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1 past tense
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2 past
past [pα:st]1. nouna. passé m• in the past, many of these babies would have died autrefois, beaucoup de ces bébés seraient morts• new vaccines could make these illnesses a thing of the past de nouveaux vaccins pourraient faire disparaître ces maladiesb. ( = tense) passé m2. adjectivea. passé3. prepositionb. ( = beyond in space) au delà de• I think we've gone past it ( = missed it) je pense que nous l'avons dépasséc. ( = in front of) devantd. ( = beyond limits of) I'm past caring j'ai cessé de m'en faire4. adverb━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ devant• to go or walk past passer5. compounds• to be a past master at doing sth avoir l'art de faire qch ► past participle noun participe m passé* * *Note: For a full set of translations for past used in clocktime consult the Usage Note[pɑːst], US [pæst] 1.1) gen passé m2) Linguistics (also past tense) passé m2.1) ( preceding) dernier/-ière2) ( former) [times, achievements, problems, experience] passé; [president, incumbent] ancien/-ienne; [government] précédentin times past — autrefois, jadis
3) ( finished)3.1) ( moving)to walk ou go past somebody/something — passer devant quelqu'un/quelque chose
2) ( in time)3) ( beyond in position) après4) ( beyond a certain level)the temperature soared past 40°C — la température est montée brutalement à plus de 40°C
5) ( beyond scope of)4.1) ( onwards)to go ou walk past — passer
2) ( ago)••to be past it — (colloq) avoir passé l'âge
to be past its best — [food] être un peu avancé; [wine] être un peu éventé
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3 past
past [pɑ:st]1 noun(a) (former time) passé m;∎ to live in the past vivre dans le passé;∎ the great empires of the past les grands empires de l'histoire;∎ it is a thing of the past (institution, custom) ça n'existe plus; (relationship) c'est du passé; (is old-fashioned) c'est périmé;∎ those days are a thing of the past cette époque est révolue;∎ politeness seems to have become a thing of the past la politesse semble être une chose démodée(b) (background → of person) passé m;∎ woman with a past femme f qui a vécu ou qui a un passé chargé;∎ town with a past ville f historique;∎ our country's glorious past le glorieux passé de notre pays∎ in the past au passé(a) (former, gone by → life) antérieur; (→ quarrels, differences) vieux (vieille), d'autrefois; (→ generation, centuries, mistakes, event) passé;∎ in centuries past autrefois;∎ the time for negotiating is past l'heure n'est plus à la négociation;∎ those days are past ces temps sont révolus;∎ from past experience par expérience;∎ in past time or times past autrefois, (au temps) jadis;∎ to be past (ended) être passé ou terminé;∎ the crisis is now past la crise est maintenant passée;∎ the past mayors of the town les anciens maires de la ville∎ the past week la semaine dernière ou passée;∎ the past two months les deux derniers mois;∎ this past month has been very busy le mois qui vient de s'achever a été très chargé;∎ I've not been feeling well for the past few days ça fait quelques jours que je ne me sens pas très bien;∎ he has spent the past five years in China il a passé ces cinq dernières années en Chine∎ it's ten/quarter/half past six il est six heures dix/et quart/et demie;∎ it is past four (o'clock) il est quatre heures passées;∎ it's quarter past the hour il est le ou et quart;∎ it's already past midnight il est déjà plus de minuit ou minuit passé;∎ it's long or way past my bedtime je devrais être au lit depuis longtemps;∎ he's past fifty il a plus de cinquante ans, il a dépassé la cinquantaine;∎ she's past the adolescent stage ce n'est plus une adolescente;∎ these beans are past their best ces haricots ne sont plus très frais(b) (further than) plus loin que, au-delà de;∎ just past the bridge un peu plus loin que le pont, un peu au-delà du pont;∎ turn right just past the school prenez à droite juste après l'école;∎ he can't count past ten il ne sait compter que jusqu'à dix;∎ I didn't manage to get past the first page je n'ai pas réussi à lire plus d'une page;∎ he knocked the ball past the defender il a envoyé la balle derrière le défenseur(c) (in front of) devant;∎ he walked right past my table il est passé juste devant ma table;∎ he walked past me without saying hello il est passé devant moi sans me saluer(d) (beyond scope of) au-delà de;∎ it's past all understanding ça dépasse l'entendement;∎ their demands are past all reason leurs exigences sont totalement démesurées;∎ past endurance insupportable;∎ that's past all belief c'est incroyable∎ I'm past caring ça ne me fait plus ni chaud ni froid;∎ I wouldn't put it past him il en est bien capable;∎ I wouldn't put anything past this government ce gouvernement est capable de tout ou du pire4 adverb∎ to go past passer;∎ they ran past ils passèrent en courant;∎ the years flew past les années passaient à une vitesse prodigieuse∎ one night about three years past une nuit il y a environ trois ans;∎ it had long past struck midnight minuit avait sonné depuis longtempsautrefois, dans le temps►► past master expert m;∎ humorous he's a past master at doing as little as possible il est passé maître dans l'art d'en faire le moins possible;Grammar past participle participe m passé;Grammar past perfect plus-que-parfait m;Grammar past tense passé m;∎ in the past tense au passé -
