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1 where
where [wεər]1. adverb( = in or to what place) où• where do you live? où est-ce que vous habitez ?• where are you going (to)? où allez-vous ?• where's the theatre? où est le théâtre ?• where are you from? vous venez d'où ?• where have you got to (in the book)? où est-ce que vous en êtes (de votre livre) ?• where do I come into it? qu'est-ce que je viens faire dans tout ça ?2. conjunctiona. où• I'm at the stage where I could... j'en suis au point où je pourrais...b. ( = the place that) this is where the car was found c'est là qu'on a retrouvé la voiture• that's where you're wrong! c'est là que vous vous trompez !• from where I'm standing I can see... d'où je suis je peux voir...• where there are trees you'll always find water vous trouverez toujours de l'eau là où il y a des arbres* * *Note: where is generally translated by où: where are the plates? = où sont les assiettes?; do you know where he's going? = est-ce que tu sais où il va?; I don't know where the knives are = je ne sais pas où sont les couteauxNote that in questions où on its own requires inversion of the verb: where are you going? = où allez-vous? but où followed by est-ce que needs no inversion: où est-ce que vous allez?[weə(r)], US [hweər] 1.1) ( with prepositions) oùnot from where I'm standing — lit pas de là où je suis; fig ce n'est pas mon avis
2) ( the place or point where) là que2.1) ( as interrogative) où (est-ce que)2) ( as indirect interrogative) oùto know where one is going — savoir où on va; fig savoir ce qu'on veut
3) ( as relative) où4) (here where, there where)it's not where you said — ( not there) ça n'y est pas; ( found elsewhere) ce n'est pas là où tu crois
5) ( wherever) oùput them/go where you want — mets-les/va où tu veux
6) ( whenever) quand3. -
2 where
❢ Where is generally translated by où: where are the plates? = où sont les assiettes? ; do you know where he's going? = est-ce que tu sais où il va? ; I don't know where the knives are = je ne sais pas où sont les couteaux.Note that in questions où on its own requires inversion of the verb: where are you going? = où allez-vous? but où followed by est-ce que needs no inversion: où est-ce que vous allez?A pron1 ( with prepositions) où ; from where? d'où? ; near where? près d'où? ; to go up to where sb is standing s'approcher de qn ; to go past where sb is standing passer devant qn ; not from where I'm standing lit pas de là où je suis ; fig ce n'est pas mon avis ;2 ( the place or point where) là que ; this is where it happened c'est là que c'est arrivé ; this is where we're at c'est là que nous en sommes ; that is where he's mistaken c'est là qu'il se trompe ; so that's where I put them c'était là que je les avais mis ; here's where we learn the truth voilà enfin la vérité ; France is where you'll find good wine c'est en France que vous trouverez du bon vin.B adv1 ( as interrogative) où (est-ce que) ; where is my coat/do you work? où est mon manteau/est-ce que tu travailles? ; where would I be if…? où est-ce que je serais si…? ; where does Martin figure in all this? qu'est-ce que Martin vient faire dans tout ça? ; where's the harm? quel mal y a-t-il à ça? ; where's the problem? je ne vois pas le problème ; where have you got to in your book? où est-ce que vous en êtes dans votre lecture? ;2 ( as indirect interrogative) où ; ask him/I wonder where he's going demande-lui/je me demande où il va ; I told him where he could put them lit je lui ai dit où les mettre ; ◑ fig je lui ai dit qu'il pouvait se les mettre où je pense ◑ ; to know where one is going savoir où on va ; fig savoir ce qu'on veut ; you don't know where it's been! tu ne sais pas où ça a traîné! ; I forget exactly where it is j'ai oublié où c'est exactement ;3 ( as relative) où ; the village where we live le village où nous habitons ; at the spot where he died à l'endroit où il est mort ; up there where there's a branch là-haut à l'endroit où il y a une branche ; near where she lived près de l'endroit où or près de là où elle habitait ; to lead to a situation where aboutir à une situation où ; to reach the stage where arriver au stade où ; in several cases where dans plusieurs cas où ;4 (here where, there where) stay/go where it's dry reste/mets-toi à l'abri ; it's cold where we live il fait froid là où nous habitons ; it's where the Indre meets the Loire c'est au confluent de l'Indre et de la Loire ; it's not where you said ( not there) ça n'y est pas ; ( found elsewhere) ce n'est pas là où tu crois ;5 ( wherever) où ; put them/go where you want mets-les/va où tu veux ;6 ( whenever) quand ; where necessary si nécessaire ; she's stupid where he's concerned elle se conduit toujours de façon stupide quand il s'agit de lui ; where children are at risk quand les enfants sont menacés de violence ; where there's a scandal there's a reporter dès qu'il y a un scandale il y a des journalistes ; where possible dans la mesure du possible. -
3 that
1. ðæt plural - those; adjective(used to indicate a person, thing etc spoken of before, not close to the speaker, already known to the speaker and listener etc: Don't take this book - take that one; At that time, I was living in Italy; When are you going to return those books?) ese, esa, esos, esas; aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas
2. pronoun(used to indicate a thing etc, or (in plural or with the verb be) person or people, spoken of before, not close to the speaker, already known to the speaker and listener etc: What is that you've got in your hand?; Who is that?; That is the Prime Minister; Those present at the concert included the composer and his wife.) ese, esa, esos, esas; aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas
3. ðət, ðæt relative pronoun(used to refer to a person, thing etc mentioned in a preceding clause in order to distinguish it from others: Where is the parcel that arrived this morning?; Who is the man (that) you were talking to?)
4. ðət, ðæt conjunction1) ((often omitted) used to report what has been said etc or to introduce other clauses giving facts, reasons, results etc: I know (that) you didn't do it; I was surprised (that) he had gone.) que2) (used to introduce expressions of sorrow, wishes etc: That I should be accused of murder!; Oh, that I were with her now!) y pensar que; ojalá
5.
adverb(so; to such an extent: I didn't realize she was that ill.) tan- that's that
that1 adj ese / aquelwho lives in that house? ¿quién vive en esa casa?did you bring that book? ¿has traído aquel libro?what are those boys doing? ¿qué están haciendo aquellos chicos?that2 adv tanthat3 conj quethat4 pron1. ése / aquél2. esotr[ðæt ʊnstressed ðət]1 ese, esa (remote) aquel, aquella■ how much is that dress? ¿cuánto vale ese vestido?■ what was that noise? ¿qué ha sido ese ruido?■ have you got that record I lent you? ¿tienes aquel disco que te dejé?■ who's that? ¿quién es ése/ésa?■ this is mine, that is yours éste es mío, aquél es tuyo2 (indefinite) eso; (remote) aquello■ what's that? ¿qué es eso?■ where did you get that? ¿dónde has comprado eso?3 (relative) que4 (with preposition) que, el/la que, el/la cual1 que2 ¡ojalá!1 familiar tan, tanto,-a, tantos,-as\SMALLIDIOMATIC EXPRESSION/SMALLand all that y todo esolike that así, de aquella manerathat is to say es decirthat's life así es la vidathat's more like it ¡ahora!, ¡así me gusta!that's right así esthat's that ya está, se acabówho's that? (on 'phone) ¿quién es?, ¿quién eres?it's not that expensive: no es tan caronot that much: no tantodo you see those children?: ¿ves a aquellos niños?that conj & pron: quehe said that he was afraid: dijo que tenía miedothe book that he wrote: el libro que escribió1) : ése, ésa, esothat's my father: ése es mi padrethose are the ones he likes: ésos son los que le gustanwhat's that?: ¿qué es eso?those are maples and these are elms: aquéllos son arces y éstos son olmosthat came to an end: aquello se acabóadj.• esa adj.• ese adj.adj.dem.• aquel adj.dem.adv.• como adv.• tan adv.conj.• ese conj.• para que conj.• que conj.pron.• aquello pron.• aquél pron.• el cual pron.• ese pron.• eso pron.• que pron.• quien pron.• tanto pron.pron.dem.neut.• aquello pron.dem.neut.
I ðæt1) (pl those) ( demonstrative) ése, ésa; (neuter) esothose — ésos, ésas; (to refer to something more distant, to the remote past) aquél, aquélla; (neuter) aquello
those — aquéllos, aquéllas [According to the Real Academia Española the accent can be omitted when there is no ambiguity]
what's that? — ¿qué es eso?
who's that over there? — quién es ése/ésa?
those are $20 and those over there $21.50 — ésos cuestan 20 dólares y aquéllos de allá 21,50
who's that, please? — ( on telephone) ¿con quién hablo, por favor?
that's impossible/wonderful! — es imposible/maravilloso!
is that so? — no me digas!, ¿ah, sí?
don't talk like that! — no hables así!, no digas eso!
eat it up now, that's a good girl! — vamos, cómetelo todo así me gusta!
come on, it's not as bad as all that — vamos, que no es para tanto
2) (in phrases)at that they all burst out laughing — al oír (or ver etc) eso, todos se echaron a reír
he has enormous power and wealth, but is still unhappy for all that — tiene mucho poder y muchas riquezas, pero aún así es infeliz
that is: we're all going, all the adults, that is vamos todos, es decir, todos los adultos; you're welcome to come along, that is, if you'd like to encantados de que vengas, siempre que quieras venir, claro; that's it!: that's it for today eso es todo por hoy; is that it? - no, there's another bag to come ¿ya está? - no, todavía falta otra bolsa; now lift your left arm: that's it! ahora levanta el brazo izquierdo eso es! or ahí está!; that's it: I've had enough! se acabó! ya no aguanto más!; that's that: you're not going and that's that! — no vas y no hay más que hablar or y se acabó
3) ðət, strong form ðæt ( relative) queit wasn't Helen (that) you saw — no fue a Helen a quien viste, no fue a Helen que viste (AmL)
II ðætthose — esos, esas; (to refer to something more distant, to the remote past) aquel, aquella
those — aquellos, aquellas
do you know that boy/girl? — ¿conoces a ese chico/esa chica?
I prefer that one — prefiero ése/ésa
III ðət, strong form ðætconjunction queshe said (that)... — dijo que...
it's not that I mind what he does but... — no es que me importe lo que hace, pero...
they died that others might live — (liter) murieron para que otros pudieran vivir
IV ðætadverb tanten thirty? that late already? — ¿las diez y media? ¿ya es tan tarde?
(strong form) [ðæt] (weak form) [ˌdǝt] (pl those) Those is treated as a separate entry.I'm not that interested, really — la verdad es que no me interesa tanto
1. DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVE1) [+ objects/people]You can generally use ese etc when pointing to something near the person you are speaking to. Use aquel etc for something which is distant from both of you: (nearer) ese m, esa f ; (more remote) aquel m, aquella fthat car is much better value than that sports model at the end — ese coche está mejor de precio que aquel modelo deportivo que hay al final
that wretched dog! — ¡ese maldito perro!
In the past the standard spelling for [ese/esa] and [aquel/aquella] used as pronouns (as when they are used to translate [that one]) was with an accent ([ése/ésa] and [aquél/aquélla]). Nowadays the [Real Academia Española] advises that the accented forms are only required where there might otherwise be confusion with the adjectives [este/esta] and [aquel/aquella].what about that cheque? — ¿y el cheque ese?
there's little to choose between this model and that one — no hay mucho que elegir entre este modelo y aquel
2) [+ event, year, month]
Aquel is used to refer to a time in the distant past. Use if you mention a concrete date, month, year {etc">ese:do you remember that holiday we had in Holland? — ¿te acuerdas de aquellas vacaciones que pasamos en Holanda?
1992? I can't remember where we holidayed that year — ¿1992? no recuerdo dónde pasamos las vacaciones ese año
May? we can't come that month because we'll be moving house — ¿en mayo? no podemos venir ese mes porque nos estaremos mudando de casa
2.DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNThe pronoun that ( one) is translated by ese and aquel (masc), esa and aquella (fem) and eso and aquello (neuter). You can generally use ese etc when pointing to something near the person you are speaking to. Use aquel etc for something which is distant from both of you. Note that in the past the standard spelling for the masculine and feminine pronouns was with an accent (ése/ésa and aquél/aquélla). Nowadays the Real Academia Española advises that the accented forms are only required where there might otherwise be confusion with the adjectives ese/esa and aquel/aquella. Neuter pronouns never carry an accent. (nearer) ese m, esa f, ése m, ésa f, eso (neuter) ; (more remote) aquel(la) m / f, aquél(la) m / f, aquello (neuter)who's that? — ¿quién es ese?
what is that? — ¿qué es eso?, ¿eso qué es?
is that you, Paul? — ¿eres tú, Paul?
£5? it must have cost more than that — ¿5 libras? debe haber costado más (que eso)
that's true — eso es verdad, es cierto (esp LAm)
that's odd! — ¡qué raro!, ¡qué cosa más rara!
1988? that was the year you graduated, wasn't it? — ¿1988? ese fue el año en que acabaste la carrera, ¿no es así?
