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1 however
however [haʊˈevər]1. adverba. ( = nevertheless) cependant• that is one reason. It is not, however, the only one c'est une raison. Ce n'est cependant pas la seuleb. ( = no matter how) however tall he may be,... il a beau être grand,...• however much money he has... il a beau être riche...• however hard she tried, she couldn't remember my name malgré tous ses efforts, elle n'arrivait pas à se souvenir de mon nomc. ( = how on earth) (in questions) comment donc• however did you manage to do that? comment donc as-tu réussi à faire ça ?2. conjunctionde quelque manière que + subj• however we tell her about this, she won't be pleased qu'on le lui dise d'une manière ou d'une autre, elle ne sera pas contente• however you do it, it will never be right quoi que vous fassiez, ce ne sera jamais bien* * *[haʊ'evə(r)] 1.conjunction toutefois, cependanthowever, the recession is not over yet — toutefois, la récession n'est pas encore terminée
they can, however, explain why — ils peuvent, cependant, expliquer pourquoi
2.if, however, you prefer to do — si, toutefois, vous préférez faire
1) ( no matter how)however hard I try, I can't — j'ai beau essayer de toutes mes forces, je n'y arrive pas
however difficult the task is ou may be, we can't give up — si difficile que soit la tâche, nous ne pouvons pas abandonner
however small she is ou may be — si petite soit-elle
everyone, however poor — chacun, si pauvre soit-il
2) ( in whatever way)however they travel, they will find it difficult — quelle que soit la façon dont ils voyagent, ça va être difficile
3) ( how) -
2 however
A conj ( nevertheless) toutefois, cependant, pourtant ; however, he did say that he would look into the matter il a toutefois dit qu'il examinerait la question ; however, the recession is not over yet toutefois, la récession n'est pas encore terminée ; they can, however, explain why ils peuvent, cependant, expliquer pourquoi ; if, however, you prefer not to accept the offer, we… si, toutefois, vous préférez refuser cette offre, nous… ; today, however, it looks as though the sun might come out aujourd'hui, pourtant, on a l'impression que le soleil va briller.B adv1 ( no matter how) however hard I try, I can't j'ai beau essayer de toutes mes forces, je ne peux pas ; however difficult the task is ou may be, we can't give up si difficile que soit la tâche, nous ne pouvons pas abandonner ; however profitable the company is ou may be… la compagnie a beau faire des bénéfices,… ; however rich/small she is ou may be si riche/petite soit-elle ; everyone, however poor/inexperienced chacun, si pauvre/inexpérimenté soit-il ; however often you tell me, I still won't believe you tu peux me le répéter aussi souvent que tu veux, je ne te croirai pas davantage ; however much it costs quel que soit le prix ; however many people go quel que soit le nombre de personnes qui y vont ; however long it takes, I'm not leaving quel que soit le temps que ça prendra, je ne partirai pas ;2 ( in whatever way) however you like comme tu veux ; however he does it, she won't like it quelle que soit la façon dont il s'y prend, ça ne lui plaira pas ; however they travel, they will find it difficult quelle que soit la façon dont ils voyagent, ça va leur paraître difficile ;3 ( how on earth) comment ; however did you guess? comment as-tu deviné? -
3 however
however [haʊ'evə(r)]1 adverb(a) (indicating contrast or contradiction) cependant, pourtant, toutefois;∎ I didn't see him, however cependant ou pourtant je ne l'ai pas vu;∎ if, however, you have a better suggestion... si toutefois vous avez une meilleure suggestion (à faire)…(b) (with adj or adv) (no matter how) si... que + subjunctive, quelque... que + subjunctive;∎ however nice he tries to be... si gentil qu'il essaie d'être...;∎ all contributions will be welcome, however small si petites soient-elles, toutes les contributions seront les bienvenues;∎ he'll never do it, however much or hard he tries quelque effort qu'il fasse, il n'y arrivera jamais;∎ however cold/hot the weather même quand il fait très froid/chaud;∎ however late/early you arrive, call me quelle que soit l'heure à laquelle tu arrives, appelle-moi;∎ however long it takes (you) quel que soit le temps que cela (te) prend;∎ however much he complains même s'il se plaint beaucoup(c) (in questions) (emphatic use) comment;∎ however did he find it? comment a-t-il bien pu le trouver?(in whatever way) de quelque manière que + subjunctive, comme;∎ it'll be fine, however you do it de quelque manière que vous le fassiez, ça ira;∎ we can present it however you like or want on peut le présenter comme vous voulez -