4 tense
tense [tens]1. nountemps m2. adjectivetendu ; [time, period] de tension• to become tense [person] se crisper• they were tense with anticipation ils attendaient, crispés[+ muscles] contracter[muscles, person, animal] se contracter* * *[tens] 1.noun Linguistics temps m2. 3.the present tense — le présent (of de)
transitive verb tendre [muscle]; raidir [body]Phrasal Verbs:- tense up -
5 tense
B adj1 ( strained) [atmosphere, conversation, person, relationship, silence] tendu ; [moment, hours] de tension ; I get tense easily un rien me rend nerveux ; it makes me tense ça me rend nerveux ; tense with fear paralysé par la peur ;2 ( exciting) tendu ;3 ( taut) tendu.D vi se raidir.■ tense up:▶ -
6 past
1. adjective1) (just finished: the past year.) passé2) (over, finished or ended, of an earlier time than the present: The time for discussion is past.) écoulé3) ((of the tense of a verb) indicating action in the past: In `He did it', the verb is in the past tense.) passé2. preposition1) (up to and beyond; by: He ran past me.) devant2) (after: It's past six o'clock.) passé3. adverb(up to and beyond (a particular place, person etc): The soldiers marched past.) au delà de, plus loin que4. noun1) (a person's earlier life or career, especially if secret or not respectable: He never spoke about his past.) passé2) (the past tense: a verb in the past.) passé•- the past -
7 past
past, USA n1 gen passé m ; in the past dans le passé, par le passé, autrefois ; she had taught at the school in the past elle avait enseigné à l'école par le passé ; I have done things in the past that I'm not proud of j'ai fait des choses dans le passé dont je ne suis pas fier ; there are more students/unemployed people now than in the past il y a plus d'étudiants/de chômeurs qu'autrefois or que dans le passé ; in the past we have (always) spent our holidays in Greece/taken the train jusqu'ici nous avons toujours passé nos vacances en Grèce/pris le train ; to live in the past vivre dans le passé ; that's a thing of the past c'est du passé ; soon petrol-driven cars will be a thing of the past les voitures qui fonctionnent à l'essence feront bientôt partie du passé ; he/she has a past il/elle a un passé chargé ;B adj1 ( preceding) [week, days, month etc] dernier/-ière ; during the past few days/months ces derniers jours/mois ; in the past three years/months dans les trois dernières années/derniers mois ; the past two years have been difficult ces deux dernières années ont été difficiles ;2 (previous, former) [generations, centuries, achievements, problems, experience] passé ; [president, chairman, incumbent] ancien/-ienne (before n) ; [government] précédent ; in times past autrefois, jadis ;C prep1 ( moving beyond) to walk ou go past sb/sth passer devant qn/qch ; to drive past sth passer devant qch (en voiture) ; to run past sth passer devant qch (en courant) ;2 ( beyond in time) it's past 6/midnight il est 6 heures passées/minuit passé ; twenty past two deux heures vingt ; half/quarter past two deux heures et demie/et quart ; he is past 70 il a 70 ans passés, il a plus de 70 ans ;3 ( beyond in position) après ; past the church/the park après l'église/le parc ;4 ( beyond or above a certain level) the temperature soared past 40°C la température est montée brutalement à plus de 40°C ; he didn't get past the first chapter il n'est pas allé plus loin que le premier chapitre ; he didn't get past the first interview ( for job) il n'a pas passé la barrière du premier entretien ; she can't count past ten elle ne sait compter que jusqu'à dix ;5 ( beyond scope of) to be past understanding dépasser l'entendement ; to be past caring ne plus s'en faire ; he is past playing football/working ce n'est plus de son âge de jouer au foot/de travailler.D adv1 ( onwards) to go ou walk past passer ;2 ( ago) two years past il y a deux ans.to be past it ○ avoir passé l'âge ; to be past its best [cheese, fruit etc] être un peu avancé ; [wine] être un peu éventé ; I wouldn't put it past him/them to do je ne pense pas que ça le/les gênerait de faire ; ⇒ care. -
8 tense
