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  • 1 be

    be [bi:]
    être ⇒ 1 (a)-(c), 1 (f), 1 (h), 1 (i), 1 (m), 1 (o), 1 (p), 2 aller ⇒ 1 (d) avoir ⇒ 1 (e) mesurer ⇒ 1 (g) coûter ⇒ 1 (j) il y a ⇒ 1 (k) voici, voilà ⇒ 1 (l) faire ⇒ 1 (n), 1 (q) aller, venir ⇒ 1 (o) Dans les question tags ⇒ 2 (j)
    (pres 1st sing am [əm, stressed æm], pres 2nd sing are [ə, stressed ɑ:(r)], pres 3rd sing is [ɪz], pres pl
    are [ə, stressed ɑ:(r)], pt 1st sing was [wəz, stressed wɒz], pt 2nd sing were [wə, stressed wɜ:(r)], pt 3rd sing was [wəz, stressed wɒz], pt pl were [wə, stressed wɜ:(r)], pp been [bi:n], cont being ['bi:ɪŋ])
    ⓘ GRAM À l'oral et dans un style familier à l'écrit, le verbe be peut être contracté: I am devient I'm, he/she/it is deviennent he's/she's/it's et you/we/they are deviennent you're/we're/they're. Les formes négatives is not/are not/was not et were not se contractent respectivement en isn't/aren't/wasn't et weren't.
    (a) (exist, live) être, exister;
    ∎ I think, therefore I am je pense, donc je suis;
    ∎ to be or not to be être ou ne pas être;
    ∎ God is Dieu existe;
    ∎ the greatest scientist that ever was le plus grand savant qui ait jamais existé ou de tous les temps;
    ∎ there are no such things as ghosts les fantômes n'existent pas;
    ∎ she's a genius if ever there was one c'est ou voilà un génie si jamais il en fut;
    ∎ as happy as can be heureux comme un roi;
    ∎ that may be, but… cela se peut, mais…, peut-être, mais…
    (b) (used to identify, describe) être;
    ∎ she is my sister c'est ma sœur;
    ∎ I'm Elaine je suis ou je m'appelle Elaine;
    ∎ she's a doctor/engineer elle est médecin/ingénieur;
    ∎ the glasses were crystal les verres étaient en cristal;
    ∎ he is American il est américain, c'est un Américain;
    ∎ be careful! soyez prudent!;
    ∎ to be frank… pour être franc…, franchement…;
    ∎ being the boy's mother, I have a right to know étant la mère de l'enfant, j'ai le droit de savoir;
    ∎ the situation being what or as it is… la situation étant ce qu'elle est…;
    ∎ the problem is knowing or is to know when to stop le problème, c'est de savoir quand s'arrêter;
    ∎ the rule is: when in doubt, don't do it la règle c'est: dans le doute abstiens-toi;
    ∎ seeing is believing voir, c'est croire;
    ∎ just be yourself soyez vous-même, soyez naturel;
    ∎ you be Batman and I'll be Robin (children playing) on dirait que tu es Batman et moi je suis Robin
    ∎ he was angry/tired il était fâché/fatigué;
    ∎ I am hungry/thirsty/afraid j'ai faim/soif/peur;
    ∎ my feet/hands are frozen j'ai les pieds gelés/mains gelées
    (d) (indicating health) aller, se porter;
    ∎ how are you? comment allez-vous?, comment ça va?;
    ∎ I am fine ça va;
    ∎ he is not well il est malade, il ne va pas bien
    ∎ how old are you? quel âge avez-vous?;
    ∎ I'm twelve (years old) j'ai douze ans;
    ∎ it's different when you're fifty ce n'est pas pareil quand on a cinquante ans;
    ∎ you'll see when you're fifty tu verras quand tu auras cinquante ans
    ∎ the cake was on the table le gâteau était sur la table;
    ∎ the hotel is next to the river l'hôtel se trouve ou est près de la rivière;
    ∎ be there at nine o'clock soyez-y à neuf heures;
    ∎ where was I? où étais-je?; figurative (in book, speech) où en étais-je?
    ∎ the table is one metre long la table fait un mètre de long;
    ∎ how tall is he? combien mesure-t-il?;
    ∎ he is two metres tall il mesure ou fait deux mètres;
    ∎ the school is two kilometres from here l'école est à deux kilomètres d'ici
    (h) (indicating time, date) être;
