ troops]2) (put forward) avanzare [ theory]4) (move to earlier date) anticipare [time, date] (to a)5) (pay up front) anticipare [ sum] (to a)2.1) (move forward) [ person] avanzare (on, towards verso); mil. [ army] avanzare (on su)2) (progress) [civilization, knowledge] progredire, fare progressi3) (increase) [ prices] aumentare -
12 beat
I 1. [biːt]1) (repeated sound) (il) battere, colpi m.pl.; (of feet) il battere; (of drum) rullo m.3) (of heart) battito m., pulsazione f.4) fis. el. (pulse) battimento m.5) (in police force) (area) zona f. di sorveglianza; (route) ronda f., giro m.2.modificatore [poet, writer, philosophy] beat, della "beat generation"II 1. [biːt]to beat sth. into sb. — inculcare qcs. in qcn.
to beat sb. into submission — costringere qcn. alla sottomissione
to beat sb. black and blue — colloq. fare qcn. nero di botte
to beat the hell out of sb. — colloq. pestare qcn. a sangue
to beat its wings — [ bird] battere le ali
to beat time — mus. battere il tempo
2) gastr. sbattere [mixture, eggs]to beat one's way, a path through — farsi strada, aprirsi un passaggio tra [crowd, obstacles]
to beat a retreat — mil. battere in ritirata
beat it! — colloq. fila via! svignatela!
4) (defeat) battere, sconfiggere, vincere [opponent, team, inflation, drug abuse, illness]; porre fine a [child abuse, rape]5) (confound) [ mystery] sconcertare, disorientare [ person]it beats me how, why — non riesco a capire come, perché
beats me! — colloq.
6) (arrive earlier) battere sul tempo, evitare [rush, crowds]; precedere [ person]2.to beat against — [ waves] sbattere contro [ shore]; [ rain] picchiare, battere su [ window]
to beat at o on — [ person] picchiare, battere a
2) fisiol. [ heart] battere, pulsare3) (make sound) [ drum] battere, suonare•- beat in- beat off- beat out- beat up••III [biːt]a rod o stick to beat sb. with un'arma contro qcn.; if you can't beat 'em, join 'em — se non puoi sconfiggerli, diventa loro alleato
aggettivo colloq. stanco morto, distrutto, a pezzi* * *past tense; see beat* * *I 1. [biːt]1) (repeated sound) (il) battere, colpi m.pl.; (of feet) il battere; (of drum) rullo m.3) (of heart) battito m., pulsazione f.4) fis. el. (pulse) battimento m.5) (in police force) (area) zona f. di sorveglianza; (route) ronda f., giro m.2.modificatore [poet, writer, philosophy] beat, della "beat generation"II 1. [biːt]to beat sth. into sb. — inculcare qcs. in qcn.
to beat sb. into submission — costringere qcn. alla sottomissione
to beat sb. black and blue — colloq. fare qcn. nero di botte
to beat the hell out of sb. — colloq. pestare qcn. a sangue
to beat its wings — [ bird] battere le ali
to beat time — mus. battere il tempo
2) gastr. sbattere [mixture, eggs]to beat one's way, a path through — farsi strada, aprirsi un passaggio tra [crowd, obstacles]
to beat a retreat — mil. battere in ritirata
beat it! — colloq. fila via! svignatela!
4) (defeat) battere, sconfiggere, vincere [opponent, team, inflation, drug abuse, illness]; porre fine a [child abuse, rape]5) (confound) [ mystery] sconcertare, disorientare [ person]it beats me how, why — non riesco a capire come, perché
beats me! — colloq.