"will he come?" - "that he will!" — † -¿vendrá? -¡ya lo creo!
•
after that — después de eso•
bees and wasps and all that — abejas, avispas y cosas asíis that all? — ¿eso es todo?, ¿nada más?
•
and it was broken at that — y además estaba rotoI realized he meant to speak to me and at that I panicked — me di cuenta de que quería hablar conmigo y entonces me entró el pánico
•
what do you mean by that? — ¿qué quieres decir con eso?•
if it comes to that — en tal caso, si llegamos a eso•
it will cost 20 dollars, if that — costará 20 dólares, si es que llega•
that is — (=ie) es decir...•
that's it, we've finished — ya está, hemos terminadothat's it! she can find her own gardener! — ¡se acabó! ¡que se busque un jardinero por su cuenta!
•
that of — el/la de•
that is to say — es decir...•
why worry about that which may never happen? — frm ¿por qué preocuparse por aquello que or por lo que puede que nunca vaya a pasar?•
with that — con eso3. RELATIVE PRONOUNUnlike that, the Spanish relative cannot be omitted.1) quethe girl that he met on holiday and later married — la chica que conoció durante las vacaciones y con la que después se casó
If the that clause ends in a preposition, you can either translate that as que (usually preceded by the definite article) or as article + cual/cuales. Use the second option particularly in formal language or after long prepositions or prepositional phrases:fool that I am! — ¡tonto que soy!
the box that I put it in — la caja donde lo puse, la caja en la que or en la cual lo puse
4. ADVERB1) (=so) tanit's about that big — (with gesture) es más o menos así de grande
•
cheer up! it isn't that bad — ¡ánimo! ¡no es para tanto!•
that many frogs — tantas ranas•
that much money — tanto dinero2) * (=so very) tanit was that cold! — ¡hacía tanto frío!
5. CONJUNCTIONUnlike that, que cannot be omitted.1) after verb quehe said that... — dijo que...
he said that he was going to London and would be back in the evening — dijo que se iba a Londres y (que) volvería por la tarde
2) after nounTranslate as de que in phrases like the idea/belief/hope that:
•
any hope that they might have survived was fading — toda esperanza de que hubiesen sobrevivido se estaba desvaneciendo•
the idea that we can profit from their labour — la idea de que podemos aprovecharnos de su trabajo•
..., not that I want to, of course —..., no es que yo quiera, por supuestoIf the that clause is the subject of another verb it is usual to translate that as el que rather than que especially if it starts the sentence:•
oh that we could! — ¡ojalá pudiéramos!, ¡ojalá!In these cases the verb which follows will be in the subjunctive:that he did not know surprised me — (el) que no lo supiera me extrañó, me extrañó (el) que no lo supiera
wouldthat he should behave like this is incredible — (el) que se comporte así es increíble, es increíble que se comporte así
4) (=in order that) para que + subjunthose who fought and died that we might live — los que lucharon y murieron para que nosotros pudiésemos vivir
5)• in that — en el sentido de que
it's an attractive investment in that it is tax-free — es una inversión atractiva en el sentido de que está exenta de impuestos
* * *
I [ðæt]1) (pl those) ( demonstrative) ése, ésa; (neuter) esothose — ésos, ésas; (to refer to something more distant, to the remote past) aquél, aquélla; (neuter) aquello
those — aquéllos, aquéllas [According to the Real Academia Española the accent can be omitted when there is no ambiguity]
what's that? — ¿qué es eso?
who's that over there? — quién es ése/ésa?
those are $20 and those over there $21.50 — ésos cuestan 20 dólares y aquéllos de allá 21,50
who's that, please? — ( on telephone) ¿con quién hablo, por favor?
that's impossible/wonderful! — es imposible/maravilloso!
is that so? — no me digas!, ¿ah, sí?
don't talk like that! — no hables así!, no digas eso!
eat it up now, that's a good girl! — vamos, cómetelo todo así me gusta!
come on, it's not as bad as all that — vamos, que no es para tanto
2) (in phrases)at that they all burst out laughing — al oír (or ver etc) eso, todos se echaron a reír
he has enormous power and wealth, but is still unhappy for all that — tiene mucho poder y muchas riquezas, pero aún así es infeliz
that is: we're all going, all the adults, that is vamos todos, es decir, todos los adultos; you're welcome to come along, that is, if you'd like to encantados de que vengas, siempre que quieras venir, claro; that's it!: that's it for today eso es todo por hoy; is that it? - no, there's another bag to come ¿ya está? - no, todavía falta otra bolsa; now lift your left arm: that's it! ahora levanta el brazo izquierdo eso es! or ahí está!; that's it: I've had enough! se acabó! ya no aguanto más!; that's that: you're not going and that's that! — no vas y no hay más que hablar or y se acabó
3) [ðət], strong form [ðæt] ( relative) queit wasn't Helen (that) you saw — no fue a Helen a quien viste, no fue a Helen que viste (AmL)
II [ðæt]those — esos, esas; (to refer to something more distant, to the remote past) aquel, aquella
those — aquellos, aquellas
do you know that boy/girl? — ¿conoces a ese chico/esa chica?
I prefer that one — prefiero ése/ésa
III [ðət], strong form [ðæt]conjunction queshe said (that)... — dijo que...
it's not that I mind what he does but... — no es que me importe lo que hace, pero...
they died that others might live — (liter) murieron para que otros pudieran vivir
IV [ðæt]adverb tanten thirty? that late already? — ¿las diez y media? ¿ya es tan tarde?
I'm not that interested, really — la verdad es que no me interesa tanto
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4 but
1. conjunction(used to show a contrast between two or more things: John was there, but Peter was not.) pero
2. preposition(except (for): no-one but me; the next road but one.) exceptobut1 conj1. peroI'd like to come to the party, but I can't me gustaría ir a la fiesta, pero no puedo2. sinothe party's not on Saturday, but on Sunday la fiesta no es el sábado, sino el domingobut2 prep salvo / excepto / menostr[bʌt]1 pero■ it's cold, but dry hace frío, pero no llueve■ I'd like to, but I can't me gustaría, pero no puedo2 (after negative) sino■ not two, but three no dos, sino tres3 (after negative with verb) sino que■ she told him not to wait, but to go home le dijo que no se esperara, sino que se fuera para casa1 (nada) más que, no... sino, solamente, sólo,1 excepto, salvo, menos1 pero\SMALLIDIOMATIC EXPRESSION/SMALLbut for de no ser por, si no fuera por■ but for him, we would have failed de no ser por él, habríamos fracasadohad I but «+ pp»... si lo + imperf subj...there is nothing for it but to «+ inf» no hay más remedio que + infthe last but one el/la penúltimo,-abut ['bʌt] conj1) that: quethere is no doubt but he is lazy: no cabe duda que sea perezoso2) without: sin que3) nevertheless: pero, no obstante, sin embargoI called her but she didn't answer: la llamé pero no contestó4) yet: perohe was poor but proud: era pobre pero orgullosobut prepexcept: excepto, menoseveryone but Carlos: todos menos Carlosthe last but one: el penúltimoadv.• pero adv.• sino adv.• solamente adv.conj.• ahora conj.• empero conj.• mas conj.• pero conj.• sino conj.n.• objeción s.f.• pero s.m.prep.• excepto prep.
I bʌt, weak form bət1)a) ( however) peroshe was fired, but they were not — la despidieron a ella pero no a ellos
everybody, but everybody knows that — eso no hay nadie que no lo sepa
you're really bugging me but good! — (AmE colloq) qué manera de darme la lata! (fam)
b) ( used for introductory emphasis) perobut what made you say it? — ¿pero por qué lo dijiste?
surely he doesn't believe that? - oh, but he does! — no puede ser que se crea eso - pues sí que se lo cree
c)but then — (as linker) (however, still) pero; ( in that case) pero entonces
but then you never were very ambitious, were you? — pero la verdad es que tú nunca fuiste muy ambicioso ¿no?
I don't want to, but then again I do — no quiero, pero a la vez or al mismo tiempo sí quiero
2)not... but... — no... sino...
it appears that she's not Greek but Albanian — parece que no es griega, sino albanesa
not only did she hit him, but she also... — no sólo le pegó, sino que también...
II
a) ( except)everyone but me — todos menos or excepto or salvo yo
the next street but one — la próxima calle no: la siguiente
there's nothing we can do but wait — no podemos hacer otra cosa sino esperar, lo único que podemos hacer es esperar
b)but for: but for them, we'd have lost everything — de no haber sido or si no hubiera sido por ellos, habríamos perdido todo
III
adverb (frml)
IV bʌtnoun pero m[bʌt]no buts: come here at once! — no hay pero que valga, ven aquí inmediatamente!
1. CONJ1) (contrasting) peroI want to go but I can't afford it — quiero ir, pero no tengo el dinero
but it does move! — ¡pero sí se mueve!
2) (in direct contradiction) sino•
he's not Spanish but Italian — no es español sino italiano•
we never go out but it rains — nunca salimos sin que llueva4) (as linker)•
but then he couldn't have known — por otro lado, no podía saber or haberlo sabidobut then you must be my cousin! — ¡entonces tú debes ser mi primo!
2.ADV (=only) solo, sólo, solamente; (=no more than) no más queIn the past the standard spelling for solo as an adverb was with an accent (sólo). Nowadays the Real Academia Española advises that the accented form is only required where there might otherwise be confusion with the adjective solo.
if I could but speak to him — si solamente or solo pudiese hablar con él
•
you can but try — con intentar no se pierde nada•
all but naked — casi desnudo•
had I but known — de haberlo sabido (yo), si lo hubiera sabido3.PREP (=except) menos, excepto, salvo•
anything but that — cualquier cosa menos eso•
everyone but him — todos menos él•
but for you — si no fuera por ti•
the last but one — el/la penúltimo(-a)•
there is nothing for it but to pay up — no hay más remedio que pagar•
who but she could have said something like that? — ¿quién sino ella podría haber dicho semejante cosa?4.N pero m, objeción f•
no buts about it! — ¡no hay pero que valga!BUT There are three main ways of translating the conjunction but: pero, sino and sino que.come on, no buts, off to bed with you! — ¡vale ya! no hay pero que valga, ¡a la cama!
Contrasting
► To introduce a contrast or a new idea, use pero:
Strange but interesting Extraño pero interesante
I thought he would help me but he refused Creí que me ayudaría, pero se negó ► In informal language, pero can be used at the start of a comment:
But where are you going to put it? Pero ¿dónde lo vas a poner? NOTE: In formal language, s in embargo or no obstante may be preferred:
But, in spite of the likely benefits, he still opposed the idea Sin embargo or No obstante, a pesar de las probables ventajas, todavía se oponía a la idea
Correcting a previous negative
► When but or but rather introduces a noun phrase, prepositional phrase or verb in the infinitive which corrects a previous negative, translate but using sino:
Not wine, but vinegar No vino, sino vinagre
They aren't from Seville, but from Bilbao No son de Sevilla, sino de Bilbao
His trip to London was not to investigate the case but to hush it up Su viaje a Londres no fue para investigar el caso sino para taparlo ► When but or but rather introduces a verb clause (or requires a verb clause in Spanish) which corrects a previous negative, translate using sino que:
He's not asking you to do what he says but (rather) to listen to him No te pide que hagas lo que él dice, sino que le escuches
Not only... but also
► When the but also part of this construction contains ((subject)) + ((verb)), translate using no solo or no sólo or no solamente... sino que también or sino que además:
It will not only cause tension, but it will also damage the economy No solo or No sólo or No solamente provocará tensiones, sino que además or sino que también dañará la economía ► When the but also part does not contain ((subject)) + ((verb)), translate using no solo or no sólo or no solamente... sino también or sino además:
Not only rich but also powerful No solo or No sólo or No solamente rico sino también or sino además poderoso
We don't only want to negotiate but also to take decisions No queremos solo or sóloor solamente negociar, sino también tomar decisiones For further uses and examples, see main entry* * *
I [bʌt], weak form [bət]1)a) ( however) peroshe was fired, but they were not — la despidieron a ella pero no a ellos
everybody, but everybody knows that — eso no hay nadie que no lo sepa
you're really bugging me but good! — (AmE colloq) qué manera de darme la lata! (fam)
b) ( used for introductory emphasis) perobut what made you say it? — ¿pero por qué lo dijiste?
surely he doesn't believe that? - oh, but he does! — no puede ser que se crea eso - pues sí que se lo cree
c)but then — (as linker) (however, still) pero; ( in that case) pero entonces
but then you never were very ambitious, were you? — pero la verdad es que tú nunca fuiste muy ambicioso ¿no?
I don't want to, but then again I do — no quiero, pero a la vez or al mismo tiempo sí quiero
2)not... but... — no... sino...
it appears that she's not Greek but Albanian — parece que no es griega, sino albanesa
not only did she hit him, but she also... — no sólo le pegó, sino que también...