[tens] I noun(a form of a verb that shows the time of its action in relation to the time of speaking: a verb in the past/future/present tense.) tempsII 1. adjective1) (strained; nervous: The crowd was tense with excitement; a tense situation.) crispé, tendu2) (tight; tightly stretched.) tendu2. verb(to make or become tense: He tensed his muscles.) (se) tendre- tensely- tenseness - tension -
9 Usage note : might
Although usage shows that may and might are interchangeable in many contexts, might indicates a more remote possibility than may. French generally translates this element of possibility using peut-être with the appropriate verb tense:it might snow= il va peut-être neiger(It is also possible to translate this more formally using il se peut + subjunctive: il se peut qu’il neige). For particular examples see might1 1.It is possible to translate might differently depending on the nature of the context and the speaker’s point of view:he might not come= il risque de ne pas venirimplies that this is not a desirable outcome for the speaker ;he might not come= il pourrait ne pas venir or il se peut qu’il ne vienne pashowever, is neutral in tone. Where there is the idea of a possibility in the past which has not in fact occurred (see might1 2), French uses the past conditional of the verb (which is often pouvoir):it might have been serious (but wasn’t in fact)= ça aurait pu être graveThis is also the case where something which could have taken place did not, thus causing annoyance:you might have said thanks!= tu aurais pu dire merci!(see might1 7).might, as the past tense of may, will automatically occur in instances of reported speech:he said you might be hurt= il a dit que tu serais peut-être blesséFor more examples see the entry might1 and bear in mind the rules for the agreement of tenses.Where there is a choice between may and might in making requests, might is more formal and even rather dated. French uses inversion (je peux = puis-je?) in this context and puis-je me permettre de…? (= might I…?) is extremely formal.Might can be used to polite effect - to soften direct statements: you might imagine that…or to offer advice tactfully: it might be wise to…In both cases, French uses the conditional tense of the verb: on pourrait penser que… ; ce serait peut-être une bonne idée de… The use of well in phrases such as he might well be right etc. implies a greater degree of likelihood.For translations of might well, may well, see B2 in the entry well1. -
10 form
form [fɔ:m]forme ⇒ 1 (a)-(d), 1 (f)-(m), 1 (r), 1 (s) silhouette ⇒ 1 (b) formulaire ⇒ 1 (e) classe ⇒ 1 (n) former ⇒ 2 (a), 2 (b), 2 (e), 2 (f) façonner ⇒ 2 (a) se former ⇒ 2 (c), 3 (a), 3 (b) créer ⇒ 2 (d) composer ⇒ 2 (e)1 noun∎ in the form of a heart en forme de cœur;∎ her plan began to take form son projet a commencé à prendre tournure ou forme(b) (body, figure) forme f, silhouette f;∎ a slender form appeared at the door une silhouette élancée apparut à la porte;∎ the human form la forme humaine(c) (aspect, mode) forme f;∎ it's written in the form of a letter c'est écrit sous forme de lettre;∎ the Devil appeared in the form of a goat le diable apparut sous la forme d'une chèvre;∎ the same product in a new form le même produit présenté différemment;∎ what form should my questions take? comment devrais-je formuler mes questions?;∎ the interview took the form of an informal chat l'entrevue prit la forme d'une discussion informelle;∎ her anxiety showed itself in the form of anger son inquiétude se manifesta par de la colère(d) (kind, type) forme f, sorte f;∎ one form of cancer une forme de cancer;∎ we studied three different forms of government nous avons examiné trois systèmes de gouvernement ou trois régimes différents;∎ all forms of sugar le sucre sous toutes ses formes;∎ she sent some flowers as a form of thanks elle a envoyé des fleurs en guise de remerciements∎ to fill in or out a form remplir un formulaire;∎ printed form imprimé m(f) (condition) forme f, condition f;∎ in good form en pleine forme, en excellente condition;∎ John was British on or American in good form at lunch John était en forme ou plein d'entrain pendant le déjeuner;∎ British on or American in their current form they're unlikely to win étant donné leur forme actuelle ils ont peu de chances de gagner;∎ to study (the) form (in horse racing) examiner le tableau des performances des chevaux∎ form and content la forme et le fond;∎ his writing lacks form ce qu'il écrit n'est pas clair;∎ her ideas lack form ses idées sont confuses(h) (standard practice) forme f, règle f;∎ to do sth as a matter of form faire qch pour la forme;∎ what's the usual form in these cases? que fait-on d'habitude ou quelle est la marche à suivre dans ces cas-là?;∎ Law in due form en bonne et due forme∎ it's bad form cela ne se fait pas;∎ it's good form c'est de bon ton, cela se fait;∎ it is bad form to ask a lady her age ce n'est pas poli de demander son âge à une dame∎ form of address formule f de politesse;∎ the correct form of address for a senator la manière correcte de s'adresser à un sénateur;∎ it's only a form of speech ce n'est qu'une façon de parler;∎ the form of the marriage service les rites mpl du mariage∎ the masculine form la forme du masculin, le masculin∎ she's in the first/sixth form ≃ elle est en sixième/première∎ has he got form? est-ce qu'il a un casier judiciaire?