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1 literally
literally ['lɪtərəlɪ]∎ to take sth literally prendre qch au pied de la lettre ou à la lettre;∎ to translate literally faire une traduction littérale;∎ literally speaking à proprement parler;∎ he was literally bleeding to death il se vidait de son sang(b) (in exaggeration) littéralement;∎ we've had literally hundreds of letters nous avons reçu littéralement des centaines de lettres -
2 liberally
1 ( generously) libéralement ; liberally laced with vodka avec une bonne dose de vodka ;2 ( tolerantly) [think, treat, govern] de façon libérale ;3 ( not literally) [interpret, translate] librement. -
3 Usage note : do
she’s doing her homework= elle fait ses devoirswhat are you doing?= qu’est-ce que tu fais?what has he done with the newspaper?= qu’est-ce qu’il a fait du journal?faire functions in very much the same way as to do does in English and it is safe to assume it will work in the great majority of cases. For the conjugation of the verb faire, see the French verb tables.Grammatical functionsIn questionsIn French there is no use of an auxiliary verb in questions equivalent to the use of do in English.When the subject is a pronoun, the question is formed in French either by inverting the subject and verb and putting a hyphen between the two ( veux-tu?) or by prefacing the subject + verb by est-ce que (literally is it that):do you like Mozart?= aimes-tu Mozart? or est-ce que tu aimes Mozart?did you put the glasses in the cupboard?= as-tu mis les verres dans le placard? or est-ce que tu as mis les verres dans le placard?When the subject is a noun there are again two possibilities:did your sister ring?= est-ce que ta sœur a téléphoné? or ta sœur a-t-elle téléphoné?did Max find his keys?= est-ce que Max a trouvé ses clés? or Max a-t-il trouvé ses clés?In negativesEqually, auxiliaries are not used in negatives in French:I don’t like Mozart= je n’aime pas Mozartyou didn’t feed the cat= tu n’as pas donné à manger au chatdon’t do that!= ne fais pas ça!In emphatic usesThere is no verbal equivalent for the use of do in such expressions as I DO like your dress. A French speaker will find another way, according to the context, of expressing the force of the English do. Here are a few useful examples:I DO like your dress= j’aime beaucoup ta robeI DO hope she remembers= j’espère qu’elle n’oubliera pasI DO think you should see a doctor= je crois vraiment que tu devrais voir un médecinWhen referring back to another verbIn this case the verb to do is not translated at all:I don’t like him any more than you do= je ne l’aime pas plus que toiI live in Oxford and so does Lily= j’habite à Oxford et Lily aussishe gets paid more than I do= elle est payée plus que moiI haven’t written as much as I ought to have done= je n’ai pas écrit autant que j’aurais dû‘I love strawberries’ ‘so do I’= ‘j’adore les fraises’ ‘moi aussi’In polite requestsIn polite requests the phrase je vous en prie can often be used to render the meaning of do:do sit down= asseyez-vous, je vous en priedo have a piece of cake= prenez un morceau de gâteau, je vous en prie‘may I take a peach?’ ‘yes, do’= ‘puis-je prendre une pêche?’ ‘je vous en prie’In imperativesIn French there is no use of an auxiliary verb in imperatives:don’t shut the door= ne ferme pas la portedon’t tell her anything= ne lui dis riendo be quiet!= tais-toi!In tag questionsFrench has no direct equivalent of tag questions like doesn’t he? or didn’t it? There is a general tag question n’est-ce pas? (literally isn’t it so?) which will work in many cases:you like fish, don’t you?= tu aimes le poisson, n’est-ce pas?he lives in London, doesn’t he?= il habite à Londres, 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 meaning contained in the tag: par hasard can often be useful as a translation:Lola didn’t phone, did she?= Lola n’a pas téléphoné par hasard?Paul doesn’t work here, does he?= Paul ne travaille pas ici par hasard?In many cases the tag is not translated at all and the speaker’s intonation will convey what is implied:you didn’t tidy your room, did you? (i.e. you ought to have done)= tu n’as pas rangé ta chambre?In short answersAgain, there is no direct French equivalent for short answers like yes I do, no he doesn’t etc. Where the answer yes is given to contradict a negative question or statement, the most useful translation is si:‘Marion didn’t say that’ ‘yes she did’= ‘Marion n’a pas dit ça’ ‘si’‘they don’t sell vegetables at the baker’s’ ‘yes they do’= ‘ils ne vendent pas les légumes à la boulangerie’ ‘si’In response to a standard enquiry the tag will not be translated:‘do you like strawberries?’ ‘yes I do’= ‘aimez-vous les fraises?’ ‘oui ’For more examples and particular usages, see the entry do. -
4 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. -
5 Numbers
0 zéro*1 un†2 deux3 trois4 quatre5 cinq6 six7 sept8 huit9 neuf10 dix11 onze12 douze13 treize14 quatorze15 quinze16 seize17 dix-sept18 dix-huit19 dix-neuf20 vingt21 vingt et un22 vingt-deux30 trente31 trente et un32 trente-deux40 quarante50 cinquante60 soixante70 soixante-dixseptante (in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland etc.)71 soixante et onzeseptante et un ( etc)72 soixante-douze73 soixante-treize74 soixante-quatorze75 soixante-quinze76 soixante-seize77 soixante-dix-sept78 soixante-dix-nuit79 soixante-dix-neuf80 quatre-vingts‡81 quatre-vingt-un§82 quatre-vingt-deux90 quatre-vingt-dix ; nonante (in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, etc)91 quatre-vingt-onze ; nonante et un92 quatre-vingt-douze ; nonante-deux ( etc.)99 quatre-vingt-dix-neuf100 cent101 cent un†102 cent deux110 cent dix111 cent onze112 cent douze187 cent quatre-vingt-sept200 deux cents250 deux cent|| cinquante300 trois cents1000 || mille1001 mille un†1002 mille deux1020 mille vingt1200 mille** deux cents2000 deux mille††10000 dix mille10200 dix mille deux cents100000 cent mille102000 cent deux mille1000000 un million‡‡1264932 un million deux cent soixante-quatre mille neuf cent trente-deux1000000000 un milliard‡‡1000000000000 un billion‡‡* In English 0 may be called nought, zero or even nothing ; French is always zéro ; a nought = un zéro.