6) (arrive earlier) battere sul tempo, evitare [rush, crowds]; precedere [ person]2.to beat against — [ waves] sbattere contro [ shore]; [ rain] picchiare, battere su [ window]
to beat at o on — [ person] picchiare, battere a
2) fisiol. [ heart] battere, pulsare3) (make sound) [ drum] battere, suonare•- beat in- beat off- beat out- beat up••III [biːt]a rod o stick to beat sb. with un'arma contro qcn.; if you can't beat 'em, join 'em — se non puoi sconfiggerli, diventa loro alleato
aggettivo colloq. stanco morto, distrutto, a pezzi -
13 beforehand
[bɪ'fɔːhænd]1) (ahead of time) in anticipo2) (earlier) prima* * *adverb (before the time when something else is done: If you're coming, let me know beforehand.) in anticipo* * *[bɪ'fɔːhænd]1) (ahead of time) in anticipo2) (earlier) prima -
14 can
I [ forma debole kən] [ forma forte kæn]6) (have skill, knowledge to)7) (have ability, power to)I cannot understand why — non capisco o non riesco a capire perché
8) (have ability, using senses, to)9) (indicating capability, tendency)10) (expressing likelihood, assumption)if you want to chat, you can leave — se volete chiacchierare, potete farlo fuori
you can get lost! — colloq. va' al diavolo! va' a quel paese!
"can we borrow it?" - "you can" — "possiamo prenderlo in prestito?" - "certo"
"can anyone give me a lift home?" - "we can" — "qualcuno può darmi un passaggio a casa?" - "sì, noi"
••II [kæn]no can do — colloq. non posso
1) (of food) barattolo m., scatola f.; (aerosol) bomboletta f.; (for petrol) fusto m., bidone m., latta f.; (of drink) lattina f.2) pop. (lavatory) cesso m., latrina f.3) colloq. (prison) galera f., gattabuia f.••a can of worms — un imbroglio, un bel po' di marcio
to be in the can — colloq. [ film] essere pronto per la distribuzione; [ negotiations] essere cosa fatta
III [kæn]to carry the can for sb. — colloq. prendersi la colpa al posto di qcn
1) gastr. inscatolare, mettere in scatola [fruit, vegetables]2) colloq.* * *[kæn] I negative - can't; verb1) (to be able to: You can do it if you try hard.)2) (to know how to: Can you drive a car?)3) ((usually may) to have permission to: You can go if you behave yourself.)4) (used in questions to indicate surprise, disbelief etc: What can he be doing all this time?)II 1. noun(a metal container for liquids and many types of food: oil-can; beer-can; six cans of beer.)2. verb(to put (especially food) into cans, usually to preserve it: a factory for canning raspberries.)- canned- cannery* * *I [ forma debole kən] [ forma forte kæn]6) (have skill, knowledge to)7) (have ability, power to)I cannot understand why — non capisco o non riesco a capire perché
8) (have ability, using senses, to)9) (indicating capability, tendency)10) (expressing likelihood, assumption)if you want to chat, you can leave — se volete chiacchierare, potete farlo fuori
you can get lost! — colloq. va' al diavolo! va' a quel paese!
"can we borrow it?" - "you can" — "possiamo prenderlo in prestito?" - "certo"
"can anyone give me a lift home?" - "we can" — "qualcuno può darmi un passaggio a casa?" - "sì, noi"
••II [kæn]no can do — colloq. non posso
1) (of food) barattolo m., scatola f.; (aerosol) bomboletta f.; (for petrol) fusto m., bidone m., latta f.; (of drink) lattina f.2) pop. (lavatory) cesso m., latrina f.3) colloq. (prison) galera f., gattabuia f.••a can of worms — un imbroglio, un bel po' di marcio
to be in the can — colloq. [ film] essere pronto per la distribuzione; [ negotiations] essere cosa fatta
III [kæn]to carry the can for sb. — colloq. prendersi la colpa al posto di qcn
1) gastr. inscatolare, mettere in scatola [fruit, vegetables]2) colloq. -
15 could
[ forma debole kəd] [ forma forte kʊd]it could be that... — potrebbe essere che
could be — colloq. forse
"did she know?" - "no, how could she?" — "lo sapeva?" - "no, come avrebbe potuto?"
you couldn't come earlier, could you? — non potresti arrivare prima, vero?