II
a) ( except)everyone but me — todos menos or excepto or salvo yo
the next street but one — la próxima calle no: la siguiente
there's nothing we can do but wait — no podemos hacer otra cosa sino esperar, lo único que podemos hacer es esperar
b)but for: but for them, we'd have lost everything — de no haber sido or si no hubiera sido por ellos, habríamos perdido todo
III
adverb (frml)
IV [bʌt]noun pero mno buts: come here at once! — no hay pero que valga, ven aquí inmediatamente!
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5 Usage note : which
In questionsWhen which is used as a pronoun in questions it is translated by lequel, laquelle, lesquels or lesquelles according to the gender and number of the noun it is referring to:there are three peaches, which do you want?= il y a trois pêches, laquelle veux-tu?‘Lucy’s borrowed three of your books’ ‘which did she take?’= ‘Lucy t’a emprunté trois livres’ ‘lesquels a-t-elle pris?’The exception to this is when which is followed by a superlative adjective, when the translation is quel, quelle, quels or quelles:which is the biggest (apple)?= quelle est la plus grande?which are the least expensive (books)?= quels sont les moins chers?In relative clauses as subject or objectthe book which is on the table= le livre qui est sur la tablethe books which are on the table= les livres qui sont sur la tablethe book which Tina is reading= le livre que lit TinaNote the inversion of subject and verb ; this is the case where the subject is a noun but not where the subject is a pronoun:the book which I am reading= le livre que je lisIn compound tenses such as the present perfect and past perfect, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the noun que is referring to:the books which I gave you= les livres que je t’ai donnésthe dresses which she bought yesterday= les robes qu’elle a achetées hierIn relative clauses after a prepositionHere the translation is lequel, laquelle, lesquels or lesquelles according to the gender and number of the noun referred to:the road by which we came or the road which we came by= la route par laquelle nous sommes venusthe expressions for which we have translations= les expressions pour lesquelles nous avons une traductionRemember that if the preposition would normally be translated by à in French (to, at etc.), the preposition + which is translated by auquel, à laquelle, auxquels or auxquelles:the addresses to which we sent letters= les adresses auxquelles nous avons envoyé des lettresWith prepositions normally translated by de (of, from etc.) the translation of the preposition which becomes dont:a blue book, the title of which I’ve forgotten= un livre bleu dont j’ai oublié le titreHowever, if de is part of a prepositional group, as for example in the case of près de meaning near, the translation becomes duquel, de laquelle, desquels or desquelles:the village near which they live= le village près duquel ils habitentthe houses near which she was waiting= les maisons près desquelles elle attendaita hill at the top of which there is a house= une colline au sommet de laquelle il y a une maisonAs a determinerIn questionsWhen which is used as a determiner in questions it is translated by quel, quelle, quels or quelles according to the gender and number of the noun that follows:which car is yours?= quelle voiture est la vôtre?which books did he borrow?= quels livres a-t-il empruntés?Note that in the second example the object precedes the verb so that the past participle agrees in gender and number with the object. -
6 Usage note : as
When as is used as a preposition or a conjunction to mean like it is translatedby comme:dressed as a sailor= habillé comme un marinas usual= comme d’habitudeas often happens= comme c’est souvent le casas she was coming down the stairs= comme elle descendait l’escalierHowever, where a gradual process is involved, as is translated by au fur et à mesure que:as the day went on, he became more anxious= au fur et à mesure que la journée avançait il devenait plus inquietas he is ill, he can’t go out= comme il est malade or puisqu’il est malade, il ne peut pas sortirWhen used as an adverb in comparisons, as…as is translated by aussi…que:he is as intelligent as his brother= il est aussi intelligent que son frèreBut see category J in the entry as for as muchas and as many as.Note also the standard translation used for fixed similes:as strong as an ox= fort comme un bœufas rich as Croesus= riche comme CrésusSuch similes often have a cultural equivalent rather than a direct translation. To find translations for English similes, consult the entry for the second element.When as is used as a preposition to indicate a person’s profession or position, it is translated by comme:he works as an engineer= il travaille comme ingénieurNote that the article a/an is not translated.When as is used with a preposition to mean in my/his capacity as, it is translated by en tant que:as a teacher I believe that…= en tant qu’enseignant je crois que… -
7 Usage note : it
When it is used as a subject pronoun to refer to a specific object (or animal) il or elle is used in French according to the gender of the object referred to:‘where is the book/chair?’ ‘it’s in the kitchen’= ‘où est le livre/la chaise?’ ‘il/elle est dans la cuisine’‘do you like my skirt?’ ‘it’s lovely’= ‘est-ce que tu aimes ma jupe?’ ‘elle est très jolie’However, if the object referred to is named in the same sentence, it is translated by ce (c’ before a vowel):it’s a good film= c’est un bon filmWhen it is used as an object pronoun it is translated by le or la (l’ before a vowel) according to the gender of the object referred to:it’s my book/my chair and I want it= c’est mon livre/ma chaise et je le/la veuxNote that the object pronoun normally comes before the verb in French and that in compound tenses like the perfect and the past perfect, the past participle agrees with it:I liked his shirt - did you notice it?= j’ai aimé sa chemise - est-ce que tu l’as remarquée? or l’as-tu remarquée?In imperatives only, the pronoun comes after the verb:it’s my book - give it to me= c’est mon livre - donne-le-moi (note the hyphens)When it is used vaguely or impersonally followed by an adjective the translation is ce (c’ before a vowel):it’s difficult= c’est difficileit’s sad= c’est tristeBut when it is used impersonally followed by an adjective + verb the translation is il:it’s difficult to understand how…= il est difficile de comprendre comment …If in doubt consult the entry for the adjective in question.For translations for impersonal verb uses (it’s raining, it’s snowing) consult the entry for the verb in question.it is used in expressions of days of the week (it’s Friday) and clock time (it’s 5 o’clock). This dictionary contains usage notes on these and many other topics. For other impersonal and idiomatic uses see the entry it.When it is used after a preposition in English the two words (prep + it) are often translated by one word in French. If the preposition would normally be translated by de in French (e.g. of, about, from etc.) the prep + it = en:I’ve heard about it= j’en ai entendu parlerIf the preposition would normally be translated by à in French (e.g. to, in, at etc.) the prep + it = y:they went to it= ils y sont allésFor translations of it following prepositions not normally translated by de or à (e.g. above, under, over etc.) consult the entry for the preposition. -
8 Usage note : since
In time expressionssince is used in English after a verb in the present perfect or progressive present perfect tense to indicate when something that is still going on started. To express this French uses a verb in the present tense + depuis:I’ve been waiting since Saturday= j’attends depuis samediI’ve lived in Rome since 1988= j’habite à Rome depuis 1988I had been waiting since nine o’clock= j’attendais depuis neuf heuresIn negative time expressionsAgain since is translated by depuis, but in negative sentences the verb tenses used in French are the same as those used in English:I haven’t seen him since Saturday= je ne l’ai pas vu depuis samediI hadn’t seen him since 1978= je ne l’avais pas vu depuis 1978As a conjunctionIn time expressionsWhen since is used as a conjunction, it is translated by depuis que and the tenses used in French parallel exactly those used with the preposition depuis (see above):since she’s been living in Oxford= depuis qu’elle habite à Oxfordsince he’d been in Paris= depuis qu’il était à ParisNote that in time expressions with since French native speakers will generally prefer to use a noun where possible when English uses a verb:I haven’t seen him since he left= je ne l’ai pas vu depuis son départshe’s been living in Nice since she got married= elle habite à Nice depuis son mariageFor particular usages see the entry since.Meaning becausesince she was ill, she couldn’t go= comme elle était malade or étant donné qu’elle était malade, elle ne pouvait pas y allerAs an adverbhe hasn’t been seen since= on ne l’a pas vu depuisFor particular usages see C in the entry since. -
9 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. -
10 Usage note : before
When before is used as a preposition in expressions of time or order of sequence or importance, it is translated by avant:before the meeting= avant la réunionshe left before me= elle est partie avant moiFor more examples and particular usages, see A1, 2, 3 in the entry before.When before is used as a preposition meaning in front of (when you are talking about physical space) or in the presence of, it is translated by devant:before our eyes= devant nos yeuxhe declared before his mother that …= il a déclaré devant sa mère que …When before is used as an adjective after a noun, it is translated by précédent/-e:the time before= la fois précédentethe one before is translated by le précédent or la précédente:no, I’m not talking about that meeting but the one before= non, je ne parle pas de cette réunion-là mais de la précédenteFor particular usages see B in the entry before.When before is used as an adverb meaning beforehand, it is translated by avant in statements about the present or future:I’ll try to talk to her before= j’essaierai de lui en parler avantyou could have told me before= tu aurais pu me le dire avantI had met her two or three times before= je l’avais rencontrée deux ou trois fois auparavantI’ve met her before= je l’ai déjà rencontréeyou’ve asked me that question before= tu m’as déjà posé cette questionIn negative sentences before is often used in English simply to reinforce the negative. In such cases it is not translated at all:I’d never eaten snails before= je n’avais jamais mangé d’escargotsyou’ve never told me that before= tu ne m’as jamais dit çaFor particular usages see C in the entry before.When before is used as a conjunction, it is translated by avant de + infinitive where the two verbs have the same subject:before he saw her he recognized her voice= il a reconnu sa voix avant de la voirbefore I cook dinner I’m going to phone my mother= avant de préparer le dîner je vais appeler ma mèreWhere the two verbs have different subjects, the translation is avant que + subjunctive:Tom wants to see her before she leaves= Tom veut la voir avant qu’elle parteSome speakers and writers add ne before the verb: Tom veut la voir avant qu’elle ne parte, but this is simply a slightly precious effect of style and is never obligatory. For particular usages see D in the entry before. -
11 Usage note : might
Although usage shows that may and might are interchangeable in many contexts, might indicates a more remote possibility than may. French generally translates this element of possibility using peut-être with the appropriate verb tense:it might snow= il va peut-être neiger(It is also possible to translate this more formally using il se peut + subjunctive: il se peut qu’il neige). For particular examples see might1 1.It is possible to translate might differently depending on the nature of the context and the speaker’s point of view:he might not come= il risque de ne pas venirimplies that this is not a desirable outcome for the speaker ;he might not come= il pourrait ne pas venir or il se peut qu’il ne vienne pashowever, is neutral in tone. Where there is the idea of a possibility in the past which has not in fact occurred (see might1 2), French uses the past conditional of the verb (which is often pouvoir):it might have been serious (but wasn’t in fact)= ça aurait pu être graveThis is also the case where something which could have taken place did not, thus causing annoyance:you might have said thanks!= tu aurais pu dire merci!(see might1 7).might, as the past tense of may, will automatically occur in instances of reported speech:he said you might be hurt= il a dit que tu serais peut-être blesséFor more examples see the entry might1 and bear in mind the rules for the agreement of tenses.Where there is a choice between may and might in making requests, might is more formal and even rather dated. French uses inversion (je peux = puis-je?) in this context and puis-je me permettre de…? (= might I…?) is extremely formal.Might can be used to polite effect - to soften direct statements: you might imagine that…or to offer advice tactfully: it might be wise to…In both cases, French uses the conditional tense of the verb: on pourrait penser que… ; ce serait peut-être une bonne idée de… The use of well in phrases such as he might well be right etc. implies a greater degree of likelihood.For translations of might well, may well, see B2 in the entry well1. -
12 Usage note : all
When all is used to mean everything, it is translated by tout:is that all?= c’est tout?all is well= tout va bienWhen all is followed by a that clause, all that is translated by tout ce qui when it is the subject of the verb and tout ce que when it is the object:all that remains to be done= tout ce qui reste à fairethat was all (that) he said= c’est tout ce qu’il a ditafter all (that) we’ve done= après tout ce que nous avons faitwe’re doing all (that) we can= nous faisons tout ce que nous pouvonsall that you need= tout ce dont tu as besoinWhen all is used to refer to a specified group of people or objects, the translation reflects the number and gender of the people or objects referred to ; tous is used for a group of people or objects of masculine or mixed or unspecified gender and toutes for a group of feminine gender:we were all delighted= nous étions tous ravis‘where are the cups?’ ‘they’re all in the kitchen’= ‘où sont les tasses?’ ‘elles sont toutes dans la cuisine’For more examples and particular usages see the entry all.As a determinerIn French, determiners agree in gender and number with the noun they precede. So all is translated by tout + masculine singular noun:all the time= tout le tempsby toute + feminine singular noun:all the family= toute la familleby tous + masculine or mixed gender plural noun:all men= tous les hommesall the books= tous les livresand by toutes + feminine plural noun:all women= toutes les femmesall the chairs= toutes les chaisesFor more examples and particular usages see the entry all.As an adverbmy coat’s all dirty= mon manteau est tout salehe was all alone= il était tout seulthey were all alone= ils étaient tout seulsthe girls were all excited= les filles étaient tout excitéesHowever, when the adjective that follows is in the feminine and begins with a consonant the translation is toute/toutes:she was all alone= elle était toute seulethe bill is all wrong= la facture est toute faussethe girls were all alone= les filles étaient toutes seulesFor more examples and particular usages see the entry all. -
13 some
some [sʌm]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━1. adjective2. pronoun3. adverb━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━1. adjective• some tea/ice cream/water du thé/de la glace/de l'eau• would you like some more meat? voulez-vous encore un peu de viande ?b. ( = a certain number of) des━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━► de is sometimes used before an adjective.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━d. ( = a certain) if you are worried about some aspect of this proposal... si un aspect quelconque de cette proposition vous préoccupe...• in some ways, he's right par certains côtés, il a raison• some people say that... il y a des gens qui disent que...f. ( = a considerable amount of) it took some courage to do that! il a fallu du courage pour faire ça !g. ( = a limited) this will give you some idea of... cela vous donnera une petite idée de...• that's some consolation! c'est quand même une consolation !• surely there's some hope she will recover? il y a tout de même quelque espoir qu'elle guérisse ?2. pronouna. ( = as opposed to others) certain(e)s m(f)pl• some cheered, others shouted abuse certains applaudissaient, d'autres criaient des injures━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━► Note the use of d'entre with personal pronouns.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━b. ( = not all) quelques-un(e)s m(f)pl• I don't want them all, but I'd like some je ne les veux pas tous mais j'en voudrais quelques-uns━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━► Even if not expressed, of them must be translated in French by en.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━c. ( = a certain amount or number when object of the verb) en• have some! prenez-en !• do you need stamps? -- it's okay, I've got some est-ce que tu as besoin de timbres ? -- non, ça va, j'en aid. ( = a part) une partie► ... and then some (inf)3. adverba. ( = about) environb. ( = a bit) (inf)* * *Note: When some is used as a quantifier to mean an unspecified amount of something, it is translated by du, de l' before vowel or mute h, de la or des according to the gender and number of the noun that follows: I'd like some bread = je voudrais du pain; have some water = prenez de l'eau; we've bought some beer = nous avons acheté de la bière; they've bought some peaches = ils ont acheté des pêchesBut note that where some is followed by an adjective preceding a plural noun, de alone is used in all cases: some pretty dresses = de jolies robesWhen some is used as a pronoun it is translated by en which is placed before the verb in French: would you like some? = est-ce que vous en voulez?; I've got some = j'en ai[sʌm] 1.determiner, quantifier2) (certain: in contrast to others) certainsin some ways, I agree — d'une certaine façon, je suis d'accord
4) (a little, a slight)the candidate needs to have some knowledge of computers — le candidat doit avoir certaines or un minimum de connaissances en informatique
you must have some idea where the house is — tu dois avoir une idée de l'endroit où la maison se trouve
this money will go some way towards compensating her for her injuries — cet argent compensera un peu ses blessures
5) péj (an unspecified, unknown)a car of some sort —
6) (colloq) ( a remarkable)that's some woman ou man! — c'est quelqu'un!