    ∎ it's five o'clock il est cinq heures;
    ∎ yesterday was Monday hier on était ou c'était lundi;
    ∎ today is Tuesday nous sommes ou c'est mardi aujourd'hui;
    ∎ what date is it today? le combien sommes-nous aujourd'hui?;
    ∎ it's the 16th of December nous sommes ou c'est le 16 décembre
    (i) (happen, occur) être, avoir lieu;
    ∎ the concert is on Saturday night le concert est ou a lieu samedi soir;
    ∎ when is your birthday? quand est ou c'est quand ton anniversaire?;
    ∎ the spring holidays are in March this year les vacances de printemps tombent en mars cette année;
    ∎ how is it that you arrived so quickly? comment se fait-il que vous soyez arrivé si vite?
    ∎ how much is this table? combien coûte ou vaut cette table?;
    ∎ it is expensive ça coûte ou c'est cher;
    ∎ the phone bill is £75 la facture de téléphone est de 75 livres
    (k) (with "there")
    ∎ there is, there are il y a, literary il est;
    ∎ there is or has been no snow il n'y a pas de neige;
    ∎ there are six of them ils sont ou il y en a six;
    ∎ what is there to do? qu'est-ce qu'il y a à faire?;
    ∎ there will be swimming on nagera;
    ∎ there is nothing funny about it il n'y a rien d'amusant là-dedans, ce n'est pas drôle;
    ∎ there's no telling what she'll do il est impossible de prévoir ce qu'elle va faire
    ∎ this is my friend John voici mon ami John;
    ∎ here are the reports you wanted voici les rapports que vous vouliez;
    ∎ there is our car voilà notre voiture;
    ∎ there are the others voilà les autres;
    ∎ here I am me voici;
    ∎ there you are! (I've found you) ah, te voilà!; (take this) tiens, voilà!;
    ∎ now there's an idea! voilà une bonne idée!
    ∎ who is it? - it's us! qui est-ce? - c'est nous!;
    ∎ it was your mother who decided c'est ta mère qui a décidé;
    ∎ formal it is I who am to blame c'est moi le responsable
    ∎ it is cold/hot/grey il fait froid/chaud/gris;
    ∎ it is windy il y a du vent
    (o) (go) aller, être; (come) être, venir;
    ∎ she's been to visit her mother elle a été ou est allée rendre visite à sa mère;
    ∎ I have never been to China je ne suis jamais allé ou je n'ai jamais été en Chine;
    ∎ have you been home since Christmas? est-ce que tu es rentré (chez toi) depuis Noël?;
    ∎ has the plumber been? le plombier est-il (déjà) passé?;
    ∎ wait for us, we'll be there in ten minutes attends-nous, nous serons là dans dix minutes;
    ∎ there's no need to rush, we'll be there in ten minutes inutile de se presser, nous y serons dans dix minutes;
    ∎ he was into/out of the house in a flash il est entré dans/sorti de la maison en coup de vent;
    ∎ I know, I've been there je sais, j'y suis allé; figurative je sais, j'ai connu ça;
    ∎ she is from Egypt elle vient d'Égypte;
    ∎ your brother has been and gone votre frère est venu et reparti;
    ∎ someone had been there in her absence quelqu'un est venu pendant son absence;
    ∎ British familiar he's only been and wrecked the car! il est allé casser la voiture!;
    ∎ British familiar now you've been (and gone) and done it! (caused trouble, broken something) et voilà, c'est réussi!
    (p) (indicating hypothesis, supposition)
    ∎ if I were you si j'étais vous ou à votre place;
    ∎ if we were younger si nous étions plus jeunes;
    ∎ formal were it not for my sister sans ma sœur;
    ∎ formal were it not for their contribution, the school would close sans leur assistance, l'école serait obligée de fermer
    ∎ 1 and 1 are 2 1 et 1 font 2;
    ∎ what is 5 less 3? combien fait 5 moins 3?
    ∎ he is having breakfast il prend ou il est en train de prendre son petit déjeuner;