† Note that one is une in French when it agrees with a feminine noun, so un crayon but une table, une des tables, vingt et une tables, combien de tables? - il y en a une seule etc.‡ Also huitante in Switzerland. Note that when 80 is used as a page number it has no s, e.g. page eighty = page quatre-vingt.§ Note that vingt has no s when it is in the middle of a number. The only exception to this rule is when quatre-vingts is followed by millions, milliards or billions, e.g. quatre-vingts millions, quatre-vingts billions etc.Note that cent does not take an s when it is in the middle of a number. The only exception to this rule is when it is followed by millions, milliards or billions, e.g. trois cents millions, six cents billions etc. It has a normal plural when it modifies other nouns, e.g. 200 inhabitants = deux cents habitants.|| Note that figures in French are set out differently ; where English would have a comma, French has simply a space. It is also possible in French to use a full stop (period) here, e.g. 1.000. French, like English, writes dates without any separation between thousands and hundreds, e.g. in 1995 = en 1995.** When such a figure refers to a date, the spelling mil is preferred to mille, i.e. en 1200 = en mil deux cents. Note however the exceptions: when the year is a round number of thousands, the spelling is always mille, so en l’an mille, en l’an deux mille etc.†† Mille is invariable ; it never takes an s.‡‡ Note that the French words million, milliard and billion are nouns, and when written out in full they take de before another noun, e.g. a million inhabitants is un million d’habitants, a billion francs is un billion de francs. However, when written in figures, 1,000,000 inhabitants is 1000000 habitants, but is still spoken as un million d’habitants. When million etc. is part of a complex number, de is not used before the nouns, e.g. 6,000,210 people = six millions deux cent dix personnes.Use of enNote the use of en in the following examples:there are six= il y en a sixI’ve got a hundred= j’en ai centEn must be used when the thing you are talking about is not expressed (the French says literally there of them are six, I of them have a hundred etc.). However, en is not needed when the object is specified:there are six apples= il y a six pommesApproximate numbersWhen you want to say about…, remember the French ending -aine:about ten= une dizaineabout ten books= une dizaine de livresabout fifteen= une quinzaineabout fifteen people= une quinzaine de personnesabout twenty= une vingtaineabout twenty hours= une vingtaine d’heuresSimilarly une trentaine, une quarantaine, une cinquantaine, une soixantaine and une centaine ( and une douzaine means a dozen). For other numbers, use environ (about):about thirty-five= environ trente-cinqabout thirty-five francs= environ trente-cinq francsabout four thousand= environ quatre milleabout four thousand pages= environ quatre mille pagesEnviron can be used with any number: environ dix, environ quinze etc. are as good as une dizaine, une quinzaine etc.Note the use of centaines and milliers to express approximate quantities:hundreds of books= des centaines de livresI’ve got hundreds= j’en ai des centaineshundreds and hundreds of fish= des centaines et des centaines de poissonsI’ve got thousands= j’en ai des milliersthousands of books= des milliers de livresthousands and thousands= des milliers et des milliersmillions and millions= des millions et des millionsPhrasesnumbers up to ten= les nombres jusqu’à dixto count up to ten= compter jusqu’à dixalmost ten= presque dixless than ten= moins de dixmore than ten= plus de dixall ten of them= tous les dixall ten boys= les dix garçonsNote the French word order:my last ten pounds= mes dix dernières livresthe next twelve weeks= les douze prochaines semainesthe other two= les deux autresthe last four= les quatre derniersCalculations in French
Note that French uses a comma where English has a decimal point.0,25 zéro virgule vingt-cinq0,05 zéro virgule zéro cinq0,75 zéro virgule soixante-quinze3,45 trois virgule quarante-cinq8,195 huit virgule cent quatre-vingt-quinze9,1567 neuf virgule quinze cent soixante-septor neuf virgule mille cinq cent soixante-sept9,3456 neuf virgule trois mille quatre cent cinquante-sixPercentages in French25% vingt-cinq pour cent50% cinquante pour cent100% cent pour cent200% deux cents pour cent365% troix cent soixante-cinq pour cent4,25% quatre virgule vingt-cinq pour centFractions in French
Ordinal numbers in French§1st 1er‡ premier ( feminine première)2nd 2e second or deuxième3rd 3e troisième4th 4e quatrième5th 5e cinquième6th 6e sixième7th 7e septième8th 8e huitième9th 9e neuvième10th 10e dixième11th 11e onzième12th 12e douzième13th 13e treizième14th 14e quatorzième15th 15e quinzième16th 16e seizième17th 17e dix-septième18th 18e dix-huitième19th 19e dix-neuvième20th 20e vingtième21st 21e vingt et unième22nd 22e vingt-deuxième23rd 23e vingt-troisième24th 24e vingt-quatrième25th 25e vingt-cinquième30th 30e trentième31st 31e trente et unième40th 40e quarantième50th 50e cinquantième60th 60e soixantième70th 70e soixante-dixième or septantième (in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland etc.)71st 71e soixante et onzième or septante et unième (etc.)72nd 72e soixante-douzième73rd 73e soixante-treizième74th 74e soixante-quatorzième75th 75e soixante-quinzième76th 76e soixante-seizième77th 77e soixante-dix-septième78th 78e soixante-dix-huitième79th 79e soixante-dix-neuvième80th 80e quatre-vingtième¶81st 81e quatre-vingt-unième90th 90e quatre-vingt-dixième or nonantième (in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland etc.)91st 91e quatre-vingt-onzième, or nonante et unième (etc.)99th 99e quatre-vingt-dix-neuvième100th 100e centième101st 101e cent et unième102nd 102e cent-deuxième196th 196e cent quatre-vingt-seizième200th 200e deux centième300th 300e trois centième400th 400e quatre centième1,000th 1000e millième2,000th 2000e deux millième1,000,000th 1000000e millionièmeLike English, French makes nouns by adding the definite article:the firstthe second= le second (or la seconde etc.)the first three= les trois premiers or les trois premièresNote the French word order in:the third richest country in the world= le troisième pays le plus riche du monde* Note that half, when not a fraction, is translated by the noun moitié or the adjective demi ; see the dictionary entry.† Note the use of les and d’entre when these fractions are used about a group of people or things: two-thirds of them = les deux tiers d’entre eux.‡ This is the masculine form ; the feminine is 1re and the plural 1ers (m) or 1res (f).§ All the ordinal numbers in French behave like ordinary adjectives and take normal plural endings where appropriate.¶ Also huitantième in Switzerland. -