7) (colloq) ( not much)some help you are! — iron c'est ça que tu appelles aider!
2.‘I'd like the work to be finished by Monday’ - ‘some hope!’ — ‘j'aimerais que le travail soit fini avant lundi’ - ‘tu rêves (colloq)!’
2) (certain ones: in contrast to others)3.1) ( approximately) environsome £50 — autour de 50 livres sterling
2) (colloq) US ( a lot) un peufrom here to the town center in 5 minutes, that's going some — (colloq) aller d'ici au centre ville en 5 minutes, il faut le faire
••some people! — ah vraiment, il y a des gens!
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14 some
❢ When some is used as a quantifier to mean an unspecified amount of something, it is translated by du, de l' before vowel or mute h, de la or des according to the gender and number of the noun that follows: I'd like some bread = je voudrais du pain ; have some water = prenez de l'eau ; we've bought some beer = nous avons acheté de la bière ; they've bought some peaches = ils ont acheté des pêches. But note that where some is followed by an adjective preceding a plural noun, de alone is used in all cases: some pretty dresses = de jolies robes. For particular usages see A below. When some is used as a pronoun it is translated by en which is placed before the verb in French: would you like some? = est-ce que vous en voulez? ; I've got some = j'en ai. For particular usages see B below.1 ( an unspecified amount or number) some cheese du fromage ; some money de l'argent ; some apples des pommes ; some old/new socks de vieilles/nouvelles chaussettes ; some red/expensive socks des chaussettes rouges/chères ; we need some help/support/money nous avons besoin d'aide/de soutien/d'argent ;2 (certain: in contrast to others) certains ; some shops won't sell this product certains magasins ne vendent pas ce produit ; some children like it certains enfants aiment ça ; some tulips are black certaines tulipes sont noires ; some people work, others don't certaines personnes travaillent, d'autres non ; in some ways, I agree d'une certaine façon, je suis d'accord ; in some cases, people have to wait 10 years dans certains cas les gens doivent attendre 10 ans ; some people say that certaines personnes disent que ; in some parts of Europe dans certaines parties de l'Europe ;3 ( a considerable amount or number) he has some cause for complaint/disappointment il a des raisons de se plaindre/d'être déçu ; she managed it with some ease/difficulty elle a réussi sans problèmes/avec difficulté ; his suggestion was greeted with some indifference/hostility sa suggestion a été accueillie avec indifférence/hostilité ; it will take some doing ça ne va pas être facile à faire ; we stayed there for some time nous sommes restés là assez longtemps ; we waited for some years/months/hours nous avons attendu plusieurs années/mois/heures ; he hadn't seen her for some years ça faisait plusieurs années qu'il ne l'avait pas vue ;4 (a little, a slight) the meeting did have some effect/some value la réunion a eu un certain effet/une certaine importance ; the candidate needs to have some knowledge of computers le candidat doit avoir certaines or un minimum de connaissances en informatique ; there must be some reason for it il doit y avoir une raison ; you must have some idea where the house is tu dois avoir une idée de l'endroit où la maison se trouve ; this money will go some way towards compensating her for her injuries cet argent compensera un peu ses blessures ; the agreement will go some way towards solving the difficulties between the two countries cet accord aidera à résoudre les difficultés entre les deux pays ; to some extent dans une certaine mesure ; well that's some consolation anyway! c'est toujours ça ○ ! ;5 péj (an unspecified, unknown) some man came to the house un homme est venu à la maison ; he' s doing some course il suit des cours ; she's bought some cottage in Spain elle a acheté une maison en Espagne ; a car/computer of some sort, some sort of car/computer une sorte de voiture/d'ordinateur ;6 ○ ( a remarkable) that was some film/car! ça c'était un film/une voiture! ; that's some woman/man! c'est quelqu'un! ;7 ○ ( not much) some help you are/he is! iron c'est ça que tu appelles/qu'il appelle aider! ; some mechanic/doctor he is! tu parles d'un mécanicien/d'un médecin! ; some dictionary/pen that is! tu parles d'un dictionnaire/d'un stylo! ; ‘I'd like the work to be finished by Monday’-‘some hope!’ ‘j'aimerais que le travail soit fini avant lundi’-‘tu rêves ○ !’B pron1 ( an unspecified amount or number) I'd like some of those j'en voudrais quelques-uns comme ça ; (do) have some! servez-vous! ; (do) have some more! reprenez-en! ;2 (certain ones: in contrast to others) some (of them) are blue certains sont bleus ; some (of them) are French, others Spanish ( people) certains d'entre eux sont des Français, d'autres des Espagnols ; some say that certaines personnes disent que ; I agree with some of what you say je suis d'accord avec une partie de ce que tu dis ; some (of them) arrived early certains d'entre eux sont arrivés tôt.C adv1 ( approximately) environ ; some 20 people/buses environ 20 personnes/autobus ; some 20 years ago il y a environ 20 ans ; some £50 autour de 50 livres (sterling) ; some 70% of the population environ 70% de la population ;2 ○ US (somewhat, a lot) un peu ; to wait/work some attendre/travailler un peu ; from here to the town center in 5 minutes, that's going some ○ aller d'ici au centre ville en 5 minutes, il faut le faire.and then some ○ ! et pas qu'un peu ○ ! ; some people! ah vraiment, il y a des gens! -
15 Weight measurement
Note that French has a comma where English has a decimal point.1 oz= 28,35 g* (grammes)1 lb†= 453,60 g1 st= 6,35 kg (kilos)1 cwt= 50,73 kg1 ton= 1014,60 kg* There are three ways of saying 28,35 g, and other measurements like it: vingt-huit virgule trente-cinq grammes, or (less formally) vingt-huit grammes virgule trente-cinq, or vingt-huit grammes trente-cinq.For more details on how to say numbers ⇒ Numbers.† English a pound is translated by une livre in French, but note that the French livre is actually 500 grams (half a kilo).Peoplewhat’s his weight?= combien pèse-t-il?how much does he weigh?= combien pèse-t-il?he weighs 10 st (or 140 lbs)= il pèse 63 kg 500 (soixante-trois kilos et demi)he weighs more than 20 st= il pèse plus de 127 kilosThingswhat does the parcel weigh?= combien pèse le colis?how heavy is it?= quel poids fait-il?it weighs ten kilos= il pèse dix kilosabout ten kilos= environ dix kilosit was 2 kilos overweight= il pesait deux kilos de tropA weighs more than B= A pèse plus lourd que BA is heavier than B= A est plus lourd que BB is lighter than A= B est plus léger que AA is as heavy as B= A est aussi lourd que BA is the same weight as B= A a le même poids que BA and B are the same weight= A et B ont le même poids6 lbs of carrots= six livres de carottes2 kilos of butter= deux kilos de beurre11/2 kilos of tomatoes= un kilo cinq cents de tomatessold by the kilo= vendu au kilothere are about two pounds to a kilo= il y a à peu près deux livres anglaises dans un kiloNote the French construction with de, coming after the noun it describes:a 3-lb potato= une pomme de terre de trois livresa parcel 3 kilos in weight= un colis de trois kilos -
16 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 -
17 Date
Where English has several ways of writing dates, such as May 10, 10 May, 10th May etc. French has only one generally accepted way: le 10 mai, ( say le dix mai). However, as in English, dates in French may be written informally: 10.5.68 or 31/7/65 etc.The general pattern in French is:le cardinal number month yearle 10 mai 1901But if the date is the first of the month, use premier, abbreviated as 1er:May 1st 1901= le 1er mai 1901Note that French does not use capital letters for months, or for days of the week ⇒ The months of the year and ⇒ The days of the week ; also French does not usually abbreviate the names of the months:Sept 10= le 10 septembre etc.If the day of the week is included, put it after the le:Monday, May 1st 1901= le lundi 1er mai 1901Monday the 25th= lundi 25 ( say lundi vingt-cinq)Saying and writing dateswhat’s the date?= quel jour sommes-nous?it’s the tenth= nous sommes le dix or (less formally) on est le dixit’s the tenth of May= nous sommes le dix mai or (less formally) on est le dix mai* (i) There are two ways of saying hundreds and thousands in dates:1968= mille neuf cent soixante-huit or dix-neuf cent soixante-huit(ii) The spelling mil is used in legal French, otherwise mille is used in dates, except when a round number of thousands is involved, in which case the words l’an are added:1900= mille neuf cents2000= l’an deux mille† French prefers Roman numerals for centuries:the 16th century= le XVIeSaying onFrench uses only the definite article, without any word for on:it happened on 6th March= c’est arrivé le 6 mars ( say le six mars)he came on the 21st= il est arrivé le 21 ( say le vingt et un)see you on the 6th= on se voit le 6 ( say le six)on the 2nd of every month= le 2 de chaque mois ( say le deux...)he’ll be here on the 3rd= il sera là le 3 ( say le trois)Saying inFrench normally uses en for years but prefers en l’an for out-of-the-ordinary dates:in 1968= en 1968 ( say en mille neuf cent soixante-huit or en dix-neuf cent…)in 1896= en 1896 ( say en mille huit cent quatre-vingt-seize or en dix-huit cent…)in the year 2000= en l’an deux millein AD 27= en l’an 27 ( say l’an vingt-sept) de notre èrein 132 BC= en l’an 132 ( say l’an cent trente-deux) avant Jésus-ChristWith names of months, in is translated by en or au mois de:in May 1970= en mai mille neuf cent soixante-dix or au mois de mai mille neuf cent soixante-dixWith centuries, French uses au:in the seventeenth century= au dix-septième siècleThe word siècle is often omitted in colloquial French:in the eighteenth century= au dix-huitième siècle or (less formally) au dix-huitièmeNote also:in the early 12th century= au début du XIIe siècle ( say du douzième siècle)in the late 14th century= à or vers la fin du XIVe siècle ( say du quatorzième siècle)PhrasesRemember that the date in French always has the definite article, so, in combined forms, au and du are required:from the 10th onwards= à partir du 10 ( say du dix)stay until the 14th= reste jusqu’au 14 ( say au quatorze)from 21st to 30th May= du 21 au 30 mai ( say du vingt et un au trente mai)around 16th May= le 16 mai environ/vers le 16 mai ( say le seize mai) or aux environs du seize mai ( say du seize mai)not until 1999= pas avant 1999 ( say mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-neuf)Shakespeare (1564-1616)= Shakespeare (1564-1616) ( say Shakespeare, quinze cent soixante-quatre-seize cent seize)Shakespeare b. 1564 d.1616= Shakespeare, né en 1564, mort en 1616 ( say Shakespeare, né en quinze cent soixante-quatre, mort en seize cent seize).Note that French has no abbreviations for né and mort.in May ’45= en mai 45 ( say en mai quarante-cinq)in the 1980s= dans les années 80 ( say dans les années quatre-vingts)in the early sixties= au début des années 60 ( say des années soixante)in the late seventies= à la fin des années 70 ( say des années soixante-dix)the riots of ’68= les émeutes de 68 ( say de soixante-huit)the 14-18 war= la guerre de 14 or de 14-18 ( say de quatorze or de quatorze-dix-huit)the 1912 uprising= le soulèvement de 1912 ( say de mille neuf cent douze) -
18 Length measurement