    ∎ they are always giggling ils sont toujours en train de glousser;
    ∎ where are you going? où allez-vous?;
    ∎ a problem which is getting worse and worse un problème qui s'aggrave;
    ∎ I have just been thinking about you je pensais justement à toi;
    ∎ we've been waiting hours for you ça fait des heures que nous t'attendons;
    ∎ when will she be leaving? quand est-ce qu'elle part ou va-t-elle partir?;
    ∎ what are you going to do about it? qu'est-ce que vous allez ou comptez faire?;
    ∎ why aren't you working? - but I AM working! pourquoi ne travaillez-vous pas? - mais je travaille!
    ∎ she is known as a good negotiator elle est connue pour ses talents de négociatrice;
    ∎ the car was found la voiture a été retrouvée;
    ∎ plans are being made on fait des projets;
    ∎ what is left to do? qu'est-ce qui reste à faire?;
    ∎ smoking is not permitted il est interdit ou défendu de fumer;
    ∎ socks are sold by the pair les chaussettes se vendent par deux;
    ∎ it is said/thought/assumed that... on dit/pense/suppose que...;
    ∎ to be continued (TV programme, serialized story) à suivre;
    ∎ not to be confused with à ne pas confondre avec
    (c) (with infinitive → indicating future event)
    ∎ the next meeting is to take place on Wednesday la prochaine réunion aura lieu mercredi;
    ∎ he's to be the new headmaster c'est lui qui sera le nouveau directeur;
    ∎ she was to become a famous pianist elle allait devenir une pianiste renommée;
    ∎ we were never to see him again nous ne devions jamais le revoir
    (d) (with infinitive → indicating expected event)
    ∎ they were to have been married in June ils devaient se marier en juin
    (e) (with infinitive → indicating obligation)
    ∎ I'm to be home by ten o'clock il faut que je rentre avant dix heures;
    ∎ you are not to speak to strangers il ne faut pas parler aux inconnus
    (f) (with infinitive → expressing opinion)
    ∎ you are to be congratulated on doit vous féliciter;
    ∎ they are to be pitied ils sont à plaindre
    (g) (with infinitive → requesting information)
    ∎ are we then to assume that taxes will decrease? faut-il ou doit-on en conclure que les impôts vont diminuer?;
    ∎ what am I to say to them? qu'est-ce que je vais leur dire?
    (h) (with passive infinitive → indicating possibility)
    ∎ bargains are to be found even in the West End on peut faire de bonnes affaires même dans le West End;
    ∎ she was not to be dissuaded rien ne devait ou il fut impossible de lui faire changer d'avis
    (i) formal (with infinitive → indicating hypothesis)
    ∎ if he were or were he to die s'il venait à mourir, à supposer qu'il meure
    ∎ he's always causing trouble, isn't he? - yes, he is il est toujours en train de créer des problèmes, n'est-ce pas? - oui, toujours;
    ∎ you're back, are you? vous êtes revenu alors?;
    ∎ you're not leaving already, are you? vous ne partez pas déjà, j'espère?
    ∎ is she satisfied? - she is est-elle satisfaite? - oui(, elle l'est);
    ∎ you're angry - no I'm not - oh yes you are! tu es fâché - non - mais si!;
    ∎ it's a touching scene - not for me, it isn't c'est une scène émouvante - je ne trouve pas ou pas pour moi;
    ∎ I was pleased to see him but the children weren't (moi,) j'étais content de le voir mais pas les enfants
    ∎ we're finished nous avons terminé;
    ∎ Religion Christ is risen (le) Christ est ressucité;
    ∎ when I looked again, they were gone quand j'ai regardé de nouveau, ils étaient partis
    ∎ the husband-to-be le futur mari;
    ∎ the father-to-be le futur père
    quoi qu'il en soit