6) (expressing likelihood, assumption)he couldn't be more than 10 years old — non dovrebbe avere o non avrà più di 10 anni
••I could murder him! — colloq. l'ammazzerei!
Note:Could is formally the past tense and the conditional of can. As the past tense of can, could is translated by the appropriate past tense in the indicative: I couldn't leave the children = non potevo lasciare i bambini / non potei lasciare i bambini; few people could read or write = poche persone sapevano leggere o scrivere; he couldn't sleep for weeks = non è riuscito a dormire per settimane; we could hear them laughing = li sentivamo ridere. When preceded by and dependent on a verb in the past tense, could + verb is translated by the past conditional of the appropriate Italian verb: I was sure you could do it = ero sicuro che saresti riuscito a farlo. In reported speech, could is translated by the appropriate past tense, according to the rules of Italian grammar (see the note 1.dire): she never told us she could speak Chinese = non ci ha mai detto che sapeva parlare il cinese. - For more examples, particular usages and all other uses of could see the entry below* * *[kud]negative short form - couldn't; verb1) (past tense of can: They asked if I could drive a car; I said I couldn't; She asked if she could go.) potere2) (used to express a possibility: I could go but I'm not going to; I could do it next week if you helped me.) potere•* * *[ forma debole kəd] [ forma forte kʊd]it could be that... — potrebbe essere che
could be — colloq. forse
"did she know?" - "no, how could she?" — "lo sapeva?" - "no, come avrebbe potuto?"
you couldn't come earlier, could you? — non potresti arrivare prima, vero?
6) (expressing likelihood, assumption)he couldn't be more than 10 years old — non dovrebbe avere o non avrà più di 10 anni
••I could murder him! — colloq. l'ammazzerei!
Note:Could is formally the past tense and the conditional of can. As the past tense of can, could is translated by the appropriate past tense in the indicative: I couldn't leave the children = non potevo lasciare i bambini / non potei lasciare i bambini; few people could read or write = poche persone sapevano leggere o scrivere; he couldn't sleep for weeks = non è riuscito a dormire per settimane; we could hear them laughing = li sentivamo ridere. When preceded by and dependent on a verb in the past tense, could + verb is translated by the past conditional of the appropriate Italian verb: I was sure you could do it = ero sicuro che saresti riuscito a farlo. In reported speech, could is translated by the appropriate past tense, according to the rules of Italian grammar (see the note 1.dire): she never told us she could speak Chinese = non ci ha mai detto che sapeva parlare il cinese. - For more examples, particular usages and all other uses of could see the entry below -
16 early
['ɜːlɪ] 1.1) (one of the first) [attempt, role, play] primo2) (sooner than usual) [ death] prematuro; [delivery, settlement] rapido; [vegetable, fruit] precoce, primaticcioto have an early lunch, night — pranzare, andare a letto presto
at your earliest convenience — form. non appena possibile, con cortese sollecitudine
to make an early start — partire presto o di buonora
2.at an early date — (in future) in data vicina, prossimamente
1) (in period of time) [arrive, book] presto, per tempo; [get up, go to bed] presto, di buonoraearly next year, in the film — all'inizio del prossimo anno, del film
(very) early on — agli inizi o albori
2) (before expected) [arrive, ripen] in anticipoto do sth. two days early — fare qcs. con due giorni di anticipo
••it's early days yet — è solo l'inizio, è presto per dirlo
it's the early bird that catches the worm! — prov. chi dorme non piglia pesci!