1 in= 2,54 cm* (centimètres)1 ft= 30,48 cm1 yd= 91,44 cm1 furlong= 201,17 m (mètres)1 ml= 1,61 km (kilomètres)* There are three ways of saying 2,54 cm, and other measurements like it: deux virgule cinquante-quatre centimètres, or (less formally) deux centimètres virgule cinquante-quatre, or deux centimètres cinquante-quatre. For more details on how to say numbers ⇒ Numbers.Lengthhow long is the rope?= de quelle longueur est la corde?it’s ten metres long= elle fait dix mètresa rope about six metres long= une corde d’environ six mètres de* longA is longer than B= A est plus long que BB is shorter than A= B est plus court que AA is as long as B= A est aussi long que BA is the same length as B= A a la même longueur que BA and B are the same length= A et B ont la même longueur or A et B sont de* la même longueurit’s three metres too short= il est trop court de trois mètresit’s three metres too long= il est trop long de trois mètresten metres of rope= dix mètres de cordesold by the metre= vendu au mètreNote the French construction with de, coming after the noun it describes:a six-foot-long python= un python de six pieds de* longan avenue four kilometres long= une avenue de quatre kilomètres de* long* The de is obligatory in these constructions.HeightPeoplehow tall is he?= quelle est sa taille? or combien est-ce qu’il mesure?he’s six feet tall= il fait un mètre quatre-vingts or il mesure un mètre quatre-vingtshe’s 1m 50= il fait 1,50 m ( say un mètre cinquante)he’s about five feet= il fait à peu près un mètre cinquanteA is taller than B= A est plus grand que BB is smaller than A= B est plus petit que AA is as tall as B= A est aussi grand que BA is the same height as B= A a la même taille que BA and B are the same height= A et B ont la même taille or A et B sont de* la même tailleNote the French construction with de, coming after the noun it describes:a six-foot-tall athlete= un athlète d’un mètre quatre-vingtsa footballer over six feet in height= un footballeur de plus d’un mètre quatre-vingtsThingshow high is the tower?= quelle est la hauteur de la tour?it’s 50 metres= elle fait 50 mètres or elle mesure 50 mètresabout 25 metres high= environ 25 mètres de* hautit’s 100 metres high= elle fait cent mètres de* haut or elle fait cent mètres de hauteurat a height of two metres= à une hauteur de deux mètres or à deux mètres de hauteurA is higher than B= A est plus haut que BB is lower than A= B est moins haut que AA is as high as B= A est aussi haut que BA is the same height as B= A a la même hauteur que BA and B are the same height= A et B ont la même hauteur or A et B sont de* la même hauteurNote the French construction with de, coming after the noun it describes:a 100-metre-high tower= une tour de 100 mètres de* hauta mountain over 4,000 metres in height= une montagne de plus de quatre mille mètreshow high is the plane= à quelle hauteur or à quelle altitude est l’avion?what height is the plane flying at?= à quelle altitude l’avion vole-t-il?the plane is flying at 5,000 metres= l’avion vole à une altitude de cinq mille mètres or à cinq mille mètres d’altitude** The de is obligatory in these constructions.Distancewhat’s the distance from A to B?= quelle distance y a-t-il entre A et B?how far is it from Paris to Nice?= combien y a-t-il de kilomètres de Paris à Nice?how far away is the school from the church?= à quelle distance l’école est-elle de l’église?it’s two kilometres= il y a deux kilomètresat a distance of five kilometres= à une distance de 5 kilomètres or à cinq kilomètres de distanceC is nearer B than A is= C est plus près de B que AA is nearer to B than to C= A est plus près de B que de CA is as far away as B= A est aussi loin que BA and B are the same distance away= A et B sont à la même distanceNote the French construction with de, coming after the noun it describes:a ten-kilometre walk= une promenade de dix kilomètresWidth/breadthIn the following examples, broad may replace wide and breadth may replace width, but the French remains large and largeur.what width is the river?= de* quelle largeur est la rivière?how wide is it?= combien fait-elle de* large?about seven metres wide= environ sept mètres de* largeit’s seven metres wide= elle fait sept mètres de* large or de* largeurA is wider than B= A est plus large que BB is narrower than A= B est plus étroit que AA is as wide as B= A est aussi large que BA is the same width as B= A a la même largeur que BNote the French construction with de, coming after the noun it describes:a ditch two metres wide= un fossé de deux mètres de* largea piece of cloth two metres in width= une pièce de tissu de deux mètres de* largeura river 50 metres wide= une rivière de 50 mètres de* largeur* The de is obligatory in these constructions.Depthwhat depth is the river?= de* quelle profondeur est la rivière?how deep is it?= combien fait-elle de* profondeur?it’s four metres deep= elle fait quatre mètres de* profondeurat a depth of ten metres= à dix mètres de* profondeur or à une profondeur de* dix mètresA is deeper than B= A est plus profond que BB is shallower than A= B est moins profond que ANote that French has no word for shallow:A is as deep as B= A est aussi profond que BA is the same depth as B= A a la même profondeur que BNote the French construction with de, coming after the noun it describes:a well 20 metres deep= un puits de vingt mètres de* profondeur* The de is obligatory in these constructions. -
19 be
'bi: ɡi:( abbreviation) (Bachelor of Engineering; first degree in Engineering.) licenciatura en Ingenieríabe vb1. serwhat time is it? It's 3 o'clock ¿qué hora es? Son las treswho is it? It's me ¿quién es? Soy yo2. estarhow are you? I'm fine ¿cómo estás? estoy bienwhere is Pauline? ¿dónde está Pauline?how far is it? ¿a qué distancia está?what day is it today? ¿qué día es hoy? / ¿a qué día estamos?3. tenerhow old are you? I'm 16 ¿cuántos años tienes? tengo 16 años4. costar / valer / serhow much is it? ¿cuánto cuesta? / ¿cuánto vale? / ¿cuánto es?the tickets are £15 each las entradas valen 15 libras cada una5. hacer6. haberhow many children are there? ¿cuántos niños hay?Se usa también para construir el tiempo verbal llamado present continuous que indica una acción que está pasando en estos momentoswhat are you doing? ¿qué estás haciendo? / ¿qué haces?look, it's snowing mira, está nevando
be sustantivo femenino: name of the letter b, often called be largaor grande to distinguish it from v 'be' also found in these entries: Spanish: A - abasto - abate - abismo - abotargarse - abreviar - abrirse - absoluta - absoluto - abultar - abundar - aburrir - aburrirse - acabose - acariciar - acaso - acertar - achantarse - acometer - acostada - acostado - acostumbrar - acostumbrada - acostumbrado - acreditar - activa - activo - adelantar - adelantarse - adentro - adivinarse - admirarse - adolecer - aferrarse - afianzarse - aficionada - aficionado - afligirse - agonizar - agotarse - agradecer - agua - ahogarse - ahora - aire - ajo - ala - alarmarse - alcanzar - alegrarse English: aback - abate - about - absent - accordance - account for - accountable - accustom - acquaint - action - addicted - address - adequate - adjust - admit - affiliated - afford - afraid - agenda - agree - agreement - ahead - air - airsick - alert - alive - alone - along - aloof - alphabetically - always - am - ambition - amenable - amusing - anathema - annoyance - anomaly - anxious - apologetic - appal - appall - are - arm - around - arrears - as - ashamed - aspire - assertbetr[biː]intransitive verb (pres 1ª pers am, 2ª pers sing y todas del pl are, 3ª pers sing is; pt 1ª y 3ª pers sing was, 2ª pers sing y todas del pl; pp been)2 (essential quality) ser3 (nationality) ser4 (occupation) ser5 (origin) ser6 (ownership) ser7 (authorship) ser8 (composition) ser9 (use) ser10 (location) estar11 (temporary state) estar■ how are you? ¿cómo estás?12 (age) tener13 (price) costar, valer■ a single ticket is £9.50 un billete de ida cuesta £9.5014 tener■ he's hot/cold tiene calor/frío■ we're hungry/thirsty tenemos hambre/sed1 (passive) ser■ she was arrested at the border fue detenida en la frontera, la detuvieron en la frontera■ he's hated by everybody es odiado por todos, todos lo odian■ he was discharged fue dado de alta, lo dieron de alta■ the house has been sold la casa ha sido vendida, la casa se ha vendido, han vendido la casa■ thirty children were injured treinta niños fueron heridos, treinta niños resultaron heridos■ the two areas of the town are divided by a wall las dos zonas de la ciudad están divididas por un muro1 (obligation) deber, tener que1 (future)phrase there is / there are1 hay■ is there much traffic ¿hay mucho tráfico?1 había■ were there many people? ¿había mucha gente?1 habrá1 habría■ if Mike came, there would be ten of us si viniera Mike, seríamos diez\SMALLIDIOMATIC EXPRESSION/SMALLto be about to «+ inf» estar para + inf, estar a punto de + infto be or not to be ser o no serbe ['bi:] v, was ['wəz, 'wɑz] ; were ['wər] ; been ['bɪn] ; being ; am ['æm] ; is ['ɪz] ; are ['ɑr] viJosé is a doctor: José es doctorI'm Ana's sister: soy la hermana de Anathe tree is tall: el árbol es altoyou're silly!: ¡eres tonto!she's from Managua: es de Managuait's mine: es míomy mother is at home: mi madre está en casathe cups are on the table: las tazas están en la mesato be or not to be: ser, o no serI think, therefore I am: pienso, luego existohow are you?: ¿cómo estás?I'm cold: tengo fríoshe's 10 years old: tiene 10 añosthey're both sick: están enfermos los dosbe v impersit's eight o'clock: son las ochoit's Friday: hoy es viernesit's sunny: hace solit's very dark outside: está bien oscuro afuerabe v auxwhat are you doing? -I'm working: ¿qué haces? -estoy trabajandoit was finished yesterday: fue acabado ayer, se acabó ayerit was cooked in the oven: se cocinó en el hornocan she be trusted?: ¿se puede confiar en ella?you are to stay here: debes quedarte aquíhe was to come yesterday: se esperaba que viniese ayerbev.(§ p.,p.p.: was, were, been) = estar v.(§pres: estoy, estás...) pret: estuv-•)• ser v.(§pres: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son) subj: se-imp: er-fu-•)biːˌ weak form bi
1.
2)a) (followed by an adjective)she's French/intelligent — es francesa/inteligente
he's worried/furious — está preocupado/furioso
he's blind — es or (Esp tb) está ciego
have you never had gazpacho? it's delicious! — ¿nunca has comido gazpacho? es delicioso!
the gazpacho is delicious, did you make it yourself? — el gazpacho está delicioso ¿lo hiciste tú?
she was very rude to me — estuvo or fue muy grosera conmigo
Tony is married/divorced/single — Tony está or (esp AmL) es casado/divorciado/soltero
to be married to somebody — estar* casado con alguien
3)a) (followed by a noun) ser*who was Prime Minister at the time? — ¿quién era Primer Ministro en ese momento?
it's me/Daniel — soy yo/es Daniel
if I were you, I'd stay — yo que tú or yo en tu lugar me quedaría
b) ( play the role of) hacer* de4)how are you? — ¿cómo estás?
I'm much better — estoy or me encuentro mucho mejor
she's pregnant/tired — está embarazada/cansada
I'm cold/hot/hungry/thirsty/sleepy — tengo frío/calor/hambre/sed/sueño
b) ( talking about age) tener*how old are you? — ¿cuántos años tienes?
he's a lot older/younger — es mucho mayor/menor
c) (giving cost, measurement, weight)how much is that? - that'll be $15, please — ¿cuánto es? - (son) 15 dólares, por favor
they are $15 each — cuestan or valen 15 dólares cada una
how tall/heavy is he? — ¿cuánto mide/pesa?