    Un panorama unique de l'anglais et du français > be

  • 2 Usage note : be

    The direct French equivalent of the verb to be in subject + to be + predicate sentences is être:
    I am tired
    = je suis fatigué
    Caroline is French
    = Caroline est française
    the children are in the garden
    = les enfants sont dans le jardin
    It 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 médecin
    Claudie is still a student
    = Claudie est toujours étudiante
    This is true of any noun used in apposition when the subject is a person:
    he’s a widower
    = il est veuf
    But
    Lyons is a beautiful city
    = Lyon est une belle ville
    For 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 functions
    The passive
    être 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 renard
    the window had been broken
    = la fenêtre avait été cassée
    their books will be sold
    = leurs livres seront vendus
    our doors have been repainted red
    = nos portes ont été repeintes en rouge
    In 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 tenses
    In 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 present
    French uses simply the present tense where English uses the progressive form with to be:
    I am working
    = je travaille
    Ben is reading a book
    = Ben lit un livre
    The future
    French also uses the present tense where English uses the progressive form with to be:
    we are going to London tomorrow
    = nous allons à Londres demain
    I’m (just) coming!
    = j’arrive!
    I’m (just) going!
    = j’y vais!
    The past
    To 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 mère
    he was writing to his mother
    = il écrivait à sa mère
    However, 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 past
    Compound past tenses in the progressive form in English are generally translated by the imperfect in French:
    I’ve been looking for you
    = je te cherchais
    For 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.
    Obligation
    When 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 suite
    what am I to do?
    = qu’est-ce que je dois faire?
    he was to arrive last Monday
    = il devait arriver lundi dernier
    she was never to see him again
    = elle ne devait plus le revoir.
    In tag questions
    French 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 answers
    Again, 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’
    Probability
    For expressions of probability and supposition ( if I were you etc.) see the entry be.
    Other functions
    Expressing sensations and feelings
    In expressing physical and mental sensations, the verb used in French is avoir:
    to be cold
    = avoir froid
    to be hot
    = avoir chaud
    I’m cold
    = j’ai froid
    to be thirsty
    = avoir soif
    to be hungry
    = avoir faim
    to be ashamed
    = avoir honte
    my hands are cold
    = j’ai froid aux mains
    If, 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 are
    In expressions of health and polite enquiries about how people are, aller is used:
    how are you?
    = comment allez-vous?
    ( more informally) comment vas-tu?
    are you well?
    = vous allez bien?
    how is your daughter?
    = comment va votre fille?
    my father is better today
    = mon père va mieux aujourd’hui
    Discussing weather and temperature
    In expressions of weather and temperature faire is generally used:
    it’s cold
    = il fait froid
    it’s windy
    = il fait du vent
    If in doubt, consult the appropriate adjective entry.
    Visiting somewhere
    When 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 Suède
    have 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 fois
    Note too:
    has the postman been?
    = est-ce que le facteur est passé?
    For here is, here are, there is, there are see the entries here and there.
    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.