* * *['ə:li] 1. adverb1) (near the beginning (of a period of time etc): early in my life; early in the afternoon.) presto2) (sooner than others; sooner than usual; sooner than expected or than the appointed time: He arrived early; She came an hour early.) presto2. adjective1) (belonging to, or happening, near the beginning of a period of time etc: early morning; in the early part of the century.) presto, all'inizio di2) (belonging to the first stages of development: early musical instruments.) primitivo, antico3) (happening etc sooner than usual or than expected: the baby's early arrival; It's too early to get up yet.) prematuro; presto4) (prompt: I hope for an early reply to my letter.) pronto•- early bird* * *['ɜːlɪ] 1.1) (one of the first) [attempt, role, play] primo2) (sooner than usual) [ death] prematuro; [delivery, settlement] rapido; [vegetable, fruit] precoce, primaticcioto have an early lunch, night — pranzare, andare a letto presto
at your earliest convenience — form. non appena possibile, con cortese sollecitudine
to make an early start — partire presto o di buonora
2.at an early date — (in future) in data vicina, prossimamente
1) (in period of time) [arrive, book] presto, per tempo; [get up, go to bed] presto, di buonoraearly next year, in the film — all'inizio del prossimo anno, del film
(very) early on — agli inizi o albori
2) (before expected) [arrive, ripen] in anticipoto do sth. two days early — fare qcs. con due giorni di anticipo
••it's early days yet — è solo l'inizio, è presto per dirlo
it's the early bird that catches the worm! — prov. chi dorme non piglia pesci!
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17 few
[fjuː] 1.(compar. fewer; superl. fewest) quantisostantivo femminile1) (not many) pochifew visitors, letters — pochi visitatori, poche lettere
on the few occasions that... — le rare volte che...
2) (some, several)every few days — a intervalli di pochi giorni, ogni due o tre giorni
over the next few days — (in past) nei giorni successivi; (in future) nei giorni a venire
3) a few qualche, alcunia few people, houses — alcune persone, case
quite a few people — un bel po' di o parecchie persone
2.a few weeks earlier — qualche settimana fa o prima
1) (not many) pochi m.pl. (-e)2) (some)3.a few of the soldiers, countries — alcuni dei soldati, dei paesi
the few who — i pochi o le poche persone che
••••to have had a few (too many) — colloq. avere bevuto qualche bicchiere di troppo
Note:When few is used as a quantifier to indicate the smallness or insufficiency of a given number or quantity ( few horses, few shops, few people), it is translated by pochi + masculine nouns and poche + feminine nouns: pochi cavalli, pochi negozi, poche persone. Equally the few is translated by i pochi / le poche: the few people who knew her = le poche persone che la conoscevano. For examples and particular usages, see I.1 in the entry below. - When few is used as a quantifier in certain expressions to mean several, translations vary according to the expression: see I.2 in the entry below. - When a few is used as a quantifier ( a few books), it can often be translated by qualche, which is invariable and is always followed by the singular: qualche libro; however, for expressions such as quite a few books, a good few books, see I.3 in the entry below. - For translations of few used as a pronoun ( few of us succeeded, I only need a few), see II in the entry below. - For translations of the few used as a noun ( the few who voted for him), see III in the entry below* * *[fju:]adjective, pronoun(not many; a very small number of: Few people visit me nowadays; every few minutes (= very frequently); Such opportunities are few.) poco- a few- few and far between* * *[fjuː] 1.(compar. fewer; superl. fewest) quantisostantivo femminile1) (not many) pochifew visitors, letters — pochi visitatori, poche lettere
on the few occasions that... — le rare volte che...