5)a) (exist, live)I think, therefore I am — pienso, luego existo
to let something/somebody be — dejar tranquilo or en paz algo/a alguien
b) ( in expressions of time)don't be too long — no tardes mucho, no (te) demores mucho (esp AmL)
I'm drying my hair, I won't be long — me estoy secando el pelo, enseguida estoy
how long will dinner be? — ¿cuánto falta para la cena?
c) ( take place) ser*6) (be situated, present) estar*where is the library? — ¿dónde está or queda la biblioteca?
where are you? — ¿dónde estás?
what's in that box? — ¿qué hay en esa caja?
who's in the movie? — ¿quién actúa or trabaja en la película?
how long are you in Chicago (for)? — (colloq) ¿cuánto (tiempo) te vas a quedar en Chicago ?
7) (only in perfect tenses) ( visit) estar*have you been to the exhibition yet? — ¿ya has estado en or has ido a la exposición?
2.
v impers1)a) (talking about physical conditions, circumstances)it's sunny/cold/hot — hace sol/frío/calor
it's so noisy/quiet in here! — qué ruido/silencio hay aquí!
I have enough problems as it is, without you... — yo ya tengo suficientes problemas sin que tú encima...
b) ( in expressions of time) ser*hi, Joe, it's been a long time — qué tal, Joe, tanto tiempo (sin verte)
c) ( talking about distance) estar*it's 500 miles from here to Detroit — Detroit queda or está a 500 millas de aquí
2)a) (introducing person, object) ser*it was me who told them — fui yo quien se lo dije or dijo, fui yo el que se lo dije or dijo
b) (in conditional use) ser*if it hadn't been o had it not been for Juan, we would have been killed — si no hubiera sido por Juan or de no ser por Juan, nos habríamos matado
3.
v aux1) to be -inga) ( used to describe action in progress) estar* + gerwhat was I saying? — ¿qué estaba diciendo?
she was leaving when... — se iba cuando...
how long have you been waiting? — ¿cuánto (tiempo) hace que esperas?, ¿cuánto (tiempo) llevas esperando?
b) ( with future reference)he is o will be arriving tomorrow — llega mañana
when are you seeing her? — ¿cuándo la vas a ver or la verás?
2) (in the passive voice) ser* [The passive voice, however, is less common in Spanish than it is in English]it was built in 1903 — fue construido en 1903, se construyó en 1903, lo construyeron en 1903
she was told that... — le dijeron or se le dijo que...
it is known that... — se sabe que...
3) to be to + infa) ( with future reference)if a solution is to be found... — si se quiere encontrar or si se ha de encontrar una solución...
b) ( expressing possibility)what are we to do? — ¿qué podemos hacer?
c) ( expressing obligation) deber* + inf, tener* que + inf, haber* de + inftell her she's to stay here — dile que debe quedarse or tiene que quedarse aquí, dile que se quede aquí
am I to understand that... ? — ¿debo entender que... ?
4) ( in hypotheses)what would happen if she were o was to die? — ¿qué pasaría si ella muriera?
5)she's right, isn't she? — tiene razón, ¿no? or ¿verdad? or ¿no es cierto?
so that's what you think, is it? — de manera que eso es lo que piensas
are you disappointed? - yes, I am/no, I'm not — ¿estás desilusionado? - sí (, lo estoy)/no (, no lo estoy)
she was told the news, and so was he/but I wasn't — a ella le dieron la noticia, y también a él/pero a mí no
[biː] (present am, is or are pt was or were pp been)I'm surprised, are/aren't you? — estoy sorprendido, ¿y tú?/¿tú no?
1. INTRANSITIVE VERB1) (linking nouns, noun phrases, pronouns) serit's me! — ¡soy yo!
who wants to be Hamlet? — ¿quién quiere hacer de or ser Hamlet?
if I were you... — yo en tu lugar..., yo que tú... *
2) (possession) serUse [estar] with past participles used as adjectives describing the results of an action or process:it's round/enormous — es redondo/enorme
4) (changeable or temporary state) estarshe's bored/ill — está aburrida/enferma
how are you? — ¿cómo estás?, ¿qué tal estás?
how are you now? — ¿qué tal te encuentras ahora?
In certain expressions where English uses [be] + adjective to describe feelings ([be cold]/[hot]/[hungry]/[thirsty]), Spanish uses [tener] with a noun:I'm very well, thanks — estoy muy bien, gracias
I'm cold/hot — tengo frío/calor
I'm hungry/thirsty — tengo hambre/sed
afraid, sleepy, rightbe good! — ¡pórtate bien!
5) (age)"how old is she?" - "she's nine" — -¿cuántos años tiene? -tiene nueve años
6) (=take place) ser7) (=be situated) estarit's on the table — está sobre or en la mesa
where is the Town Hall? — ¿dónde está or queda el ayuntamiento?
it's 5 km to the village — el pueblo está or queda a 5 kilómetros
we've been here for ages — hace mucho tiempo que estamos aquí, llevamos aquí mucho tiempo, estamos aquí desde hace mucho tiempo
•
here you are(, take it) — aquí tienes(, tómalo)•
there's the church — ahí está la iglesiaa) (referring to weather) hacerit's hot/cold — hace calor/frío
b) (referring to time, date etc) serwake up, it's morning — despierta, es de día
what's the date (today)? — ¿qué fecha es hoy?
But note the following alternatives with [estar]:it's 3 May or the 3rd of May — es 3 de mayo
it's 3 May or the 3rd of May — estamos a 3 de mayo
c) (asking and giving opinion) seris it certain that...? — ¿es verdad or cierto que...?
is it fair that she should be punished while...? — ¿es justo que se la castigue mientras que...?
it is possible that he'll come — es posible que venga, puede (ser) que venga
it is unbelievable that... — es increíble que...
it's not clear whether... — no está claro si...
d) (emphatic) serwhy is it that she's so successful? — ¿cómo es que tiene tanto éxito?, ¿por qué tiene tanto éxito?
it was then that... — fue entonces cuando...
9) (=exist) haberthere is/are — hay
what is (there) in that room? — ¿qué hay en esa habitación?
is there anyone at home? — ¿hay alguien en casa?
there being no alternative solution... — al no haber or no habiendo otra solución...
let there be light! — ¡hágase la luz!
See:THERE IS, THERE ARE in there10) (=cost)how much was it? — ¿cuánto costó?
the book is £20 — el libro vale or cuesta 20 libras
how much is it? — ¿cuánto es?; (when paying) ¿qué le debo? frm
11) (=visit)has the postman been? — ¿ha venido el cartero?
have you ever been to Glasgow? — ¿has estado en Glasgow alguna vez?
12) (in noun compounds) futuro•
my wife to be — mi futura esposa•
been and * —you've been and done it now! — ¡buena la has hecho! *
that dog of yours has been and dug up my flowers! — ¡tu perro ha ido y me ha destrozado las flores!
•
you're busy enough as it is — estás bastante ocupado ya con lo que tienes, ya tienes suficiente trabajo•
if it hadn't been for..., if it hadn't been for you or frm had it not been for you, we would have lost — si no hubiera sido por ti or de no haber sido por ti, habríamos perdido•
let me be! — ¡déjame en paz!•
if that's what you want to do, then so be it — si eso es lo que quieres hacer, adelante•
what is it to you? * — ¿a ti qué te importa?2. AUXILIARY VERB1) (forming passive) serThe passive is not used as often in Spanish as in English, active and reflexive constructions often being preferred:it is said that... — dicen que..., se dice que...
she was killed in a car crash — murió en un accidente de coche, resultó muerta en un accidente de coche frm
what's to be done? — ¿qué hay que hacer?
•
it's a film not to be missed — es una película que no hay que perderse•
we searched everywhere for him, but he was nowhere to be seen — lo buscamos por todas partes pero no lo encontramos en ningún sitio2) (forming continuous) estarUse the present simple to talk about planned future events and the construction to talk about intention:what are you doing? — ¿qué estás haciendo?, ¿qué haces?
"it's a pity you aren't coming with us" - "but I am coming!" — -¡qué pena que no vengas con nosotros! -¡sí que voy!
will you be seeing her tomorrow? — ¿la verás or la vas a ver mañana?
will you be needing more? — ¿vas a necesitar más?
The imperfect tense can be used for continuous action in the past: for, sinceI'll be seeing you — hasta luego, nos vemos (esp LAm)
a)"he's going to complain about you" - "oh, is he?" — -va a quejarse de ti -¿ah, sí?
"I'm worried" - "so am I" — -estoy preocupado -yo también
"I'm not ready" - "neither am I" — -no estoy listo -yo tampoco
"you're tired" - "no, I'm not" — -estás cansado -no, ¡qué va!
"you're not eating enough" - "yes I am" — -no comes lo suficiente -que sí
"they're getting married" - "oh, are they?" — (showing surprise) -se casan -¿ah, sí? or -¡no me digas!
"he isn't very happy" - "oh, isn't he?" — -no está muy contento -¿ah, no?
"he's always late, isn't he?" - "yes, he is" — -siempre llega tarde, ¿verdad? -(pues) sí
"is it what you expected?" - "no, it isn't" — -¿es esto lo que esperabas? -(pues) no
"she's pretty" - "no, she isn't" — -es guapa -¡qué va!
he's handsome, isn't he? — es guapo, ¿verdad?, es guapo, ¿no?, es guapo, ¿no es cierto?
it was fun, wasn't it? — fue divertido, ¿verdad?, fue divertido, ¿no?
she wasn't happy, was she? — no era feliz, ¿verdad?
so he's back again, is he? — así que ha vuelto, ¿eh?
you're not ill, are you? — ¿no estarás enfermo?
3. MODAL VERB(with infinitive construction)1) (=must, have to)he's not to open it — no debe abrirlo, que no lo abra
I am to do it — he de hacerlo yo, soy yo el que debe hacerlo
I wasn't to tell you his name — no podía or debía decirte su nombre
2) (=should) deberam I to understand that...? — ¿debo entender que...?
she wrote "My Life", not to be confused with Bernstein's book of the same name — escribió "Mi Vida", que no debe confundirse con la obra de Bernstein que lleva el mismo título
he was to have come yesterday — tenía que or debía haber venido ayer
3) (=will)4) (=can)if it was or were to snow... — si nevase or nevara...
BEif I were to leave the job, would you replace me? — si yo dejara el puesto, ¿me sustituirías?
"Ser" or "estar"?
You can use "ser": ► when defining or identifying by linking two nouns or noun phrases:
Paris is the capital of France París es la capital de Francia
He was the most hated man in the village Era el hombre más odiado del pueblo ► to describe essential or inherent characteristics (e.g. colour, material, nationality, race, shape, size {etc}):
His mother is German Su madre es alemana
She was blonde Era rubia ► with most impersonal expressions not involving past participles:
It is important to be on time Es importante llegar a tiempo
Está claro que is an exception:
It is obvious you don't understand Está claro que no lo entiendes ► when telling the time or talking about time or age:
It is ten o'clock Son las diez
It's very late. Let's go home Es muy tarde. Vamos a casa
He lived in the country when he was young Vivió en el campo cuando era joven ► to indicate possession or duty:
It's mine Es mío
This is your responsibility Este asunto es responsabilidad tuya ► with events in the sense of "take place":
The 1992 Olympic Games were in Barcelona Los Juegos Olímpicos de 1992 fueron en Barcelona
"Where is the exam?" - "It's in Room 1" "¿Dónde es el examen?" - "Es en el Aula Número 1" NOTE: Compare this usage with that of estar (see below) to talk about location of places, objects and people.
You can use "estar": ► to talk about location of places, objects and people:
"Where is Zaragoza?" - "It's in Spain" "¿Dónde está Zaragoza?" - "Está en España"
Your glasses are on the bedside table Tus gafas están en la mesilla de noche NOTE: But use ser with events in the sense of "take place" (see above)}. ► to talk about changeable state, condition or mood:
The teacher is ill La profesora está enferma
The coffee's cold El café está frío
How happy I am! ¡Qué contento estoy! NOTE: Feliz, however, which is seen as more permanent than contento, is used mainly with ser. ► to form progressive tenses:
We're having lunch. Is it ok if I call you later? Estamos comiendo. Te llamaré luego, ¿vale?
Both "ser" and "estar" can be used with past participles ► Use ser in {passive} constructions:
This play was written by Lorca Esta obra fue escrita por Lorca
He was shot dead (by a terrorist group) Fue asesinado a tiros (por un grupo terrorista) NOTE: The passive is not used as often in Spanish as it is in English. ► Use estar with past participles to describe the {results} of a previous action or event:
We threw them away because they were broken Los tiramos a la basura porque estaban rotos
He's dead Está muerto ► Compare the use of ser + ((past participle)) which describes {action} and estar + ((past participle)) which describes {result} in the following:
The window was broken by the firemen La ventana fue rota por los bomberos
The window was broken La ventana estaba rota
It was painted around 1925 Fue pintado hacia 1925
The floor is painted a dark colour El suelo está pintado de color oscuro ► Ser and estar are both used in impersonal expressions with past participles. As above, the use of ser implies {action} while the use of estar implies {result}:
It is understood that the work was never finished Es sabido que el trabajo nunca se llegó a terminar
It is a proven fact that vaccinations save many lives Está demostrado que las vacunas salvan muchas vidas
"Ser" and "estar" with adjectives ► Some adjectives can be used with both ser and estar but the meaning changes completely depending on the verb:
He's clever Es listo
Are you ready? ¿Estás listo?