    Big English-French dictionary > Usage note : be

  • 3 better

    better ['betə(r)]
    meilleur ⇒ 1 (a) mieux ⇒ 1 (b), 2 (a)-(c) le meilleur ⇒ 3 améliorer ⇒ 4
    (a) (compar of good) (superior) meilleur;
    ∎ you will find no better hotel vous ne trouverez pas mieux comme hôtel;
    ∎ the marks are better than I expected les notes sont meilleures que je ne m'y attendais;
    ∎ it's better than nothing c'est mieux que rien;
    ∎ nothing could be better, it couldn't be better cela ne peut pas être mieux, c'est on ne peut mieux;
    ∎ that's better! voilà qui est mieux!;
    ∎ I'm better at languages than he is je suis meilleur ou plus fort en langues que lui;
    ∎ he's a better cook than you are il cuisine mieux que toi;
    ∎ she's a better painter than she is a sculptor elle peint mieux qu'elle ne sculpte;
    ∎ fruit juice is better for you than coffee le jus de fruit est meilleur pour la santé que le café;
    ∎ I had hoped for better things j'avais espéré mieux;
    ∎ to get better (at doing something) faire des progrès; (of weather, situation etc) s'améliorer;
    ∎ the weather is better il fait meilleur;
    ∎ business is (getting) better les affaires vont mieux;
    ∎ things are (getting) better and better! ça va de mieux en mieux!;
    ∎ it couldn't or nothing could be better! c'est on ne peut mieux!;
    ∎ he looks better without his glasses il est mieux sans lunettes;
    ∎ you get a better view from here on voit mieux d'ici;
    ∎ it's better if I don't see them il vaut mieux ou il est préférable que je ne les voie pas;
    ∎ it's better that way c'est mieux comme ça;
    ∎ it would be better if you called me tomorrow ce serait ou il vaudrait mieux que tu m'appelles demain;
    ∎ it would have been better to have waited a little il aurait mieux valu attendre un peu;
    ∎ you're far better leaving now il vaut beaucoup mieux que tu partes maintenant;
    ∎ to be all the better for having done sth se trouver mieux d'avoir fait qch;
    ∎ you'll be all the better for a holiday des vacances vous feront le plus grand bien;
    ∎ all the better! tant mieux!;
    ∎ better off mieux;
    ∎ they're better off than we are (richer) ils ont plus d'argent que nous; (in a more advantageous position) ils sont dans une meilleure position que nous;
    ∎ she'd be better off in hospital elle serait mieux à l'hôpital;
    ∎ he'd have been better off staying where he was il aurait mieux fait de rester où il était
    (b) (compar of well) (improved in health) mieux;
    ∎ to get better commencer à aller mieux;
    ∎ now that he's better maintenant qu'il va mieux;
    ∎ I hope you will soon be better j'espère que vous serez bientôt rétabli;
    ∎ my cold is much better mon rhume va beaucoup mieux;
    ∎ I'm feeling much better je me sens beaucoup mieux;
    ∎ you are looking better tu as meilleure mine
    ∎ she's a better person for it ça lui a fait beaucoup de bien;
    ∎ humorous you're a better man than I am! tu as (bien) du mérite;
    ∎ he is no better than his brother il ne vaut pas mieux que son frère;
    ∎ you're no better than a liar! tu n'es qu'un menteur!;
    ∎ euphemism old-fashioned or humorous she's no better than she should be elle n'est pas d'une vertu farouche
    ∎ the better part of sth la plus grande partie de qch;
    ∎ I waited for the better part of an hour j'ai attendu presque une heure;
    ∎ we haven't seen them for the better part of a month ça fait presque un mois ou près d'un mois que nous ne les avons pas vus
    (a) (compar of well) (more proficiently, aptly etc) mieux;
    ∎ he swims better than I do il nage mieux que moi;
    ∎ she paints better than she sculpts elle peint mieux qu'elle ne sculpte;
    ∎ they speak French better than they used to ils parlent mieux le français qu'avant;
    ∎ the town would be better described as a backwater la ville est plutôt un coin perdu;
    ∎ he held it up to the light, the better to see the colours il l'a mis dans la lumière afin de mieux voir les couleurs;
    ∎ all the better to hear you with c'est pour mieux t'entendre;
    ∎ to go one better (than sb) renchérir (sur qn)
    ∎ I liked his last book better j'ai préféré son dernier livre;
    ∎ I'd like nothing better than to talk to him je ne demande pas mieux que de lui parler;
    ∎ so much the better tant mieux;
    ∎ or better still ou mieux encore;
    ∎ the less he knows the better moins il en saura, mieux ça vaudra;
    ∎ the more I know him the better I like him plus je le connais plus je l'aime;
    ∎ proverb better late than never mieux vaut tard que jamais
    (c) (with adj) mieux, plus;
    ∎ better looking plus beau (belle);
    ∎ better paid/prepared mieux payé/préparé;
    ∎ she's one of Canada's better-known authors c'est un des auteurs canadiens les plus ou mieux connus
    ∎ you had better begin at the beginning tu ferais bien de commencer par le commencement;
    ∎ we'd better be going (must go) il faut que nous partions; (would be preferable) il vaut mieux que nous partions;
    ∎ I'd better not wake him il vaut mieux que je ne le réveille pas;
    ∎ you'd better not il ne vaudrait mieux pas;
    ∎ hadn't you better phone first? est-ce qu'il ne vaudrait pas mieux que tu appelles avant?;
    ∎ it'll be ready tomorrow - it'd better be! ce sera prêt demain - il vaudrait mieux!;
    ∎ you'd better be on time! tu as intérêt à être à l'heure!
    3 noun
    (a) (superior of two) le (la) meilleur(e) m,f;
    ∎ which is the better of the two? lequel des deux est le meilleur?;
    ∎ what do you think of this wine? - I've tasted better comment trouvez-vous ce vin? - j'en ai bu de meilleurs;
    ∎ there's been a change for the better in his health son état de santé s'est amélioré;
    ∎ the situation has taken a turn for the better la situation a pris une meilleure tournure;
    ∎ for better or worse pour le meilleur ou pour le pire;
    ∎ I expected better of you je m'attendais à mieux de ta part
    (b) (usu pl) (person) supérieur(e) m,f
    (c) (gambler) parieur(euse) m,f
    ∎ curiosity got the better of me ma curiosité l'a emporté;
    ∎ we got the better of them in the deal nous l'avons emporté sur eux dans l'affaire
    (position, status, situation) améliorer; (achievement, sales figures) dépasser;
    ∎ can you better that? pouvez-vous faire mieux que cela?;
    ∎ Commerce the company has bettered the competition for the second year running c'est la deuxième année consécutive que l'entreprise a fait mieux que la concurrence;
    ∎ she's eager to better herself elle a vraiment envie d'améliorer sa situation
    ►► Commerce Better Business Bureau = organisme américain de conseil aux entreprises et aux consommateurs, notamment lorsque ceux-ci veulent faire une réclamation, French Canadian Bureau m d'éthique commerciale du Canada;
    familiar humorous better half (husband, wife) moitié f