2) (some, several)every few days — a intervalli di pochi giorni, ogni due o tre giorni
over the next few days — (in past) nei giorni successivi; (in future) nei giorni a venire
3) a few qualche, alcunia few people, houses — alcune persone, case
quite a few people — un bel po' di o parecchie persone
2.a few weeks earlier — qualche settimana fa o prima
1) (not many) pochi m.pl. (-e)2) (some)3.a few of the soldiers, countries — alcuni dei soldati, dei paesi
the few who — i pochi o le poche persone che
••••to have had a few (too many) — colloq. avere bevuto qualche bicchiere di troppo
Note:When few is used as a quantifier to indicate the smallness or insufficiency of a given number or quantity ( few horses, few shops, few people), it is translated by pochi + masculine nouns and poche + feminine nouns: pochi cavalli, pochi negozi, poche persone. Equally the few is translated by i pochi / le poche: the few people who knew her = le poche persone che la conoscevano. For examples and particular usages, see I.1 in the entry below. - When few is used as a quantifier in certain expressions to mean several, translations vary according to the expression: see I.2 in the entry below. - When a few is used as a quantifier ( a few books), it can often be translated by qualche, which is invariable and is always followed by the singular: qualche libro; however, for expressions such as quite a few books, a good few books, see I.3 in the entry below. - For translations of few used as a pronoun ( few of us succeeded, I only need a few), see II in the entry below. - For translations of the few used as a noun ( the few who voted for him), see III in the entry below -
18 old
[əʊld] 1.1) (not young) vecchio, anzianoan old man — un vecchio, un anziano
to get o grow old diventare vecchio, invecchiare; old before one's time invecchiato anzitempo; old Mr Brown or young Mr Brown? — il signor Brown padre o il signor Brown figlio?
to be two days old — [ bread] essere vecchio di due giorni
to be as old as sb. — avere la stessa età di qcn.
I'm the oldest — sono il più grande o il più vecchio
3) (not new) [object, song, tradition, family, excuse] vecchio; [ joke] inflazionato; [ friend] vecchio, di vecchia data; [ firm] di antica fondazione4) (previous) [address, house, job, boss, system] vecchio, precedentein the old days — ai vecchi tempi, un tempo
5) colloq. (as term of affection) vecchiogood old British weather! — iron. il solito tempaccio inglese!
6) colloq. (as intensifier)2.1) (old people)the old — + verbo pl. i vecchi, gli anziani
3.(in days) of old — un tempo, nei giorni andati
* * *[əuld]1) (advanced in age: an old man; He is too old to live alone.) vecchio2) (having a certain age: He is thirty years old.) (di età)3) (having existed for a long time: an old building; Those trees are very old.) vecchio4) (no longer useful: She threw away the old shoes.) vecchio5) (belonging to times long ago: old civilizations like that of Greece.) antico•- old age- old boy/girl
- old-fashioned
- old hand
- old maid
- the old* * *[əʊld] 1.1) (not young) vecchio, anzianoan old man — un vecchio, un anziano
to get o grow old diventare vecchio, invecchiare; old before one's time invecchiato anzitempo; old Mr Brown or young Mr Brown? — il signor Brown padre o il signor Brown figlio?
to be two days old — [ bread] essere vecchio di due giorni
to be as old as sb. — avere la stessa età di qcn.
I'm the oldest — sono il più grande o il più vecchio
3) (not new) [object, song, tradition, family, excuse] vecchio; [ joke] inflazionato; [ friend] vecchio, di vecchia data; [ firm] di antica fondazione4) (previous) [address, house, job, boss, system] vecchio, precedentein the old days — ai vecchi tempi, un tempo
5) colloq. (as term of affection) vecchiogood old British weather! — iron. il solito tempaccio inglese!