Chemistry is boring La química es aburrida
I'm bored Estoy aburrido ► Other adjectives can also be used with both verbs but the use of ser describes a {characteristic} while the use of estar implies a {change}:
He's very handsome Es muy guapo
You look great in that dress! Estás muy guapa con ese vestido
He's slim Es delgado
You're (looking) very slim ¡Estás muy delgada! For further uses and examples, see main entry* * *[biːˌ] weak form [bi]
1.
2)a) (followed by an adjective)she's French/intelligent — es francesa/inteligente
he's worried/furious — está preocupado/furioso
he's blind — es or (Esp tb) está ciego
have you never had gazpacho? it's delicious! — ¿nunca has comido gazpacho? es delicioso!
the gazpacho is delicious, did you make it yourself? — el gazpacho está delicioso ¿lo hiciste tú?
she was very rude to me — estuvo or fue muy grosera conmigo
Tony is married/divorced/single — Tony está or (esp AmL) es casado/divorciado/soltero
to be married to somebody — estar* casado con alguien
3)a) (followed by a noun) ser*who was Prime Minister at the time? — ¿quién era Primer Ministro en ese momento?
it's me/Daniel — soy yo/es Daniel
if I were you, I'd stay — yo que tú or yo en tu lugar me quedaría
b) ( play the role of) hacer* de4)how are you? — ¿cómo estás?
I'm much better — estoy or me encuentro mucho mejor
she's pregnant/tired — está embarazada/cansada
I'm cold/hot/hungry/thirsty/sleepy — tengo frío/calor/hambre/sed/sueño
b) ( talking about age) tener*how old are you? — ¿cuántos años tienes?
he's a lot older/younger — es mucho mayor/menor
c) (giving cost, measurement, weight)how much is that? - that'll be $15, please — ¿cuánto es? - (son) 15 dólares, por favor
they are $15 each — cuestan or valen 15 dólares cada una
how tall/heavy is he? — ¿cuánto mide/pesa?
5)a) (exist, live)I think, therefore I am — pienso, luego existo
to let something/somebody be — dejar tranquilo or en paz algo/a alguien
b) ( in expressions of time)don't be too long — no tardes mucho, no (te) demores mucho (esp AmL)
I'm drying my hair, I won't be long — me estoy secando el pelo, enseguida estoy
how long will dinner be? — ¿cuánto falta para la cena?
c) ( take place) ser*6) (be situated, present) estar*where is the library? — ¿dónde está or queda la biblioteca?
where are you? — ¿dónde estás?
what's in that box? — ¿qué hay en esa caja?
who's in the movie? — ¿quién actúa or trabaja en la película?
how long are you in Chicago (for)? — (colloq) ¿cuánto (tiempo) te vas a quedar en Chicago ?
7) (only in perfect tenses) ( visit) estar*have you been to the exhibition yet? — ¿ya has estado en or has ido a la exposición?
2.
v impers1)a) (talking about physical conditions, circumstances)it's sunny/cold/hot — hace sol/frío/calor
it's so noisy/quiet in here! — qué ruido/silencio hay aquí!
I have enough problems as it is, without you... — yo ya tengo suficientes problemas sin que tú encima...
b) ( in expressions of time) ser*hi, Joe, it's been a long time — qué tal, Joe, tanto tiempo (sin verte)
c) ( talking about distance) estar*it's 500 miles from here to Detroit — Detroit queda or está a 500 millas de aquí
2)a) (introducing person, object) ser*it was me who told them — fui yo quien se lo dije or dijo, fui yo el que se lo dije or dijo
b) (in conditional use) ser*if it hadn't been o had it not been for Juan, we would have been killed — si no hubiera sido por Juan or de no ser por Juan, nos habríamos matado
3.
v aux1) to be -inga) ( used to describe action in progress) estar* + gerwhat was I saying? — ¿qué estaba diciendo?
she was leaving when... — se iba cuando...
how long have you been waiting? — ¿cuánto (tiempo) hace que esperas?, ¿cuánto (tiempo) llevas esperando?
b) ( with future reference)he is o will be arriving tomorrow — llega mañana
when are you seeing her? — ¿cuándo la vas a ver or la verás?
2) (in the passive voice) ser* [The passive voice, however, is less common in Spanish than it is in English]it was built in 1903 — fue construido en 1903, se construyó en 1903, lo construyeron en 1903
she was told that... — le dijeron or se le dijo que...
it is known that... — se sabe que...
3) to be to + infa) ( with future reference)if a solution is to be found... — si se quiere encontrar or si se ha de encontrar una solución...
b) ( expressing possibility)what are we to do? — ¿qué podemos hacer?
c) ( expressing obligation) deber* + inf, tener* que + inf, haber* de + inftell her she's to stay here — dile que debe quedarse or tiene que quedarse aquí, dile que se quede aquí
am I to understand that... ? — ¿debo entender que... ?
4) ( in hypotheses)what would happen if she were o was to die? — ¿qué pasaría si ella muriera?
5)she's right, isn't she? — tiene razón, ¿no? or ¿verdad? or ¿no es cierto?
so that's what you think, is it? — de manera que eso es lo que piensas
are you disappointed? - yes, I am/no, I'm not — ¿estás desilusionado? - sí (, lo estoy)/no (, no lo estoy)
she was told the news, and so was he/but I wasn't — a ella le dieron la noticia, y también a él/pero a mí no
I'm surprised, are/aren't you? — estoy sorprendido, ¿y tú?/¿tú no?
-
20 be
1. verb,Ex:we are — neg. (coll.) aren't; p.t. I was, neg. (coll.) wasn't, we were, neg. (coll.) weren't; pres. p. being; p.p. been copula/Ex:1) (indicating quality or attribute) seinshe is a mother/an Italian — sie ist Mutter/Italienerin
being a Frenchman, he likes wine — als Franzose trinkt er gern Wein
he is being nice to them/sarcastic — er ist nett zu ihnen/jetzt ist er sarkastisch
2) in exclamationwas she pleased! — war sie [vielleicht] froh!
aren't you a big boy! — was bist du schon für ein großer Junge!
3) will be (indicating supposition)[I dare say] you'll be a big boy by now — du bist jetzt sicher schon ein großer Junge
you'll be relieved to hear that — du wirst erleichtert sein, das zu hören
4) (indicating physical or mental welfare or state) sein; sich fühlenI am freezing — mich friert es
how are you/is she? — wie geht's (ugs.) /geht es ihr?
it is the 5th today — heute haben wir den Fünften
it is she, it's her — sie ist's
if I were you — an deiner Stelle
6) (indicating profession, pastime, etc.)be a teacher/a footballer — Lehrer/Fußballer sein
7) with possessiveit is hers — es ist ihrs; es gehört ihr
8) (cost) kostenhow much are the eggs? — was kosten die Eier?
9) (equal) seintwo times three is six, two threes are six — zweimal drei ist od. sind od. gibt sechs
sixteen ounces is a pound — sechzehn Unzen sind od. ergeben ein Pfund
10) (constitute) bildenLondon is not England — London ist nicht [gleich] England
11) (mean) bedeuten2. intransitive verb1) (exist) [vorhanden] sein; existierencan such things be? — kann es so etwas geben?; kann so etwas vorkommen?
I think, therefore I am — ich denke, also bin ich
there is/are... — es gibt...
be that as it may — wie dem auch sei
2) (remain) bleibenI shan't be a moment or second — ich komme gleich; noch eine Minute
she has been in her room for hours — sie ist schon seit Stunden in ihrem Zimmer
let him/her be — lass ihn/sie in Ruhe
3) (happen) stattfinden; seinwhere will the party be? — wo ist die Party?; wo findet die Party statt?
be off with you! — geh/geht!
I'm off or for home — ich gehe jetzt nach Hause
she's from Australia — sie stammt od. ist aus Australien
5) (on visit etc.) seinhave you [ever] been to London? — bist du schon einmal in London gewesen?
has anyone been? — ist jemand da gewesen?
6)she's been and tidied the room — (coll.) sie hat doch wirklich das Zimmer aufgeräumt
the children have been at the biscuits — die Kinder waren an den Keksen (ugs.)
3. auxiliary verbI've been into this matter — ich habe mich mit der Sache befasst
1) forming passive werden2) forming continuous tenses, activehe is reading — er liest [gerade]; er ist beim Lesen
I am leaving tomorrow — ich reise morgen [ab]
3) forming continuous tenses, passivethe house is/was being built — das Haus wird/wurde [gerade] gebaut
4) (expr. obligation)5) (expr. arrangement)the Queen is to arrive at 3 p.m. — die Königin soll um 15 Uhr eintreffen
6) (expr. possibility)7) (expr. destiny)8) (expr. condition)4.if I were to tell you that..., were I to tell you that... — wenn ich dir sagen würde, dass...
bride-/husband-to-be — zukünftige Braut/zukünftiger Ehemann
mother-/father-to-be — werdende Mutter/werdender Vater
* * *['bi: ɡi:]( abbreviation) (Bachelor of Engineering; first degree in Engineering.)* * *be<was, been>[bi:, bi]vi + n/adj1. (describes) seinshe's quite rich/ugly sie ist ziemlich reich/hässlichwhat is that? was ist das?she's a doctor sie ist Ärztinwhat do you want to \be when you grow up? was willst du einmal werden, wenn du erwachsen bist?you need to \be certain before you make an accusation like that du musst dir ganz sicher sein, bevor du so eine Anschuldigung vorbringst“may I \be of service Madam?” the waiter asked „kann ich Ihnen behilflich sein, gnädige Frau?“ fragte der Kellnerto \be able to do sth etw tun können, in der Lage sein, etw zu tunto \be from a country/a town aus einem Land/einer Stadt kommen2. (composition) sein, bestehen ausis this plate pure gold? ist dieser Teller aus reinem Gold?3. (opinion)4. (calculation) sein, machen, kostentwo and two is four zwei und zwei ist vierthese books are 50p each diese Bücher kosten jeweils 50p5. (timing)to \be late/[right] on time zu spät/[genau] rechtzeitig kommenthe keys are in that box die Schlüssel befinden sich in der Schachtelthe food was on the table das Essen stand auf dem Tischhe's not here er ist nicht dato \be in a bad situation/trouble in einer schwierigen Situation/Schwierigkeiten seinthe postman hasn't been yet der Briefträger war noch nicht daI've never been to Kenya ich bin noch nie in Kenia gewesen8. (take place) stattfindenthe meeting is next Tuesday die Konferenz findet am nächsten Montag statt9. (do) seinto \be on benefit [or AM welfare] Sozialhilfe bekommen [o SCHWEIZ beziehen], Sozialhilfeempfänger/Sozialhilfeempfängerin seinto \be on a diet auf Diät seinto \be on the pill die Pille nehmento \be on standby/on holiday in [Ruf]bereitschaft/im Urlaub sein▪ to \be up to sth etw im Schild[e] führenlet her \be! lass sie in Ruhe!to \be or not to \be, that is the question Sein oder Nichtsein, das ist die Fragethere is/are... es gibt...can it [really] \be that...? ( form) ist es [tatsächlich] möglich, dass...?is it that...? ( form) kann es sein, dass...?12. (expresses ability)sth is to \be done etw kann getan werdenthe exhibition is currently to \be seen at the City Gallery die Ausstellung ist zurzeit in der Stadtgalerie zu besichtigen13.▪ to not \be to do sth etw nicht dürfenwhat are we to do? was sollen wir tun?you're to sit in the corner and keep quiet du sollst dich in die Ecke setzen und ruhig sein14.we are to visit Australia in the spring im Frühling reisen wir nach Australien; (expresses future in past)she was never to see her brother again sie sollte ihren Bruder nie mehr wiedersehen; (in conditionals)if I were you, I'd... an deiner Stelle würde ich...if he was to work harder, he'd get better grades wenn er härter arbeiten würde, bekäme er bessere Notenwere sb to do sth,... ( form) würde jd etw tun,...were I to refuse, they'd be very annoyed würde ich mich weigern, wären sie äußerst verärgert15. (impersonal use)what is it? was ist?what's it to \be? (what are you drinking) was möchten Sie trinken?; (please decide now) was soll es denn [nun] sein?it is only fair for me es erscheint mir nur fairis it true that you were asked to resign? stimmt es, dass man dir nahegelegt hat, dein Amt niederzulegen?it's not that I don't like her — it's just that we rarely agree on anything es ist nicht so, dass ich sie nicht mag — wir sind nur selten einer Meinungas it were sozusagen, gleichsam\be quiet or I'll...! sei still oder ich...!\be yourself! sei du selbst! [o ganz natürlich!17. (expresses continuation)▪ to \be doing sth gerade etw tundon't talk about that while I'm eating sprich nicht davon, während ich beim Essen binshe's studying to be a lawyer sie studiert, um Rechtsanwältin zu werdenit's raining es regnetyou're always complaining du beklagst dich dauernd18. (expresses passive)to \be asked/pushed gefragt/gestoßen werdento \be be discovered by sb von jdm gefunden werdento \be left an orphan als Waise zurückbleibento \be left speechless sprachlos sein19.▶ the \be-all and end-all das Ein und Alles [o A und O]▶ far \be it from sb to do sth nichts liegt jdm ferner, als etw zu tun▶ to \be off form nicht in Form sein▶ the joke is on sb jd ist der Dumme▶ \be that as it may wie dem auch sei\be off with you! go away! geh! hau ab! fam* * *[biː] pres am, is, are, pret was, were, ptp been1. COPULATIVE VERB1) with adjective, noun, pronoun seinwho's that? – it's me/that's Mary — wer ist das? – ich bins/das ist Mary
he is a soldier/a German — er ist Soldat/Deutscher
he wants to be a doctor — er möchte Arzt werden Note that the article is used in German only when the noun is qualified by an adjective.