(a) (shape) former, construire; (character, mind) former, façonner; (sentence) construire; Metallurgy former, façonner;∎ he formed the model out of or from clay il a sculpté ou façonné le modèle dans l'argile;∎ form the dough into a ball pétrissez la pâte en forme de boule;∎ she has trouble forming certain words elle a du mal à prononcer certains mots;∎ it was certainly a character-forming experience c'est sans aucun doute une expérience qui forme ou façonne le caractère(b) (take the shape of) former, faire;∎ the coastline forms a series of curves la côte forme une série de courbes;∎ the children formed a circle les enfants formèrent un cercle;∎ form a line please faites la queue s'il vous plaît;∎ the applicants formed a queue les candidats firent la queue∎ he's wary of forming friendships il hésite à nouer des amitiés;∎ to form an impression avoir une impression(d) (organize → association, club) créer, fonder; (→ committee, government) former; Commerce (→ company) fonder, créer;∎ they formed themselves into a committee ils se constituèrent en comité(e) (constitute) composer, former;∎ to form the basis of sth constituer la base de ou servir de base à qch;∎ to form (a) part of sth faire partie de qch;∎ the countries forming the alliance les pays qui constituent l'alliance∎ how to form the past tense comment former le passé composé(a) (materialize) se former, prendre forme;∎ doubts began to form in his mind des doutes commencèrent à prendre forme dans son esprit, il commença à avoir des doutes(b) (take shape) se former;∎ form into a line! alignez-vous!;∎ we formed into groups nous nous sommes mis en groupes, nous avons formé des groupes►► Linguistics form class catégorie f grammaticale;Computing form document document m canevas;Computing form feed avancement m du papier;form letter lettre f circulaire;British School form teacher, form tutor ≃ professeur m principal;Linguistics form word mot-outil m, mot m faisant fonction de désinenceBritish se mettre en ligne, s'aligner -
11 almost
❢ When almost is used to mean practically it is translated by presque: we're almost ready = nous sommes presque prêts ; it's almost dark = il fait presque nuit ; the room was almost empty = la salle était presque vide.When almost is used with a verb in the past tense to describe something undesirable or unpleasant that nearly happened, it is translated using the verb faillir followed by an infinitive: I almost forgot = j'ai failli oublier ; he almost fell = il a failli tomber. adv1 ( practically) presque ; almost everybody presque tout le monde ; almost any train presque tous les trains ; we're almost there nous sommes presque arrivés ; she has almost finished the letter elle a presque fini la lettre ;2 ( implying narrow escape) he almost died il a failli mourir ; they almost missed the train ils ont failli rater le train. -
12 almost
almost [ˈɔ:lməʊst]* * *['ɔːlməʊst]Note: When almost is used to mean practically it is translated by presque: we're almost ready = nous sommes presque prêts; it's almost dark = il fait presque nuit; the room was almost empty = la salle était presque videWhen almost is used with a verb in the past tense to describe something undesirable or unpleasant that nearly happened, it is translated using the verb faillir followed by an infinitive: I almost forgot = j'ai failli oublier; he almost fell = il a failli tomber1) ( practically) presque2) ( implying narrow escape) -
13 Usage note : be
I am tired= je suis fatiguéCaroline is French= Caroline est françaisethe children are in the garden= les enfants sont dans le jardinIt functions in very much the same way as to be does in English and it is safe to assume it will work as a translation in the great majority of cases.Note, however, that when you are specifying a person’s profession or trade, a/an is not translated:she’s a doctor= elle est médecinClaudie is still a student= Claudie est toujours étudianteThis is true of any noun used in apposition when the subject is a person:he’s a widower= il est veufButLyons is a beautiful city= Lyon est une belle villeFor more information or expressions involving professions and trades consult the usage note