6 Quantities
Note the use of en (of it or of them) in the following examples. This word must be included when the thing you are talking about is not expressed (the French says literally there is of it a lot, there is of it two kilos, I have of them a lot etc.). However, en is not needed when the commodity is specified e.g. there is a lot of butter = il y a beaucoup de beurre.how much is there?= combien y en a-t-il?there’s a lot= il y en a beaucoup*there’s not much= il n’y en a pas beaucoupthere’s two kilos= il y en a deux kiloshow much sugar have you got?= combien de sucre as-tu?I’ve got a lot= j’en ai beaucoupI’ve not got much= je n’en ai pas beaucoupI’ve got two kilos= j’en ai deux kiloshow many are there?= combien y en a-t-il?there are a lot= il y en a beaucoupthere aren’t many= il n’y en a pas beaucoupthere are twenty= il y en a vingthow many apples have you?= combien de pommes as-tu? or tu as combien de pommes?I’ve got a lot= j’en ai beaucoupI haven’t many= je n’en ai pas beaucoupI’ve got twenty= j’en ai vingtA has got more than B= A en a plus que BA has got more money than B= A a plus d’argent que Bmuch more than= beaucoup plus quea little more than= un peu plus queA has got more apples than B= A a plus de pommes que Bmany more apples than B= beaucoup plus de pommes que Ba few more apples than B= quelques pommes de plus que Ba few more people than yesterday= quelques personnes de plus qu’hierB has got less money than A= B a moins d’argent que AB has got less than A= B en a moins que Amuch less than= beaucoup moins quea little less than= un peu moins queB has got fewer than A= B en a moins que AB has got fewer apples than A= B a moins de pommes que Amany fewer than= beaucoup moins queRelative quantitieshow many are there to the kilo?= combien y en a-t-il au kilo?there are ten to the kilo= il y en a dix au kiloyou can count six to the kilo= il faut en compter six au kilohow many do you get for ten francs?= combien peut-on en avoir pour dix francs?you get five for ten francs= il y en a cinq pour dix francshow much does it cost a litre?= combien coûte le litre?it costs £5 a litre= ça coûte cinq livres le litrehow much do apples cost a kilo?= combien coûte le kilo de pommes?apples cost ten francs a kilo= les pommes coûtent dix francs le kilohow much does it cost a metre?= combien coûte le mètre?how much does your car do to the gallon?= combien consomme votre voiture?it does 28 miles to the gallon= elle fait dix litres aux cent(Note that the French calculate petrol consumption in litres per 100 km. To convert mpg to litres per 100 km and vice versa, simply divide 280 by the known figure.)how many glasses do you get to the bottle?= combien y a-t-il de verres par bouteille?you get six glasses to the bottle= il y a six verres par bouteille -
7 take
take [teɪk]prendre ⇒ 1A (a), 1A (b), 1B (a), 1B (c)-(e), 1C (b), 1D (a), 1D (b), 1E (a), 1F (a), 1G (a), 1G (b), 1G (d), 1H (a), 1H (b), 1I (a), 1I (c), 1I (d), 1I (f), 1I (g), 2 (a)-(c) porter ⇒ 1B (a) mener ⇒ 1B (b) conduire ⇒ 1C (a) recevoir ⇒ 1D (c) croire ⇒ 1F (b) supporter ⇒ 1F (d) supposer ⇒ 1G (c) contenir ⇒ 1I (e) passer ⇒ 1I (i)A.∎ let me take your coat donnez-moi votre manteau;∎ she took the book from him elle lui a pris le livre;∎ to take sb's hand prendre qn par la main;∎ she took his arm elle lui a pris le bras;∎ Peter took her in his arms Peter l'a prise dans ses bras;∎ the wolf took its prey by the throat le loup a saisi sa proie à la gorge(b) (get control of, capture → person) prendre, capturer; (→ fish, game) prendre, attraper; Military prendre, s'emparer de;∎ they took the town that night ils prirent ou s'emparèrent de la ville cette nuit-là;∎ to take sb prisoner faire qn prisonnier;∎ to take sb alive prendre ou capturer qn vivant;∎ I took his queen with my rook j'ai pris sa reine avec ma tour;∎ to take control of a situation prendre une situation en main;∎ we took our courage in both hands nous avons pris notre courage à deux mains;∎ you're taking your life in your hands doing that c'est ta vie que tu risques en faisant cela;∎ to take the lead in sth (in competition) prendre la tête de qch; (set example) être le premier à faire qchB.(a) (carry from one place to another) porter, apporter; (carry along, have in one's possession) prendre, emporter;∎ she took her mother a cup of tea elle a apporté une tasse de thé à sa mère;∎ he took the map with him il a emporté la carte;∎ she took some towels up(stairs)/down(stairs) elle a monté/descendu des serviettes;∎ don't forget to take your camera n'oubliez pas (de prendre) votre appareil photo;∎ figurative the committee wanted to take the matter further le comité voulait mener l'affaire plus loin;∎ the devil take it! que le diable l'emporte!;∎ you can't take it with you (money when you die) tu ne l'emporteras pas avec toi dans la tombe∎ her father takes her to school son père l'emmène à l'école;∎ could you take me home? pourriez-vous me ramener ou me raccompagner?;∎ to take sb across the road faire traverser la rue à qn;∎ may I take you to dinner? puis-je vous inviter à dîner ou vous emmener dîner?;∎ he offered to take them to work in the car il leur a proposé de les emmener au bureau en voiture ou de les conduire au bureau;∎ to take oneself to