4 however
1) (in spite of that: It would be nice if we had more money. However, I suppose we'll manage with what we have.) cependant2) ((also how ever) in what way; by what means: However did you get here?; However did you do that?) comment, de quelle manière3) (to no matter what extent: However hard I try, I still can't do it.) de quelque manière que; avoir beau -
5 much
much [mʌt∫]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━1. pronoun2. adjective3. adverb━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━1. pronoun• does it cost much? est-ce que ça coûte cher ?• is it worth much? est-ce que ça a de la valeur ?► much of ( = a large part of) une bonne partie de• much of what you say une bonne partie de ce que vous dites► to make much of sth attacher beaucoup d'importance à qch► not/nothing... much ( = a small amount) pas beaucoup• what was stolen? -- nothing much qu'est-ce qui a été volé ? -- pas grand-chose━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━► Constructions with valoir are often used when assessing value or merit.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━• there isn't much in it (in choice, competition) ça se vaut2. adjective• it's a bit much! (inf) c'est un peu fort !3. adverba. ( = to a great degree) beaucoup• I very much hope that... j'espère de tout cœur que...b. ( = more or less) it's much the same c'est quasiment la même chose► as much• I thought as much! c'est bien ce que je pensais !• as much time as... autant de temps que...• twice as much money as... deux fois plus d'argent que...• you could pay as much as $200 for that ça peut te coûter jusqu'à 200 dollars► however much• however much you like him... quelle que soit votre affection pour lui,...► how much? combien ?• how much does it cost? combien ça coûte ?► much as• much as I dislike doing this,... bien que je n'aime pas du tout faire cela,...► much less ( = and even less)he couldn't understand the question, much less answer it il ne pouvait pas comprendre la question et encore moins y répondre► not much of a (inf) ( = not a great)• he'd drunk so much that... il avait tellement bu que...• so much so that... à tel point que...• so much for his help! c'est ça qu'il appelle aider !• so much for that! tant pis !• so much the better! tant mieux !► not so much... as• I think of her not so much as a doctor but as a friend je la considère plus comme une amie que comme un médecin► this/that much• this much? (ça ira) comme ça ?• I know this much... ce que je sais, c'est que...• this much is certain... un point est acquis...* * *Note: When much is used as an adverb, it is translated by beaucoup: it's much longer = c'est beaucoup plus long; she doesn't talk much = elle ne parle pas beaucoupFor particular usages, see I belowWhen much is used as a pronoun, it is usually translated by beaucoup: there is much to learn = il y a beaucoup à apprendre. However, in negative sentences grand-chose is also used: I didn't learn much = je n'ai pas beaucoup appris or je n'ai pas appris grand-choseWhen much is used as a quantifier, it is translated by beaucoup de: they don't have much money = ils n'ont pas beaucoup d'argent[mʌtʃ] 1.1) ( to a considerable degree) beaucoup2) ( often) beaucoup, souvent3) ( nearly) plus ou moins, à peu prèsvery much — ( a lot) beaucoup; ( absolutely) tout à fait
I thought as much — ça ne m'étonne pas, je m'en doutais
you'll have to accept the decision however much you disagree — il va falloir que tu acceptes la décision même si tu n'es pas d'accord
5) (emphatic: setting up a contrast)2.the discovery wasn't so much shocking as depressing — la découverte était moins choquante que déprimante
1) ( a great deal) beaucoup; ( in negative sentences) grand-chosemuch of the difficulty lies in... — une grande partie de la difficulté réside dans...
to make much of something — ( focus on) insister sur quelque chose; ( understand) comprendre quelque chose
2) (expressing a relative amount, degree)so much — tellement, tant
so much of the time, it's a question of patience — la plupart du temps c'est une question de patience
it's too much! — lit c'est trop!; ( in protest) c'en est trop!
I'll say this much for him, he's honest — il a au moins ça pour lui, il est honnête
this much is certain, we'll have no choice — une chose est certaine, nous n'aurons pas le choix
it can cost as much as £50 — ça peut coûter jusqu'à 50 livres sterling
as much as to say... — d'un air de dire...
do you know how much this means to me? — est-ce que tu sais à quel point or combien c'est important pour moi?