    Un panorama unique de l'anglais et du français > better

  • 4 Usage note : do

    The direct French equivalent of the verb to do in subject + to do + object sentences is faire:
    she’s doing her homework
    = elle fait ses devoirs
    what 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 functions
    In questions
    In 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 negatives
    Equally, auxiliaries are not used in negatives in French:
    I don’t like Mozart
    = je n’aime pas Mozart
    you didn’t feed the cat
    = tu n’as pas donné à manger au chat
    don’t do that!
    = ne fais pas ça!
    In emphatic uses
    There 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 robe
    I DO hope she remembers
    = j’espère qu’elle n’oubliera pas
    I DO think you should see a doctor
    = je crois vraiment que tu devrais voir un médecin
    When referring back to another verb
    In 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 toi
    I live in Oxford and so does Lily
    = j’habite à Oxford et Lily aussi
    she gets paid more than I do
    = elle est payée plus que moi
    I 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 requests
    In 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 prie
    do 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 imperatives
    In French there is no use of an auxiliary verb in imperatives:
    don’t shut the door
    = ne ferme pas la porte
    don’t tell her anything
    = ne lui dis rien
    do be quiet!
    = tais-toi!
    In tag questions
    French 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 answers
    Again, 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.

    Big English-French dictionary > Usage note : do

  • 5 keep

    A n
    1 ( maintenance) pension f ; to pay for one's keep payer une pension ; to work for one's keep travailler pour payer sa pension ; to earn one's keep [person] gagner de quoi vivre ; [factory, branch] fig être viable ;
    2 Archit donjon m.
    B vtr ( prét, pp kept)
    1 ( cause to remain) to keep sb in hospital/indoors [person] garder qn à l'hôpital/à l'intérieur ; [illness] retenir qn à l'hôpital/à l'intérieur ; to keep sth/sb clean garder qch/qn propre ; to keep sth warm/cool garder qch au chaud/au frais ; to keep sb warm/cool protéger qn du froid/de la chaleur ; to be kept clean/warm/locked rester propre/au chaud/fermé (à clé) ; to keep sb talking/waiting retenir/faire attendre qn ; I won't keep you to your promise tu n'es pas obligé de tenir ta promesse ; to keep an engine/machine running laisser un moteur/une machine en marche ; bronchitis kept him in bed une bronchite l'a obligé à garder le lit ;
    2 ( detain) retenir ; there's nothing to keep me here (plus) rien ne me retient ici ; don't let me keep you! je ne veux pas vous retenir! ; what kept you? qu'est-ce qui t'a retenu? ; I won't keep you a minute je n'en ai pas pour longtemps ; the police are keeping him for questioning la police le garde à vue pour l'interroger ;
    3 ( retain) garder, conserver [book, letter, money, receipt] ; garder [job] ; garder [seat, place] (for pour) ; garder, mettre [qch] de côté [ticket, bread] (for pour) ; we keep these glasses for special occasions nous gardons ces verres pour les grandes occasions ; this pullover has kept its colour/shape ce pull-over a gardé sa couleur/forme ;
    4 ( have and look after) tenir [shop, restaurant] ; avoir [dog, cat] ; élever [sheep, chickens] ;
    5 ( sustain) to keep sth going entretenir qch [conversation, fire, tradition] ; I'll make you a sandwich to keep you going je te ferai un sandwich pour que tu tiennes le coup ; it was only his work that kept him going sans son travail il n'aurait pas tenu le coup ; have you got enough work to keep you going? avez-vous assez de travail pour vous occuper? ;
    6 ( store) mettre, ranger ; I keep my money in a safe je mets mon argent dans un coffre-fort ; where do you keep your cups? où rangez-vous vos tasses? ; I keep a spare key in the cupboard j'ai un double de la clé dans le placard ;
    7 ( have in stock) [shop, shopkeeper] vendre, avoir [brand, product] ;
    8 ( support financially) faire vivre, entretenir [husband, wife, family] ; entretenir [lover] ; avoir [servant] ; fig it'll keep us in beer ça nous permettra de tenir le coup ;
    9 ( maintain by writing in) tenir [accounts, list, diary, record] ;
    10 ( conceal) to keep sth from sb taire or cacher qch à qn ;
    11 ( prevent) to keep sb from doing empêcher qn de faire ;
    12 ( observe) tenir [promise] ; garder [secret] ; se rendre à, venir à [appointment, date] ; célébrer [occasion, festival] ; observer [commandments, sabbath, Lent] ;
    13 Mus to keep time ou the beat battre la mesure ;