bed aller se coucher;∎ please take me with you emmène-moi, s'il te plaît;∎ humorous I can't take you anywhere tu n'es pas sortable;∎ the estate agent took them over the house l'agent immobilier leur a fait visiter la maison;∎ he took her round the museum il lui a fait visiter le musée;∎ she used to take me along to meetings (avant,) elle m'emmenait aux réunions;∎ this road will take you to the station cette route vous mènera ou vous conduira à la gare;∎ I don't want to take you out of your way je ne veux pas vous faire faire un détour;∎ her job took her all over Africa son travail l'a fait voyager dans toute l'Afrique;∎ that's what first took me to Portugal c'est ce qui m'a amené au Portugal;∎ whatever took him there? qu'allait-il faire là-bas?;∎ the record took her to number one in the charts le disque lui a permis d'être première au hit-parade∎ she took a handkerchief from her pocket elle a sorti un mouchoir de sa poche;∎ I took a chocolate from the box j'ai pris un chocolat dans la boîte;∎ take a book from the shelf prenez un livre sur l'étagère;∎ take your feet off the table enlève tes pieds de la table;∎ he took the saucepan off the heat il a ôté ou retiré la casserole du feu(d) (appropriate, steal) prendre, voler;∎ to take sth from sb prendre qch à qn;∎ someone's taken my wallet on a pris mon portefeuille;∎ his article is taken directly from my book le texte de son article est tiré directement de mon livre(e) (draw, derive) prendre, tirer;∎ a passage taken from a book un passage extrait d'un livre;∎ a phrase taken from Latin une expression empruntée au latin;∎ the title is taken from the Bible le titre vient de la Bible;∎ to take a print from a negative tirer une épreuve d'un négatifC.(a) (of bus, car, train etc) conduire, transporter;∎ the ambulance took him to hospital l'ambulance l'a transporté à l'hôpital;∎ this bus will take you to the theatre ce bus vous conduira au théâtre;∎ will this train take me to Cambridge? est-ce que ce train va à ou passe par Cambridge?∎ American take a right prenez à droiteD.∎ she took a quick look at him elle a jeté un rapide coup d'œil sur lui;∎ he took a flying leap il a bondi;∎ to take a photo or a picture prendre une photo;∎ she took his picture or a picture of him elle l'a pris en photo;∎ we had our picture taken nous nous sommes fait photographier ou prendre en photo;∎ familiar he takes a good photo (is photogenic) il est photogénique□(c) (receive, get) recevoir; (earn, win → prize) remporter, obtenir; (→ degree, diploma) obtenir, avoir;∎ he took the blow on his arm il a pris le coup sur le bras;∎ you can take the call in my office vous pouvez prendre l'appel dans mon bureau;∎ the bookstore takes about $3,000 a day la librairie fait à peu près 3000 dollars (de recette) par jour;∎ how much does he take home a month? quel est son salaire mensuel net?;∎ Cards we took all the tricks nous avons fait toutes les levées;∎ their team took the match leur équipe a gagné ou remporté le matchE.(a) (assume, undertake) prendre;∎ to take the blame for sth prendre la responsabilité de qch;∎ you'll have to take the consequences c'est vous qui en subirez les conséquences;∎ she takes all the credit for our success elle s'attribue tout le mérite de notre réussite;∎ I take responsibility for their safety je me charge de leur sécurité;∎ to take the part of Hamlet jouer (le rôle d')Hamlet∎ he took my side in the argument il a pris parti pour moi dans la dispute;∎ the boy took an oath or a vow to avenge his family le garçon a fait serment ou a juré de venger sa famille;∎ American to take the Fifth (Amendment) invoquer le Cinquième Amendement (pour refuser de répondre)∎ may I take the liberty of inviting you to dinner? puis-je me permettre de vous inviter à dîner?;∎ he took the opportunity to thank them or of thanking them il a profité de l'occasion pour les remercierF.∎ the doctor only takes private patients le docteur ne prend pas les patients du service public;∎ the owner won't take less than $100 for it le propriétaire en veut au moins 100 dollars;∎ does this machine take pound coins? cette machine accepte-t-elle les pièces d'une livre?;∎ to take a bribe se laisser acheter ou corrompre;∎ you'll have to take me as I am il faut me prendre comme je suis;∎ take things as they come prenez les choses comme elles viennent;∎ I won't take "no" for an answer pas question de refuser;∎ it's my last offer, (you can) take it or leave it c'est ma dernière offre, c'est à prendre ou à laisser;∎ I'll take it from here je prends la suite;∎ I'll take it from there je verrai à ce moment-là(b) (accept as valid) croire;∎ to take sb's advice suivre les conseils de qn;∎ take it from me, he's a crook croyez-moi, c'est un escroc∎ let's take things one at a time prenons les choses une par une;∎ the mayor took their questions calmly le maire a entendu leurs questions avec calme;∎ how did she take the questioning? comment a-t-elle réagi à ou pris l'interrogatoire?;∎ they took the news well or in their stride ils ont plutôt bien pris la nouvelle;∎ to take sth badly prendre mal qch;∎ familiar to take things easy or it easy se la couler douce;∎ familiar take it easy! (don't get angry) du calme!□∎ don't take any nonsense! ne te laisse pas faire!;∎ your father won't take any nonsense ton père ne plaisante pas avec ce genre de choses;∎ she can take it elle tiendra le coup;∎ esp American I'm not taking any! je ne marche pas!;∎ we couldn't take any more on n'en pouvait plus;∎ I can't take much more of this je commence à en avoir assez, je ne vais pas supporter cela bien longtemps;∎ I find his constant sarcasm rather hard to take je trouve ses sarcasmes perpétuels difficiles à supporter;∎ don't expect me to take this lying down ne comptez pas sur moi pour accepter ça sans rien dire;∎ those shoes have taken a lot of punishment ces chaussures en ont vu de toutes les couleurs;∎ to take heavy loads (crane, engine etc) supporter de lourdes charges;∎ it won't take your weight ça ne supportera pas ton poids(e) (experience, feel)∎ to take fright prendre peur;∎ to take an interest in sb/sth s'intéresser à qn/qch;∎ don't take offence ne vous vexez pas, ne vous offensez pas;∎ no offence taken il n'y a pas de mal;∎ we take pleasure in travelling nous prenons plaisir à voyager;∎ she takes pride in her work elle est fière de ce qu'elle fait;∎ to take pride in one's appearance prendre soin de sa personneG.