Shops, Trades and Professions.For the conjugation of the verb être see the French verb tables.Grammatical functionsThe passiveêtre is used to form the passive in French just as to be is used in English. Note, however, that the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject:the rabbit was killed by a fox= le lapin a été tué par un renardthe window had been broken= la fenêtre avait été casséetheir books will be sold= leurs livres seront vendusour doors have been repainted red= nos portes ont été repeintes en rougeIn spoken language, French native speakers find the passive cumbersome and will avoid it where possible by using the impersonal on where a person or people are clearly involved : on a repeint nos portes en rouge.Progressive tensesIn French the idea of something happening over a period of time cannot be expressed using the verb être in the way that to be is used as an auxiliary verb in English.The presentFrench uses simply the present tense where English uses the progressive form with to be:I am working= je travailleBen is reading a book= Ben lit un livreIn order to accentuate duration être en train de is used: je suis en train de travailler ; Ben est en train de lire un livre.The futureFrench also uses the present tense where English uses the progressive form with to be:we are going to London tomorrow= nous allons à Londres demainI’m (just) coming!= j’arrive!I’m (just) going!= j’y vais!The pastTo express the distinction between she read a newspaper and she was reading a newspaper French uses the perfect and the imperfect tenses: elle a lu un journal/elle lisait un journal:he wrote to his mother= il a écrit à sa mèrehe was writing to his mother= il écrivait à sa mèreHowever, in order to accentuate the notion of describing an activity which went on over a period of time, the phrase être en train de (= to be in the process of) is often used:‘what was he doing when you arrived?’‘he was cooking the dinner’= ‘qu’est-ce qu’il faisait quand tu es arrivé?’ ‘il était en train de préparer le dîner’she was just finishing her essay when …= elle était juste en train de finir sa dissertation quand …The compound pastCompound past tenses in the progressive form in English are generally translated by the imperfect in French:I’ve been looking for you= je te cherchaisFor progressive forms + for and since (I’ve been waiting for an hour, I had been waiting for an hour, I’ve been waiting since Monday etc.) see the entries for and since.ObligationWhen to be is used as an auxiliary verb with another verb in the infinitive ( to be to do) expressing obligation, a fixed arrangement or destiny, devoir is used:she’s to do it at once= elle doit le faire tout de suitewhat am I to do?= qu’est-ce que je dois faire?he was to arrive last Monday= il devait arriver lundi derniershe was never to see him again= elle ne devait plus le revoir.In tag questionsFrench has no direct equivalent of tag questions like isn’t he? or wasn’t it? There is a general tag question n’est-ce pas? (literally isn’t it so?) which will work in many cases:their house is lovely, isn’t it?= leur maison est très belle, n’est-ce pas?he’s a doctor, isn’t he?= il est médecin, n’est-ce pas?it was a very good meal, wasn’t it?= c’était un très bon repas, n’est-ce pas?However, n’est-ce pas can very rarely be used for positive tag questions and some other way will be found to express the extra meaning contained in the tag: par hasard ( by any chance) can be very useful as a translation:‘I can’t find my glasses’ ‘they’re not in the kitchen, are they?’= ‘je ne trouve pas mes lunettes’ ‘elles ne sont pas dans la cuisine, par hasard?’you haven’t seen Gaby, have you?= tu n’as pas vu Gaby, par hasard?In cases where an opinion is being sought, si? meaning more or less or is it? or was it? etc. can be useful:it’s not broken, is it?= ce n’est pas cassé, si?he wasn’t serious, was he?= il n’était pas sérieux, si?In many other cases the tag question is simply not translated at all and the speaker’s intonation will convey the implied question.In short answersAgain, there is no direct equivalent for short answers like yes I am, no he’s not etc. Where the answer yes is given to contradict a negative question or statement, the most useful translation is si:‘you’re not going out tonight’ ‘yes I am’= ‘tu ne sors pas ce soir’ ‘si’In reply to a standard enquiry the tag will not be translated:‘are you a doctor?’ ‘yes I am’= ‘êtes-vous médecin?’ ‘oui’‘was it raining?’ ‘yes it was’= ‘est-ce qu’il pleuvait?’ ‘oui’ProbabilityFor expressions of probability and supposition ( if I were you etc.) see the entry be.Other functionsExpressing sensations and feelingsIn expressing physical and mental sensations, the verb used in French is avoir:to be cold= avoir froidto be hot= avoir chaudI’m cold= j’ai froidto be thirsty= avoir soifto be hungry= avoir faimto be ashamed= avoir hontemy hands are cold= j’ai froid aux mainsIf, however, you are in doubt as to which verb to use in such expressions, you should consult the entry for the appropriate adjective.Discussing health and how people areIn expressions of health and polite enquiries about how people are, aller is used:how are you?= comment allez-vous?( more informally) comment vas-tu?( very informally as a greeting) ça va?are you well?= vous allez bien?how is your daughter?= comment va votre fille?my father is better today= mon père va mieux aujourd’huiDiscussing weather and temperatureIn expressions of weather and temperature faire is generally used:it’s cold= il fait froidit’s windy= il fait du ventIf in doubt, consult the appropriate adjective entry.Visiting somewhereWhen to be is used in the present perfect tense to mean go, visit etc., French will generally use the verbs venir, aller etc. rather than être:I’ve never been to Sweden= je ne suis jamais allé en Suèdehave you been to the Louvre?= est-ce que tu es déjà allé au Louvre?or est-ce que tu as déjà visité le Louvre?Paul has been to see us three times= Paul est venu nous voir trois foisNote too:has the postman been?= est-ce que le facteur est passé?The translation for an expression or idiom containing the verb to be will be found in the dictionary at the entry for another word in the expression: for to be in danger see danger, for it would be best to … see best etc.This dictionary contains usage notes on topics such as the clock, time units, age, weight measurement, days of the week, and shops, trades and professions, many of which include translations of particular uses of to be. -
14 bind
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15 uphold
past tense, past participle - upheld; verb1) (to support (a person's action): His family upholds (him in) his present action.) soutenir2) (to confirm (eg a claim, legal judgement etc): The decision of the judge was upheld by the court.) confirmer3) (to maintain (eg a custom): The old traditions are still upheld in this village.) maintenir -
16 kit out
past tense, past participle - kitted; verb (to provide with all the clothes, tools etc necessary for a particular purpose: The money was spent on kitting out the school football team.) équiper -
17 speed up
past tense, past participle - speeded (-)1) (to increase speed: The car speeded up as it left the town.) accélérer2) (to quicken the rate of: We are trying to speed up production.) accélérer -
18 strut
past tense, past participle - strutted; verb(to walk in a stiff, proud way: The cock strutted about the farmyard; The man was strutting along looking very pleased with himself.) se pavaner -
19 stun
past tense, past participle - stunned; verb1) (to make unconscious or knock senseless eg by a blow on the head: The blow stunned him.) assommer2) (to shock or astonish: He was stunned by the news of her death.) abasourdir•- stunning -
20 unplug
past tense, past participle - unplugged; verb1) (to take the plug out of.) déboucher2) (to disconnect from the electricity supply: He unplugged the television.) débrancher
См. также в других словарях:
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Past Tense — Die Englische Grammatik ist die Grammatik der englischen Sprache. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Satzbau 2 Wortarten 2.1 Substantive (Nouns) 2.1.1 Numerus 2.1.2 Genera … Deutsch Wikipedia
past tense — noun a verb tense that expresses actions or states in the past • Syn: ↑past • Hypernyms: ↑tense • Hyponyms: ↑preterit, ↑preterite * * * noun : a verb tense expressing action or state in or as if in the … Useful english dictionary
past tense, the — noun LINGUISTICS the form of a verb used to express what existed or happened in the past, for example lived in the sentence We lived in France until I was 7 … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
(the) perfect tense — the perfect tense UK US noun linguistics the form of a verb that is used for talking about an action that has been completed before the present time. In the sentence ‘Sharon has gone home’, ‘has gone’ is the perfect tense of ‘go’. Thesaurus: verb … Useful english dictionary
(the) past perfect — the past perfect UK US noun linguistics a verb tense formed with ‘had’ and a past participle. It is used to express an action that was completed before a particular time in the past, for example ‘had finished’ in the sentence ‘She offered to help … Useful english dictionary
past tense — n a form of a verb that shows that something happened or existed before the present time, typically a form such as walked , as in I walked away … Dictionary of contemporary English