    14 †( protect) [God] garder†, protéger [person] (from de) ; [person] défendre [gate, bridge] ;
    15 ( maintain) entretenir [car, house] ; well/badly kept bien/mal entretenu.
    C vi ( prét, pp kept)
    1 to keep doing ( continue) continuer à or de faire ; ( do repeatedly) ne pas arrêter de faire ; to keep going lit continuer ; I don't know how she keeps going! je ne sais pas comment elle tient le coup! ; keep at it! persévérez! ; keep west/straight on continuez vers l'ouest/tout droit ; ‘keep left/right’ ‘tenez votre gauche/droite’ ;
    2 ( remain) to keep indoors rester à l'intérieur ; to keep out of the rain se protéger de la pluie ; to keep warm/cool se protéger du froid/de la chaleur ; to keep calm rester calme ; to keep silent ou quiet garder le silence ;
    3 ( stay in good condition) [food] se conserver, se garder ;
    4 ( wait) [news, business, work] attendre ; I've got something to tell you, it won't keep j'ai quelque chose à te dire, ça ne peut pas attendre ;
    5 ( in health) ‘how are you keeping?’ ‘comment allez-vous?’ ; she's keeping well elle va bien.
    D v refl to keep oneself subvenir à ses propres besoins ; to keep oneself warm/cool se protéger du froid/de la chaleur ; to keep oneself healthy rester en forme ; to keep oneself to oneself ne pas être sociable ; to keep oneself from doing s'empêcher de faire.
    E for keeps adv phr pour de bon, pour toujours.
    to keep in with sb rester en bons termes avec qn ; to try to keep up with the Joneses rivaliser avec ses voisins ; you can't keep a good man down la compétence finit par être reconnue ; ⇒ clear.
    ▶ keep after [sb]
    1 ( pursue) pourchasser ;
    2 ( chivvy) harceler.
    ■ keep at:
    ▶ keep at [sb] US harceler, casser les pieds ○ à [person] ;
    ▶ keep at it persévérer.
    ■ keep away:
    ▶ keep away ne pas s'approcher (from de) ;
    ▶ keep [sth/sb] away empêcher [qch/qn] de s'approcher, tenir [qch/qn] à distance ; to keep sb away from ( prevent from getting close to) empêcher qn de s'approcher de, tenir qn à distance de [person, fire] ; ( cause to be absent from) tenir qn éloigné de [family] ; to keep sb away from his work empêcher qn de travailler.
    ■ keep back:
    ▶ keep back rester en arrière, ne pas s'approcher ; keep back! ne vous approchez pas!, n'avancez pas! ; to keep back from sth ne pas s'approcher de qch ;
    ▶ keep [sth/sb] back, keep back [sth/sb]
    1 ( prevent from advancing) empêcher [qn] de s'approcher [person, crowd] (from de) ; faire redoubler [pupil, student] ; [barrier, dam] retenir [water] ; he kept his hair back with an elastic band il avait les cheveux retenus en arrière par un élastique ;
    2 ( retain) garder [money] ; conserver [food, objects] ;
    3 ( conceal) cacher [information, fact, detail] (from à) ;
    4 ( prevent from doing) retenir [person].
    ■ keep down:
    ▶ keep down rester allongé ; keep down! ne bougez pas! ;
    ▶ keep [sth] down, keep down [sth]
    1 ( cause to remain at a low level) limiter [number, speed, costs, expenditure, inflation] ; limiter l'augmentation de [prices, costs, wages, unemployment] ; maîtriser, juguler [inflation] ; to keep one's weight down surveiller son poids ; keep your voice down! baisse la voix! ; keep the noise down! faites moins de bruit! ;
    2 ( retain in stomach) garder [food] ;
    ▶ keep [sb] down
    1 GB Sch ( cause to repeat a year) faire redoubler [pupil] ;
    2 ( repress) opprimer [people] ; réprimer [revolt].
    ■ keep in:
    ▶ keep in [car, cyclist, driver etc] GB tenir sa gauche ; ( elsewhere) tenir sa droite ;
    ▶ keep [sb/sth] in
    1 ( cause to remain inside) empêcher [qn/qch] de sortir [person, animal] ; garder [dentures, contact lenses] ; they're keeping her in ( in hospital) ils la gardent ;
    2 ( restrain) rentrer [stomach, elbows] ; réprimer [emotions, anger, impatience] ;
    3 Sch ( cause to stay at school) garder [qn] en retenue, coller ○ [pupil].
    ■ keep off:
    1 ( stay at a distance) keep off! n'avancez pas! ;
    2 ( not start) I hope the rain/storm keeps off j'espère qu'il ne pleuvra pas/que l'orage n'éclatera pas ;
    ▶ keep off [sth]
    1 ( stay away from) ne pas marcher sur ; ‘Please keep off the grass’ ‘Défense de marcher sur la pelouse’ ;
    2 ( refrain from) s'abstenir de consommer, éviter [fatty food, alcohol] ; s'abstenir de parler de [subject] ; to keep off cigarettes ne pas fumer ;
    ▶ keep [sth] off, keep off [sth]
    1 ( prevent from touching) éloigner [animals, insects] ; this plastic sheet will keep the rain/ dust off cette housse en plastique protège contre la pluie/la poussière ;
    2 ( continue not to wear) ne pas remettre [shoes, hat] ;
    ▶ keep sb off [sth] ( cause to refrain from) éviter de donner [qch] à qn [food, alcohol] ; empêcher qn de parler de [subject].
    ■ keep on:
    ▶ keep on doing ( not stop) continuer à faire ; ( do repeatedly) ne pas cesser de faire ; to keep on with sth poursuivre qch ; to keep on about sth ne pas arrêter de parler de qch ; to keep on at sb harceler qn, casser les pieds ○ à qn (to do pour qu'il fasse) ;
    ▶ keep [sb/sth] on garder [employee, flat, hat, shoes].
    ■ keep out:
    ▶ keep out of [sth]
    1 ( not enter) ne pas entrer dans [area, house] ; ‘keep out!’ ( on notice) ‘défense d'entrer’ ;
    2 ( avoid being exposed to) rester à l'abri de [sun, rain, danger] ;
    3 ( avoid getting involved in) ne pas se mêler de [argument] ; keep out of this! ne t'en mêle pas! ; to keep out of sb's way, to keep out of the way of sb ( not hinder) ne pas encombrer qn ; ( avoid seeing) éviter qn ; try to keep out of trouble! essaie de bien te conduire! ;
    ▶ keep [sb/sth] out, keep out [sb/sth] ( not allow to enter) ne pas laisser entrer [person, animal] ; to keep the rain out empêcher la pluie d'entrer ; I wore an extra pullover to keep out the cold j'ai mis un pull-over de plus pour me protéger du froid ; to keep sb out of sth ( not allow to get involved in) ne pas vouloir mêler qn à qch ; ( not allow to enter) ne pas laisser entrer qn dans qch ; to keep sb out of trouble empêcher qn de faire des bêtises ; to keep sb/sth out of sb's way faire en sorte que qn/qch ne soit pas sur le chemin de qn.
    ■ keep to:
    ▶ keep to [sth] ( stick to) lit ne pas s'écarter de, rester sur [road, path] ; fig respecter, s'en tenir à [timetable, facts, plan] ; respecter [law, rules] ; ‘keep to the left/right’ ‘tenez votre gauche/droite’ ; to keep to one's bed garder le lit ; to keep to one's home rester chez soi ;
    ▶ keep sb to [sth] ( cause to remain on) empêcher qn de s'écarter de [route] ; forcer qn à tenir [promise] ;
    ▶ keep [sth] to ( restrict) limiter [qch] à [weight, number] ; to keep sth to oneself garder qch pour soi [secret, information, opinion] ; he can't keep his hands to himself ○ il a les mains baladeuses ○ ; keep your hands to yourself! bas les pattes ○ !
    ▶ keep [sb] under
    1 ( dominate) assujettir, soumettre [race, slaves, inhabitants] ;
    2 ( cause to remain unconscious) maintenir [qn] inconscient.
    ■ keep up:
    ▶ keep up
    1 ( progress at same speed) ( all contexts) [car, runner, person] suivre ; [business rivals, competitors] rester à la hauteur ;
    2 ( continue) [price] se maintenir ; if the rain keeps up I'm not going s'il continue à pleuvoir je n'y vais pas ;
    ▶ keep [sth] up, keep up [sth]
    1 ( cause to remain in position) tenir [trousers] ; ‘keep your hands up!’ ( by gunman) ‘gardez les mains en l'air!’ ;
    2 ( continue) continuer [attack, bombardment, studies] ; entretenir [correspondence, friendship] ; maintenir [membership, tradition] ; garder [pace] ; to keep up the pressure continuer à faire pression (for pour obtenir ; on sur) ; he kept up his German by going to evening classes il a entretenu son allemand en suivant des cours du soir ; to keep up one's strength/spirits garder ses forces/le moral ; keep it up!, keep up the good work! continuez comme ça! ;
    ▶ keep [sb] up ( maintain awake) faire veiller [child, person] ; [noise, illness] empêcher [qn] de dormir ; I hope I'm not keeping you up ( politely) j'espère que je ne vous oblige pas à veiller ; ( ironically) j'espère que je ne vous empêche pas de dormir.
    ▶ keep up with [sb/sth]
    1 ( progress at same speed as) ( physically) aller aussi vite que [person, group] ; ( mentally) suivre [class, work, lecture] ; [company, country] se maintenir à la hauteur de [competitors] ; Econ [wages, pensions] suivre [prices, inflation, cost of living] ; faire face à [demand] ;
    2 ( be informed about) suivre [fashion, developments, news] ;
    3 ( remain in contact with) garder le contact avec [schoolfriends, colleagues]. ⇒ end, pecker.

    Big English-French dictionary > keep

  • 6 field

    [fi:ld] 1. noun
    1) (a piece of land enclosed for growing crops, keeping animals etc: Our house is surrounded by fields.) champ
    2) (a wide area: playing fields (= an area for games, sports etc).) terrain
    3) (a piece of land etc where minerals or other natural resources are found: an oil-field; a coalfield.) gisement
    4) (an area of knowledge, interest, study etc: in the fields of literature/economic development; her main fields of interest.) domaine
    5) (an area affected, covered or included by something: a magnetic field; in his field of vision.) champ
    6) (an area of battle: the field of Waterloo; ( also adjective) a field-gun.) champ
    2. verb
    ((in cricket, basketball etc) to catch (the ball) and return it.) attraper et relancer
    - fieldwork

    English-French dictionary > field

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