(a) (consider, look at) prendre, considérer;∎ take Einstein (for example) prenons (l'exemple d')Einstein;∎ take the case of Colombia prenons le cas de la Colombie;∎ taking everything into consideration tout bien considéré;∎ to take sb/sth seriously prendre qn/qch au sérieux∎ do you take me for an idiot? vous me prenez pour un idiot?;∎ what do you take me for? pour qui me prenez-vous?;∎ I took you for an Englishman je vous croyais anglais;∎ he took me for somebody else il m'a pris pour quelqu'un d'autre;∎ to take the news as or to be true tenir la nouvelle pour vraie;∎ how old do you take her to be? quel âge est-ce que tu lui donnes?(c) (suppose, presume) supposer, présumer;∎ he's never been to Madrid, I take it si je comprends bien, il n'a jamais été à Madrid;∎ I take it you're his mother je suppose que vous êtes sa mère(d) (interpret, understand) prendre, comprendre;∎ we never know how to take his jokes on ne sait jamais comment prendre ses plaisanteries;∎ don't take that literally ne le prenez pas au pied de la lettre;∎ he was slow to take my meaning il lui a fallu un moment avant de comprendre ce que je voulais direH.∎ how long will it take to get there? combien de temps faudra-t-il pour y aller?;∎ the flight takes three hours le vol dure trois heures;∎ it will take you ten minutes vous en avez pour dix minutes;∎ it took him a minute to understand il a mis une minute avant de comprendre;∎ it took us longer than I expected cela nous a pris plus de temps que je ne pensais;∎ it takes time to learn a language il faut du temps pour apprendre une langue;∎ what kind of batteries does it take? quelle sorte de piles faut-il?;∎ my car takes unleaded ma voiture roule au sans-plomb;∎ he took a bit of coaxing before he accepted il a fallu le pousser un peu pour qu'il accepte;∎ it took four people to stop the brawl ils ont dû se mettre à quatre pour arrêter la bagarre;∎ it takes a clever man to do that bien malin ou habile qui peut le faire;∎ it takes courage to admit one's mistakes il faut du courage pour admettre ses erreurs;∎ it takes patience to work with children il faut de la patience ou il faut être patient pour travailler avec les enfants;∎ one glance was all it took un regard a suffi;∎ the job took some doing la tâche n'a pas été facile;∎ that will take some explaining voilà qui va demander des explications;∎ her story takes some believing son histoire n'est pas facile à croire;∎ to have what it takes to do/to be sth avoir les qualités nécessaires pour faire/être qch;∎ we need someone with leadership qualities - she has what it takes il nous faut quelqu'un qui ait des qualités de dirigeant - ce n'est pas ce qui lui manque;∎ familiar he's so lazy - it takes one to know one! il est vraiment paresseux - tu peux parler!∎ "falloir" takes the subjunctive "falloir" est suivi du subjonctif;∎ noun that takes an "s" in the plural nom qui prend un "s" au plurielI.(a) (food, drink etc) prendre;∎ do you take milk in your coffee? prenez-vous du lait dans votre café?;∎ how do you take your coffee? qu'est-ce que tu prends dans ton café?;∎ I invited him to take tea je l'ai invité à prendre le thé;∎ she refused to take any food elle a refusé de manger (quoi que ce soit);∎ to take drugs se droguer;∎ how many pills has he taken? combien de comprimés a-t-il pris ou absorbé?;∎ not to be taken internally (on packaging) (à) usage externe;∎ to be taken twice a day (on packaging) à prendre deux fois par jour;∎ to take the air prendre l'air∎ she takes a size 10 elle prend du 38;∎ what size shoe do you take? quelle est votre pointure?∎ I'll take it je le prends;∎ what newspaper do you take? quel journal prenez-vous?;∎ take your partners (at dance) invitez vos partenaires(d) (occupy → chair, seat) prendre, s'asseoir sur;∎ take a seat asseyez-vous;∎ take your seats! prenez vos places!;∎ is this seat taken? cette place est-elle occupée ou prise?(e) (hold → of container, building etc) contenir, avoir une capacité de;∎ this bus takes fifty passengers c'est un car de cinquante places(f) (ascertain, find out) prendre;∎ to take sb's pulse/temperature prendre le pouls/la température de qn;∎ to take a reading from a meter lire ou relever un compteur(g) (write down → notes, letter) prendre;∎ he took a note of her address il a noté son adresse(h) (subtract) soustraire, déduire;∎ they took 10 percent off the price ils ont baissé le prix de 10 pour cent;∎ take 4 from 9 and you have 5 ôtez 4 de 9, il reste 5∎ I took Latin and Greek at A level ≃ j'ai pris latin et grec au bac;∎ she took her degree last year elle a obtenu son diplôme l'an dernier;∎ she takes us for maths on l'a en maths∎ to take a service célébrer un office;∎ the assistant director took the rehearsals l'assistant réalisateur s'est occupé des répétitions(k) (contract, develop)∎ to take a chill, to take cold prendre froid;∎ to take sick, to be taken ill tomber malade;∎ I was taken with a fit of the giggles j'ai été pris d'un fou rire;∎ she took an instant dislike to him elle l'a tout de suite pris en aversion(l) (direct, aim)∎ she took a swipe at him elle a voulu le gifler;∎ Football to take a penalty tirer un penalty∎ she takes all her problems to her sister elle raconte tous ses problèmes à sa sœur;∎ he took the matter to his boss il a soumis la question à son patron;∎ Law they intend to take the case to the High Court ils ont l'intention d'en appeler à la Cour suprême∎ he took an axe to the door il a donné des coups de hache dans la porte;∎ take the scissors to it vas-y avec les ciseaux;∎ his father took a stick to him son père lui a donné des coups de bâton;∎ Law they took legal proceedings against him ils lui ont intenté un procès(o) (catch unawares) prendre, surprendre;∎ to take sb by surprise or off guard surprendre qn, prendre qn au dépourvu;∎ his death took us by surprise sa mort nous a surpris∎ they took him for every penny (he was worth) ils lui ont pris jusqu'à son dernier sou(a) (work, have desired effect) prendre;∎ did the dye take? est-ce que la teinture a pris?;∎ it was too cold for the seeds to take il faisait trop froid pour que les graines germent(b) (become popular) prendre, avoir du succès3 noun(b) Cinema, Photography & Television prise f de vue; Radio enregistrement m, prise f de son; (of record etc) enregistrement m∎ what's your take on her attitude? comment est-ce que tu interprètes son attitude?