6) colloq. (as intensifier)2.1) (old people)the old — + verbo pl. i vecchi, gli anziani
3.(in days) of old — un tempo, nei giorni andati
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19 past
I 1. [pɑːst] [AE pæst]1) passato m.in the past — in passato, un tempo
2) ling. (anche past tense) passato m.2.1) (preceding) [week, month etc.] passato, scorso, ultimo2) (former) [achievements, problems, experience] passato, precedente; [ government] precedentein times past — nei tempi passati, nei tempi andati
3) (finished)II 1. [pɑːst] [AE pæst]1) (moving)to walk o go past sb., sth. passare davanti o oltre a qcn., qcs.; to drive past sth. — passare in auto davanti a qcs
2) (in time)he is past 70 — ha superato i 70 anni, ha passato la settantina
3) (beyond in position) oltre, al di là, dopopast the church — oltre o dopo la chiesa
2.the temperature soared past 40°C — la temperatura salì bruscamente oltre 40°C
1) (onwards)2) (ago)••to be past it — colloq. non avere più l'età
to be past its best — [cheese, fruit etc.] essere un po' passato; [ wine] perdere un po'
I'm past caring — non m'importa più (di nulla) o me ne infischio
* * *1. adjective1) (just finished: the past year.) passato, scorso2) (over, finished or ended, of an earlier time than the present: The time for discussion is past.) finito3) ((of the tense of a verb) indicating action in the past: In `He did it', the verb is in the past tense.) passato2. preposition1) (up to and beyond; by: He ran past me.) oltre, di là di2) (after: It's past six o'clock.) dopo più di3. adverb(up to and beyond (a particular place, person etc): The soldiers marched past.) oltre4. noun1) (a person's earlier life or career, especially if secret or not respectable: He never spoke about his past.) passato2) (the past tense: a verb in the past.) passato•- the past* * *I 1. [pɑːst] [AE pæst]1) passato m.in the past — in passato, un tempo
2) ling. (anche past tense) passato m.2.1) (preceding) [week, month etc.] passato, scorso, ultimo2) (former) [achievements, problems, experience] passato, precedente; [ government] precedentein times past — nei tempi passati, nei tempi andati
3) (finished)II 1. [pɑːst] [AE pæst]1) (moving)to walk o go past sb., sth. passare davanti o oltre a qcn., qcs.; to drive past sth. — passare in auto davanti a qcs
2) (in time)he is past 70 — ha superato i 70 anni, ha passato la settantina
3) (beyond in position) oltre, al di là, dopopast the church — oltre o dopo la chiesa
2.the temperature soared past 40°C — la temperatura salì bruscamente oltre 40°C
1) (onwards)2) (ago)••to be past it — colloq. non avere più l'età
to be past its best — [cheese, fruit etc.] essere un po' passato; [ wine] perdere un po'
I'm past caring — non m'importa più (di nulla) o me ne infischio
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20 stage
I 1. [steɪdʒ]1) (phase) (of illness) stadio m. (of, in di); (of development, project, process) stadio m., fase f. (of, in di); (of career, life, match, negotiations) fase f. (of, in di); (of journey) fase f., tappa f. (of, in di)at this stage — (at this point) a questo punto; (yet, for the time being) per il momento
at this stage in o of your career in questa fase della tua carriera; at a late stage a uno stadio avanzato; at an earlier, later stage in una fase precedente, seguente; at every stage in ogni fase; she ought to know that by this stage arrivati a questo punto dovrebbe saperlo; by stages per gradi; stage by stage passo dopo passo; in stages poco per volta; the project is still in its early stages il progetto è ancora allo stadio iniziale; she's going through a difficult stage — sta attraversando una fase difficile
2) (raised platform) palco m., piattaforma f.; teatr. palcoscenico m.to hold the stage — fig. tenere banco
to set the stage — teatr. allestire la scenografia
to set the stage for sth. — fig. fare i preparativi per qcs
3) teatr.2.modificatore teatr. [ equipment] scenico; [ lighting] di scena; [play, performance, production, career] teatraleII [steɪdʒ]1) (organize) organizzare [event, strike, coup, rebellion]3) teatr. mettere in scena, rappresentare [play, performance]* * *I 1. [stei‹] noun(a raised platform especially for performing or acting on, eg in a theatre.)2. verb1) (to prepare and produce (a play etc) in a theatre etc: This play was first staged in 1928.)2) (to organize (an event etc): The protesters are planning to stage a demonstration.)•- staging- stage direction