he's a good student/a true Englishman — er ist ein guter Student/ein echter Engländer
2)referring to physical, mental state
how are you? — wie gehts?she's not at all well — es geht ihr gar nicht gut
to be hungry/thirsty — Hunger/Durst haben, hungrig/durstig sein
I am hot/cold/frozen — mir ist heiß/kalt/eiskalt
3) age seinhow old is she? —
4) = cost kostentwo times two is or are four — zwei mal zwei ist or sind or gibt vier
6) with possessive gehören (+dat)that book is your brother's/his — das Buch gehört Ihrem Bruder/ihm, das ist das Buch Ihres Bruders/das ist sein Buch
7)was he pleased to hear it! — er war vielleicht froh, das zu hören!but wasn't she glad when... — hat sie sich vielleicht gefreut, als...
8) Brit infhow are you for a beer? — hast du Lust auf ein Bier?
2. AUXILIARY VERB1)Note how German uses the simple tense:what are you doing? — was machst du da?they're coming tomorrow — sie kommen morgen Note how German uses the present tense:
you will be hearing from us — Sie hören von uns, Sie werden von uns hören Note the use of bei + infinitive:
we're just drinking coffee —
I was packing my case when... — ich war gerade beim Kofferpacken, als...
2) in passive constructions werdenhe was run over — er ist überfahren worden, er wurde überfahren
it is/was being repaired — es wird/wurde gerade repariert
I will not be intimidated — ich lasse mich nicht einschüchtern __diams; to be/not to be...
they are shortly to be married — sie werden bald heiraten
she was to be/was to have been dismissed but... — sie sollte entlassen werden, aber.../sie hätte entlassen werden sollen, aber...
he is to be pitied/not to be envied —
what is to be done? — was ist zu tun?, was soll geschehen?
I wasn't to tell you his name — ich sollte or durfte Ihnen nicht sagen, wie er heißt; (but I did) ich hätte Ihnen eigentlich nicht sagen sollen or dürfen, wie er heißt
he was not to be persuaded — er war nicht zu überreden, er ließ sich nicht überreden
if it were or was to snow — falls or wenn es schneien sollte
3)in tag questions/short answers
he's always late, isn't he? – yes he is — er kommt doch immer zu spät, nicht? – ja, das stimmtyou're not ill, are you? – yes I am/no I'm not — Sie sind doch nicht (etwa) krank? – doch!/nein
it's all done, is it? – yes it is/no it isn't — es ist also alles erledigt? – ja/nein
3. INTRANSITIVE VERB1) sein; (= remain) bleibenI'm going to Berlin – how long will you be there? — ich gehe nach Berlin – wie lange wirst du dort bleiben?
he is there at the moment but he won't be much longer — im Augenblick ist er dort, aber nicht mehr lange
we've been here a long time —
let me/him be — lass mich/ihn (in Ruhe)
3)= visit, call
I've been to Paris — ich war schon (ein)mal in Parishe has been and gone — er war da und ist wieder gegangen
I've just been and (gone and) broken it! — jetzt hab ichs tatsächlich kaputt gemacht (inf)
4)= like to have
who's for coffee/tee/biscuits? — wer möchte (gerne)Kaffee/Tee/Kekse?here is a book/are two books — hier ist ein Buch/sind zwei Bücher
there he was sitting at the table — da saß er nun am Tisch
4. IMPERSONAL VERBseinit is dark/morning — es ist dunkel/Morgen
tomorrow is Friday/the 14th of June — morgen ist Freitag/der 14. Juni, morgen haben wir Freitag/den 14. Juni
it is 5 km to the nearest town — es sind 5 km bis zur nächsten Stadt
who found it —
it was me or I (form) who said it first — ICH habe es zuerst gesagt, ich war derjenige, der es zuerst gesagt hat
were it not for the fact that I am a teacher, I would... —
were it not for him, if it weren't or wasn't for him — wenn er nicht wäre
* * *be [biː] 1. sg präs am [æm], 2. sg präs are [ɑː(r)], obs art [ɑː(r)t], 3. sg präs is [ız], pl präs are [ɑː(r)], 1. und 3. sg prät was [wɒz; wəz; US wɑz], 2. sg prät were [wɜː; US wɜr], pl prät were [wɜː; US wɜr], pperf been [biːn; bın], ppr being [ˈbiːıŋ]A v/aux1. sein (mit dem pperf zur Bildung des Passivs):he is gone er ist weg;I am come obs ich bin da2. werden (mit dem pperf zur Bildung des passiv):the register was signed das Protokoll wurde unterzeichnet;we were appealed to man wandte sich an uns;you will be sent for man wird Sie holen lassenhe is to be pitied er ist zu bedauern;he is to die er muss oder soll sterben;it is not to be seen es ist nicht zu sehen;he was to become a great writer er sollte ein großer Schriftsteller werden;it was not to be es sollte nicht sein, es hat nicht sollen sein;if I were to die wenn ich sterben sollte4. (mit dem ppr eines anderen Verbs zur Bildung der Verlaufsform):he is reading er liest (eben oder gerade), er ist beim Lesen;he was smoking when the teacher entered er rauchte (gerade), als der Lehrer hereinkam;I am going to Paris tomorrow ich fahre morgen nach Paris6. (als Kopula) sein:B v/i1. (Zustand oder Beschaffenheit bezeichnend) sein, sich befinden, der Fall sein:the mirror is too high der Spiegel hängt zu hoch;they are for export only sie sind nur für den Export bestimmt;where was I? wo war ich stehen geblieben?;let him be lass ihn in Ruhe!;be it so, so be it, let it be so gut so, so sei es;be it that … gesetzt den Fall, (dass) …;how is it that …? wie kommt es, dass …?;be that as it may wie dem auch sei2. (vorhanden) sein, bestehen, existieren:I think, therefore I am ich denke, also bin ich;he is no more er ist (lebt) nicht mehr;to be or not to be, that is the question Sein oder Nichtsein, das ist hier die Frage3. a) geschehen, stattfinden, vor sich gehen, sein:when will the meeting be? wann findet die Versammlung statt?b) gehen, fahren (Bus etc):when is the next bus?4. (beruflich oder altersmäßig) werden:I’ll be an engineer ich werde Ingenieur (wenn ich erwachsen bin);what do you want to be when you grow up? was willst du einmal werden?;you should have been a priest du hättest Priester werden sollen;I’ll be 50 next month ich werde nächsten Monat 50;she was 26 last month sie wurde letzten Monat 265. (eine bestimmte Zeit) her sein:it is ten years since he died es ist zehn Jahre her, dass er starb; er starb vor zehn Jahren6. (aus)gegangen sein (mit Formen der Vergangenheit und Angabe des Zieles der Bewegung):he had been to town er war in die Stadt gegangen;he had been bathing er war baden (gegangen);I won’t be long ich werde nicht lange wegbleiben7. (mit dem Possessiv) gehören:this book is my sister’s das Buch gehört meiner Schwester;are these glasses yours? gehört die Brille dir?, ist das deine Brille?8. stammen ( from aus):he is from Liverpool er ist oder stammt aus Liverpool9. a) kosten:how much are the gloves? was kosten die Handschuhe?b) betragen (Preis):that’ll be £4.15 das macht 4 Pfund 1510. bedeuten:what is that to me? was kümmert mich das?11. zur Bekräftigung der bejahenden oder verneinenden Antwort: are these your cigarettes? yes, they are (no, they aren’t) ja (nein)12. dauern:it will probably be some time before … es wird wahrscheinlich einige Zeit dauern, bis …13. FILM, TV mitwirken (in in dat):be an hour in going to … eine Stunde brauchen, um nach … zu gehen;has any one been? umg ist jemand da gewesen?;the government that is (was) die gegenwärtige (vergangene) Regierung;my wife that is to be obs meine zukünftige Frau;I am next, am I not (od umg aren’t I) ? ich bin der Nächste, nicht wahr?;he is not dead, is he? er ist doch nicht (etwa) tot?;have you ever been to Rome? sind Sie schon einmal in Rom gewesen?;we have been into the matter wir haben uns damit (bereits) befasst;I’ve been through all this before ich hab das alles schon einmal mitgemacht* * *1. verb,Ex:we are — neg. (coll.) aren't; p.t. I was, neg. (coll.) wasn't, we were, neg. (coll.) weren't; pres. p. being; p.p. been copula/Ex:she is a mother/an Italian — sie ist Mutter/Italienerin
being a Frenchman, he likes wine — als Franzose trinkt er gern Wein
he is being nice to them/sarcastic — er ist nett zu ihnen/jetzt ist er sarkastisch
2) in exclamationwas she pleased! — war sie [vielleicht] froh!
3) will be (indicating supposition)[I dare say] you'll be a big boy by now — du bist jetzt sicher schon ein großer Junge
you'll be relieved to hear that — du wirst erleichtert sein, das zu hören
4) (indicating physical or mental welfare or state) sein; sich fühlenhow are you/is she? — wie geht's (ugs.) /geht es ihr?
it is she, it's her — sie ist's
6) (indicating profession, pastime, etc.)be a teacher/a footballer — Lehrer/Fußballer sein
7) with possessiveit is hers — es ist ihrs; es gehört ihr
8) (cost) kosten9) (equal) seintwo times three is six, two threes are six — zweimal drei ist od. sind od. gibt sechs
sixteen ounces is a pound — sechzehn Unzen sind od. ergeben ein Pfund
10) (constitute) bildenLondon is not England — London ist nicht [gleich] England
11) (mean) bedeuten2. intransitive verb1) (exist) [vorhanden] sein; existierencan such things be? — kann es so etwas geben?; kann so etwas vorkommen?
I think, therefore I am — ich denke, also bin ich
there is/are... — es gibt...
2) (remain) bleibenI shan't be a moment or second — ich komme gleich; noch eine Minute
let him/her be — lass ihn/sie in Ruhe
3) (happen) stattfinden; seinwhere will the party be? — wo ist die Party?; wo findet die Party statt?
4) (go, come)be off with you! — geh/geht!
I'm off or for home — ich gehe jetzt nach Hause
she's from Australia — sie stammt od. ist aus Australien
5) (on visit etc.) seinhave you [ever] been to London? — bist du schon einmal in London gewesen?
6)3. auxiliary verbshe's been and tidied the room — (coll.) sie hat doch wirklich das Zimmer aufgeräumt
1) forming passive werden2) forming continuous tenses, activehe is reading — er liest [gerade]; er ist beim Lesen
I am leaving tomorrow — ich reise morgen [ab]
the train was departing when I got there — der Zug fuhr gerade ab, als ich ankam
3) forming continuous tenses, passivethe house is/was being built — das Haus wird/wurde [gerade] gebaut
4) (expr. obligation)5) (expr. arrangement)the Queen is to arrive at 3 p.m. — die Königin soll um 15 Uhr eintreffen
6) (expr. possibility)7) (expr. destiny)8) (expr. condition)4.if I were to tell you that..., were I to tell you that... — wenn ich dir sagen würde, dass...
bride-/husband-to-be — zukünftige Braut/zukünftiger Ehemann
mother-/father-to-be — werdende Mutter/werdender Vater
* * *(in a state of) shock expr.einen Schock haben ausdr. (left) stranded expr.auf dem trockenen sitzen ausdr.aufgeschmissen sein ausdr. (on a) level with expr.auf dem gleichen Niveau stehen wie ausdr.auf gleicher Höhe sein mit ausdr.genauso hoch sein wie ausdr. v.(§ p.,p.p.: was, were, been)= sein v.(§ p.,pp.: war, ist gewesen)sich befinden v.sich fühlen v.
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