∎ to be on the take toucher des pots-de-vin□, palper(astonish) étonner, ébahir; (disconcert) déconcerter;∎ her question took him aback sa question l'a déconcerté;∎ I was taken aback by the news la nouvelle m'a beaucoup surprisressembler à, tenir de;∎ she takes after her mother in looks physiquement, elle tient de sa mère(a) (dismantle) démonter;∎ figurative they took the room apart looking for evidence ils ont mis la pièce sens dessus dessous pour trouver des preuves(b) (criticize) critiquerprendre à part, emmener à l'écart;∎ the boss took her aside for a chat le patron l'a prise à part pour discuter∎ take that knife away from him enlevez-lui ce couteau;∎ they took away his pension ils lui ont retiré sa pension;∎ they took their daughter away from the club ils ont retiré leur fille du club;∎ his work took him away from his family for long periods son travail le tenait éloigné de sa famille pendant de longues périodes;∎ euphemism the police took his father away son père a été arrêté par la police;∎ it takes away the fun ça gâche tout∎ not to be taken away (in library) à consulter sur place(c) Mathematics soustraire, retrancher;∎ nine take away six is three neuf moins six font trois∎ that doesn't take away from his achievements as an athlete ça n'enlève rien à ses exploits d'athlète;∎ to take away from the pleasure/value of sth diminuer le plaisir/la valeur de qch(a) (after absence, departure) reprendre;∎ she took her husband back elle a accepté que son mari revienne vivre avec elle;∎ the factory took back the workers l'usine a repris les ouvriers(b) (gift, unsold goods, sale item etc) reprendre∎ take it back to the shop rapporte-le au magasin;∎ he took her back home il l'a raccompagnée ou ramenée chez elle(d) (retract, withdraw) retirer, reprendre;∎ I take back everything I said je retire tout ce que j'ai dit;∎ all right, I take it back! d'accord, je n'ai rien dit!∎ that takes me back to my childhood ça me rappelle mon enfance;∎ that song takes me back forty years cette chanson me ramène quarante ans en arrière;∎ it takes you back a bit, doesn't it? ça ne nous rajeunit pas tout ça, hein?(f) Typography transférer à la ligne précédente∎ the lift took us down to the 4th floor l'ascenseur nous a amenés au 4ème étage∎ she took the book down from the shelf elle a pris le livre sur l'étagère;∎ can you help me take the curtains down? peux-tu m'aider à décrocher les rideaux?;∎ she took his picture down from the wall elle a enlevé sa photo du mur;∎ he took his trousers down il a baissé son pantalon∎ he took down the registration number il a relevé le numéro d'immatriculation;∎ to take down a letter in shorthand prendre une lettre en sténo(d) (dismantle → scaffolding, circus tent) démonterse démonter(b) (bring into one's home → person) héberger; (→ boarder) prendre; (→ orphan, stray animal) recueillir;∎ she takes in ironing elle fait du repassage à domicile∎ the police took him in la police l'a mis ou placé en garde à vue(d) (air, water, food etc)∎ she can only take in food intravenously on ne peut la nourrir que par intraveineuse;∎ whales take in air through their blowhole les baleines respirent par l'évent(e) (understand, perceive) saisir, comprendre;∎ he was sitting taking it all in il était là, assis, écoutant tout ce qui se disait;∎ he didn't take in the real implications of her announcement il n'a pas saisi les véritables implications de sa déclaration;∎ I can't take in the fact that I've won je n'arrive pas à croire que j'ai gagné;∎ she took in the situation at a glance elle a compris la situation en un clin d'œil∎ you'd better take in the slack on the rope tu ferais bien de tendre ou retendre la corde;∎ Nautical to take in a sail carguer ou serrer une voile∎ the tour takes in all the important towns l'excursion passe par toutes les villes importantes(h) (attend, go to) aller à;∎ to take in a show aller au théâtre;∎ she took in the castle while in Blois elle a visité le château pendant qu'elle était à Blois;∎ they took in the sights in Rome ils ont fait le tour des sites touristiques à Rome∎ don't be taken in by him ne vous laissez pas rouler par lui;∎ I'm not going to be taken in by your lies je ne suis pas dupe de tes mensonges□ ;∎ he was completely taken in il marchait complètement➲ take off(a) (remove → clothing, lid, make-up, tag) enlever;∎ the boy took his clothes off le garçon a enlevé ses vêtements ou s'est déshabillé;∎ she took her glasses off elle a enlevé ses lunettes;∎ he often takes the phone off the hook il laisse souvent le téléphone décroché;∎ to take sb off a list rayer qn d'une liste;∎ the surgeon had to take her leg off le chirurgien a dû l'amputer de la jambe;∎ Cars to take off the brake desserrer le frein (à main);∎ figurative he didn't take his eyes off her all night il ne l'a pas quittée des yeux de la soirée;∎ I tried to take her mind off her troubles j'ai essayé de lui changer les idées ou de la distraire de ses ennuis;∎ familiar his retirement has taken ten years off him sa retraite l'a rajeuni de dix ans□ ;∎ to take sth off sb's hands débarrasser qn de qch;∎ I'll take the baby off your hands for a few hours je vais garder le bébé pendant quelques heures, ça te libérera∎ the teacher took one point off her grade le professeur lui a retiré un point;∎ the manager took 10 percent off the price le directeur a baissé le prix de 10 pour cent(c) (lead away) emmener;∎ she was taken off to hospital on l'a transportée à l'hôpital;∎ the murderer was taken off to jail on a emmené l'assassin en