- stage fright
- stagehand
- stage manager
- stagestruck II [stei‹]1) (a period or step in the development of something: The plan is in its early stages; At this stage, we don't know how many survivors there are.)2) (part of a journey: The first stage of our journey will be the flight to Singapore.)3) (a section of a bus route.)4) (a section of a rocket.)•* * *I 1. [steɪdʒ]1) (phase) (of illness) stadio m. (of, in di); (of development, project, process) stadio m., fase f. (of, in di); (of career, life, match, negotiations) fase f. (of, in di); (of journey) fase f., tappa f. (of, in di)at this stage — (at this point) a questo punto; (yet, for the time being) per il momento
at this stage in o of your career in questa fase della tua carriera; at a late stage a uno stadio avanzato; at an earlier, later stage in una fase precedente, seguente; at every stage in ogni fase; she ought to know that by this stage arrivati a questo punto dovrebbe saperlo; by stages per gradi; stage by stage passo dopo passo; in stages poco per volta; the project is still in its early stages il progetto è ancora allo stadio iniziale; she's going through a difficult stage — sta attraversando una fase difficile
2) (raised platform) palco m., piattaforma f.; teatr. palcoscenico m.to hold the stage — fig. tenere banco
to set the stage — teatr. allestire la scenografia
to set the stage for sth. — fig. fare i preparativi per qcs
3) teatr.2.modificatore teatr. [ equipment] scenico; [ lighting] di scena; [play, performance, production, career] teatraleII [steɪdʒ]1) (organize) organizzare [event, strike, coup, rebellion]3) teatr. mettere in scena, rappresentare [play, performance]
См. также в других словарях:
earlier — adj. occurring at a prior time; as, on earlier occasions. [WordNet 1.5] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
earlier — index antecedent, back (in arrears), before mentioned, former, heretofore, last (preceding) … Law dictionary
earlier — [[t]ɜ͟ː(r)liə(r)[/t]] ♦♦ 1) Earlier is the comparative of early. 2) ADV COMPAR: ADV with v, ADV with cl, oft amount ADV Earlier is used to refer to a point or period in time before the present or before the one you are talking about. As mentioned … English dictionary
earlier — I adjective (comparative and superlative of early ) more early than; most early a fashion popular in earlier times his earlier work reflects the influence of his teacher Verdi s earliest and most raucous opera • Syn: ↑earliest • Similar to: ↑ … Useful english dictionary
earlier — ear|li|er1 [ ɜrliər ] adverb *** used for referring to a time before the present or before the time you are talking about: A few days earlier, he had assured me that he didn t want to come. earlier ear|li|er 2 [ ɜrliər ] adjective ** happening… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
earlier — I UK [ˈɜː(r)lɪə(r)] / US [ˈɜrlɪər] adverb *** at a time before the present or before the time you are talking about A few days earlier, he had assured me that he didn t want to come. II UK [ˈɜː(r)lɪə(r)] / US [ˈɜrlɪər] adjective ** happening… … English dictionary
earlier — [ˈɜːliə] adv 1) used for referring to a time before the present or before the time that you are talking about A few days earlier, he had been in London.[/ex] earlier adj 2) an earlier period in history[/ex] … Dictionary for writing and speaking English
Earlier — Early Ear ly, a. [Compar. {Earlier} ([ e]r l[i^]*[ e]r); superl. {Earliest}.] [OE. earlich. [root]204. See {Early}, adv.] 1. In advance of the usual or appointed time; in good season; prior in time; among or near the first; opposed to {late}; as … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
earlier — 1. adjective occurring previously I shall be late because I missed the earlier train. 2. adverb previously; before now; sooner I shall be late because I didnt start earlier … Wiktionary
earlier on — ► early (or earlier) on at an early (or earlier) stage. Main Entry: ↑early … English terms dictionary
earlier on — adverb : previously, before I told you yes earlier on * * * earlier on Previously • • • Main Entry: ↑early … Useful english dictionary