3) (focusing on limitations, inadequacy)it's not ou nothing much — ce n'est pas grand-chose
it's not up to much — GB ça ne vaut pas grand-chose
3.I'm not much of a one for cooking — (colloq) la cuisine ce n'est pas mon fort (colloq)
quantifier beaucoup de4.much+ combining form5.much-loved/-respected — très apprécié/respecté
much as conjunctional phrase bien que (+ subj)6.much as we regret our decision we have no choice — bien que nous regrettions or nous avons beau regretter notre décision, nous n'avons pas le choix
much less conjunctional phrase encore moins7.I've never seen him much less spoken to him — je n'ai jamais eu l'occasion de le voir encore moins de lui parler
so much as adverbial phrasewithout so much as saying goodbye/as an apology — sans même dire au revoir/s'excuser
••there isn't much in GB ou to US it — (in contest, competition) ils se suivent de près
there isn't much in it for us — ( to our advantage) ça ne va pas nous apporter grand-chose
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6 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. -
7 much
much [mʌtʃ]beaucoup de ⇒ 1 beaucoup ⇒ 2 (a), 3 autant de ⇒ 5 1 autant que ⇒ 5 2, 6 2 combien (de) ⇒ 8 tant de ⇒ 10 tellement (de) ⇒ 3ⓘ GRAM Hormis dans la langue soutenue et dans certaines expressions, ne s'utilise que dans des structures négatives ou interrogatives.beaucoup de;∎ we don't have much time on n'a pas beaucoup de temps;∎ there isn't much cake/money left il ne reste pas beaucoup de gâteau/d'argent;∎ the tablets didn't do much good les comprimés n'ont pas servi à grand-chose ou n'ont pas fait beaucoup d'effet;∎ ironic much good may it do you! grand bien vous fasse!2 pronoun∎ is there much left? est-ce qu'il en reste beaucoup?;∎ is there any left? - not much est-ce qu'il en reste? - pas beaucoup;∎ there's still much to be decided il reste encore beaucoup de choses à décider;∎ he hadn't much to say on the subject il n'avait pas grand-chose à dire à ce sujet;∎ there's not much anyone can do about it personne n'y peut grand-chose;∎ we have much to be thankful for nous avons beaucoup de raisons d'être reconnaissants;∎ much of the coffee had to be thrown away on a dû jeter une grande partie du café;∎ there is not much of it il n'y en a pas beaucoup;∎ I agreed with much of what she said j'étais d'accord avec presque tout ce qu'elle a dit∎ I'm not much of a hiker je ne suis pas un très bon marcheur;∎ it hasn't been much of a holiday ce n'était pas vraiment des vacances;∎ it wasn't much of a surprise ce n'était pas une grande surprise;∎ it wasn't much of a joke ce n'était pas terrible comme plaisanterie;∎ what he said didn't amount to much il n'avait pas grand-chose d'important à dire;∎ his plans didn't come to much ses projets n'ont pas abouti à grand-chose;∎ the defence made much of the witness's criminal record la défense a beaucoup insisté sur le casier judiciaire du témoin;∎ I couldn't make much of the figures je n'ai pas compris grand-chose aux chiffres;∎ I don't think much of him/of his technique je n'ai pas une très haute opinion de lui/de sa technique;∎ there's much to be said for the old-fashioned method la vieille méthode a beaucoup d'avantages;∎ there's much to be said for his suggestions il y a des choses fort intéressantes dans ce qu'il propose;∎ it's not up to much ça ne vaut pas grand-chose;∎ he's not up to much ce n'est pas une lumière;∎ there's not much to choose between them ils se valent;∎ there's not much in it il n'y a pas une grande différence;∎ familiar ironic he doesn't want or ask or expect much, does he? il n'est pas difficile, lui, au moins!3 adverbbeaucoup;∎ I don't drink much je ne bois pas beaucoup;∎ I don't like them much, I don't much like them je ne les aime pas beaucoup;∎ much admired/appreciated très admiré/apprécié;∎ much happier/more slowly beaucoup plus heureux/plus lentement;∎ much worse bien pire;∎ I feel very much better je me sens beaucoup mieux;∎ thank you very much (for) merci beaucoup (de ou pour);∎ formal it is much to be regretted that… il est fort regrettable que…;∎ it doesn't matter much cela n'a pas beaucoup d'importance;∎ much to my surprise à mon grand étonnement;∎ we are much obliged to you for… nous vous sommes très obligés de ou pour…;∎ I'm not much good at making speeches je ne suis pas très doué pour faire des discours;∎ it's much the best/the fastest way to travel c'est de beaucoup le meilleur moyen/le moyen le plus rapide de voyager;∎ it's much the best/the fastest c'est le meilleur/le plus rapide de beaucoup;∎ much the same presque pareil;∎ it's (pretty or very) much the same thing c'est à peu près la même chose;∎ she's still much the same as yesterday son état n'a pas changé depuis hier;∎ I feel much the