prison;∎ her friend took her off to dinner son ami l'a emmenée dîner;∎ she took herself off to Italy elle est partie en Italie;∎ to take the passengers off (by boat from a ship) débarquer les passagers;∎ the injured man was taken off the ship by helicopter le blessé a été évacué du bateau par hélicoptère∎ to take some time off prendre un congé;∎ take a few days off prenez quelques jours de vacances ou de congé;∎ she takes Thursdays off elle ne travaille pas le jeudi(a) (aeroplane) décoller;∎ they took off for or to Heathrow ils se sont envolés pour Heathrow∎ he took off without telling us il est parti sans nous avertir➲ take on(a) (accept, undertake) prendre, accepter;∎ to take on the responsibility for sth se charger de qch;∎ don't take on more than you can handle ne vous surchargez pas;∎ she took it on herself to tell him elle a pris sur elle de le lui dire;∎ to take on a bet accepter un pari∎ the unions took on the government les syndicats se sont attaqués ou s'en sont pris au gouvernement;∎ I shouldn't like to take him on je n'aimerais pas avoir affaire à lui;∎ he took us on at poker il nous a défiés au poker(c) (acquire, assume) prendre, revêtir;∎ her face took on a worried look elle a pris un air inquiet;∎ the word takes on another meaning le mot prend une autre significationfamiliar (fret, carry on) s'en faire;∎ don't take on so! ne t'en fais pas!∎ take the cheese out of the refrigerator sors le fromage du réfrigérateur;∎ he took the knife out of his pocket il a sorti le couteau de sa poche;∎ take your hands out of your pockets enlève les mains de tes poches;∎ they took their children out of school ils ont retiré leurs enfants de l'école;∎ Medicine to take out sb's appendix/tonsils enlever l'appendice/les amygdales à qn;∎ figurative to take the food out of sb's mouth retirer le pain de la bouche de qn∎ to take sb out to dinner/to the movies emmener qn dîner/au cinéma;∎ I took her out for a bike ride je l'ai emmenée faire un tour à vélo;∎ would you take the dog out? tu veux bien sortir le chien ou aller promener le chien?(d) (obtain → subscription) prendre; (→ insurance policy) souscrire à, prendre; (→ licence) se procurer; (→ patent) prendre;∎ to take out a mortgage faire un emprunt immobilier∎ to take sb out (kill) buter qn, zigouiller qn, refroidir qn;∎ the planes took the factory out by bombing les avions ont détruit l'usine (en la bombardant)∎ to take out one's partner changer la couleur annoncée par son partenaire∎ to take sb out of himself/herself changer les idées à qn;∎ familiar working as an interpreter takes a lot out of you le travail d'interprète est épuisant□ ;∎ familiar the operation really took it out of him l'opération l'a mis à plat;∎ familiar it takes the fun out of it ça gâche tout□ ;∎ familiar to take it out on sb s'en prendre à qn□ ;∎ familiar he took his anger out on his wife il a passé sa colère sur sa femme□ ;∎ familiar don't take it out on me! ne t'en prends pas à moi!□(a) (assume responsibility of) reprendre;∎ he wants his daughter to take over the business il veut que sa fille reprenne l'affaire;∎ she took over my classes elle a pris la suite de mes cours;∎ will you be taking over his job? est-ce que vous allez le remplacer (dans ses fonctions)?(b) (gain control of, invade) s'emparer de;∎ the military took over the country l'armée a pris le pouvoir;∎ she takes the place over (by being bossy etc) elle joue les despotes;∎ fast-food restaurants have taken over Paris les fast-foods ou French Canadian restaurants-minute ont envahi Paris∎ they were taken over by a Japanese firm ils ont été rachetés par une entreprise japonaise∎ I'll take you over by car je vais vous y conduire en voiture;∎ the boat took us over to Seattle le bateau nous a emmenés jusqu'à Seattle(e) Typography transférer à la ligne suivante∎ who will take over now that the mayor has stepped down? qui va prendre la relève maintenant que le maire a donné sa démission?;∎ I'll take over when he leaves je le remplacerai quand il partira;∎ will he allow her to take over? va-t-il lui céder la place?;∎ compact discs have taken over from records le (disque) compact a remplacé le (disque) vinyle(b) (army, dictator) prendre le pouvoir(a) (have a liking for → person) se prendre d'amitié ou de sympathie pour, prendre en amitié; (→ activity, game) prendre goût à;∎ I think he took to you je crois que vous lui avez plu;∎ we took to one another at once nous avons tout de suite sympathisé;∎ she didn't take to him il ne lui a pas plu;∎ we've really taken to golf nous avons vraiment pris goût au golf(b) (acquire as a habit) se mettre à;∎ to take to drink or to the bottle se mettre à boire;∎ to take to doing sth se mettre à faire qch;∎ she took to wearing black elle s'est mise à s'habiller en noir(c) (make for, head for)∎ he's taken to his bed with the flu il est alité avec la grippe;∎ the rebels took to the hills les insurgés se sont réfugiés dans les collines;∎ they took to the woods ils se sont enfuis dans les bois;∎ to take to the road prendre la route;∎ to take to the boats monter dans les canots de sauvetage➲ take up∎ the lift took us up to the 25th floor l'ascenseur nous a amenés au 25ème étage(b) (pick up → object) ramasser, prendre; (→ passenger) prendre; (→ paving stones, railway tracks) enlever;∎ she took up the notes from the table elle a ramassé ou pris les notes sur la table;∎ they're taking up the street la rue est en travaux;∎ we finally took up the carpet nous avons enfin enlevé la moquette∎ you'd better take up the slack in that rope tu ferais mieux de retendre ou tendre cette corde∎ this table takes up too much room cette table prend trop de place ou est trop encombrante;∎ moving house took up the whole day le déménagement a pris toute la journée;∎ her work takes up all her attention son travail l'absorbe complètement(f) (begin, become interested in → activity, hobby) se mettre à; (→ job) prendre; (→ career) commencer, embrasser;∎ when did you take up Greek? quand est-ce que tu t'es mis au grec?;∎ I've taken up gardening je me suis mis au jardinage(g) (continue, resume) reprendre, continuer;∎ I took up the tale where Susan had left off j'ai repris l'histoire là où Susan l'avait laissée;∎ she took up her knitting again elle a repris son tricot(h) (adopt → attitude) prendre, adopter; (→ method) adopter; (→ place, position) prendre; (→ idea) adopter;∎ they took up residence in town ils se sont installés en ville;∎ to take up one's duties entrer en fonctions∎ take it up with the boss parlez-en au patron(k) (shares, stock) souscrire àreprendre, continuer∎ he took it upon himself to organize the meeting il s'est chargé d'organiser la réunion(a) (accept offer, advice of)∎ his daughter took him up on his advice sa fille a suivi ses conseils;∎ he might take you up on that someday! il risque de vous prendre au mot un jour!;∎ she took him up on his promise elle a mis sa parole à l'épreuve∎ I'd like to take you up on that point j'aimerais revenir sur ce point avec vous∎ to take up with sb se lier d'amitié avec qn, prendre qn en amitié;∎ she took up with a bad crowd elle s'est mise à fréquenter des vauriens∎ to be taken up with doing sth être occupé à faire qch;∎ she's very taken up with him elle ne pense qu'à lui;∎ she's taken up with her business elle est très prise par ses affaires;∎ meetings were taken up with talk about the economy on passait les réunions à parler de l'économieⓘ Take me to your leader Il s'agit de la formule prononcée par les extra-terrestres fraîchement débarqués sur terre dans les vieux films de science-fiction et adressée au premier terrien rencontré. On emploie cette phrase ("menez-moi jusqu'à votre chef") de façon humoristique lorsque, dans une situation donnée, on désire parler au responsable. -
8 Illnesses, aches and pains
Where does it hurt?where does it hurt?= où est-ce que ça vous fait mal? or (more formally) où avez-vous mal?his leg hurts= sa jambe lui fait malhe has a pain in his leg= il a mal à la jambeNote that with avoir mal à French uses the definite article (la) with the part of the body, where English has a possessive (his), hence:his head was aching= il avait mal à la têteEnglish has other ways of expressing this idea, but avoir mal à fits them too:he had toothache= il avait mal aux dentshis ears hurt= il avait mal aux oreillesAccidentsshe broke her leg= elle s’est cassé la jambeElle s’est cassé la jambe means literally she broke to herself the leg ; because the se is an indirect object, the past participle cassé does not agree. This is true of all such constructions:she sprained her ankle= elle s’est foulé la chevillethey burned their hands= ils se sont brûlé les mainsChronic conditionsNote that the French often use fragile (weak) to express a chronic condition:he has a weak heart= il a le cœur fragilehe has kidney trouble= il a les reins fragileshe has a bad back= il a le dos fragileBeing illMostly French uses the definite article with the name of an illness:to have flu= avoir la grippeto have measles= avoir la rougeoleto have malaria= avoir la malariaThis applies to most infectious diseases, including childhood illnesses. However, note the exceptions ending in -ite (e.g. une hépatite, une méningite) below.When the illness affects a specific part of the body, French uses the indefinite article:to have cancer= avoir un cancerto have cancer of the liver= avoir un cancer du foieto have pneumonia= avoir une pneumonieto have cirrhosis= avoir une cirrhoseto have a stomach ulcer= avoir un ulcère à l’estomacMost words in -ite ( English -itis) work like this:to have bronchitis= avoir une bronchiteto have hepatitis= avoir une hépatiteWhen the illness is a generalized condition, French tends to use du, de l’, de la or des:to have rheumatism= avoir des rhumatismesto have emphysema= avoir de l’emphysèmeto have asthma= avoir de l’asthmeto have arthritis= avoir de l’arthriteOne exception here is:to have hay fever= avoir le rhume des foinsWhen there is an adjective for such conditions, this is often preferred in French:to have asthma= être asthmatiqueto have epilepsy= être épileptiqueSuch adjectives can be used as nouns to denote the person with the illness, e.g. un/une asthmatique and un/une épileptique etc.French has other specific words for people with certain illnesses:someone with cancer= un cancéreux/une cancéreuseIf in doubt check in the dictionary.English with is translated by qui a or qui ont, and this is always safe:someone with malaria= quelqu’un qui a la malariapeople with Aids= les gens qui ont le SidaFalling illThe above guidelines about the use of the definite and indefinite articles in French hold good for talking about the onset of illnesses.French has no general equivalent of to get. However, where English can use catch, French can use attraper:to catch mumps= attraper les oreillonsto catch malaria= attraper la malariato catch bronchitis= attraper une bronchiteto catch a cold= attraper un rhumeSimilarly where English uses contract, French uses contracter:to contract Aids= contracter le Sidato contract pneumonia= contracter une pneumonieto contract hepatitis= contracter une hépatiteFor attacks of chronic illnesses, French uses faire une crise de:to have a bout of malaria= faire une crise de malariato have an asthma attack= faire une crise d’asthmeto have an epileptic fit= faire une crise d’épilepsieTreatmentto be treated for polio= se faire soigner contre la polioto take something for hay fever= prendre quelque chose contre le rhume des foinshe’s taking something for his cough= il prend quelque chose contre la touxto prescribe something for a cough= prescrire un médicament contre la touxmalaria tablets= des cachets contre la malariato have a cholera vaccination= se faire vacciner contre le cholérato be vaccinated against smallpox= se faire vacciner contre la varioleto be immunized against smallpox= se faire immuniser contre la varioleto have a tetanus injection= se faire vacciner contre le tétanosto give sb a tetanus injection= vacciner qn contre le tétanosto be operated on for cancer= être opéré d’un cancerto operate on sb for appendicitis= opérer qn de l’appendicite
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