same as you je pense plutôt comme vous;∎ familiar ironic he doesn't like beer, does he? - not much he doesn't! il n'aime pas la bière, non? - et comment, il aime ça!4 as much1 pronoun∎ (that, the same) I thought/suspected as much c'est bien ce que je pensais/soupçonnais;∎ I expected as much je m'y attendais;∎ I said as much to him yesterday c'est ce que je lui ai dit hier;∎ would you do as much for me? en ferais-tu autant pour moi?2 adverb∎ (with multiples, fractions) twice/three times as much deux/trois fois plus;∎ half as much la moitié (de ça);∎ a quarter as much un quart (de ça);∎ as much again encore autant5 as much…as∎ (the same amount as) as much…as autant de…que;∎ I've got as much money as you j'ai autant d'argent que vous;∎ take as much sugar as you like prenez autant de ou tout le sucre que vous voulezautant…que;∎ he's as much to blame as her elle n'est pas plus responsable que lui, il est responsable autant qu'elle;∎ it is as much your fault as (it is) mine c'est autant de votre faute que de la mienne1 pronoun∎ it costs as much as the Japanese model ça coûte le même prix que le modèle japonais;∎ he looked at me as much as to say… il me regarda avec l'air de (vouloir) dire…;∎ that's as much as to say that I'm a liar ça revient à me traiter de menteur∎ it was as much as I could do to keep a straight face j'ai failli éclater de rire;∎ it was as much as we could do to stand upright nous avions le plus grand mal à nous tenir deboutautant que;∎ I hate it as much as you do ça me déplaît autant qu'à vous;∎ as much as ever toujours autant;∎ as much as before autant qu'avant;∎ not quite as much as… pas tout à fait autant que…;∎ I don't dislike them as much as all that ils ne me déplaisent pas autant que ça∎ however much money you give him, it won't be enough vous pouvez lui donner autant d'argent que vous voulez, ça ne suffira pas2 pronoun∎ however much they offer, take it quelle que soit la somme qu'ils proposent, acceptez-la3 adverb∎ however much you dislike the idea… quelle que soit votre aversion pour cette idée…;∎ however much I try, it doesn't work j'ai beau essayer, ça ne marche pas8 how muchcombien de;∎ how much flour have we got left? combien de farine nous reste-t-il?2 pronouncombien;∎ how much is the record or does the record cost? combien coûte ce disque?∎ much as I admire him, I have to admit that… malgré toute mon admiration pour lui, je dois admettre que…;∎ much as I would like to, I can't come à mon grand regret, il m'est véritablement impossible de venir;∎ much as I try, I can't succeed j'ai beau essayer, je n'y arrive pas;∎ the result was much as I expected le résultat correspondait bien à ce que j'attendais10 so muchtant de, tellement de;∎ it takes up so much time ça prend tellement de temps;∎ it's just so much nonsense c'est tellement bête2 pronoun(a) (such a lot) tant;∎ I've learnt so much on this course j'ai vraiment appris beaucoup (de choses) en suivant ces cours;∎ there's still so much to do il y a encore tant à faire;∎ he has drunk so much that… il a tellement bu que…∎ there's only so much one can do il y a une limite à ce qu'on peut faire;∎ how much water will I put in? - about so much combien d'eau est-ce que je dois mettre? - à peu près ça;∎ so much a kilo tant le kilo3 adverbtellement;∎ I miss you so much tu me manques tellement;∎ I wouldn't mind so much, only he promised to do it ça ne me gêne pas tellement, mais il avait promis de le faire;∎ it's not so much his unpunctuality, it's his rudeness I can't stand ce n'est pas tellement ses retards, c'est sa grossièreté que je ne supporte pas;∎ thank you ever so much merci infiniment ou mille fois;∎ so much the better tant mieux;∎ so much so that… au point que…, à tel point que…;∎ not so much a…, more a… pas vraiment un…, mais plutôt un…même;∎ if you so much as breathe a word of this… si seulement tu répètes un mot de tout ça…;∎ without so much as asking permission sans même demander la permission;∎ I would not so much as raise a finger to help him je ne lèverais pas même le petit doigt pour l'aider∎ so much for the agenda; now let us consider… voilà pour ce qui est de l'ordre du jour; maintenant, je voudrais que nous nous penchions sur la question de…;∎ so much for that idea! on peut oublier cette idée!;∎ so much for his friendship! et voilà ce qu'il appelle l'amitié!13 that much∎ there was that much food, we thought we'd never finish it il y avait tellement à manger qu'on pensait ne jamais arriver à finir2 pronoun∎ was there much damage? - not that much y a-t-il eu beaucoup de dégâts? - pas tant que ça;∎ did it cost that much? ça a coûté autant que ça?;∎ how much do you want? - about that much combien en veux-tu? - à peu près ça3 adverb (with comparative)∎ it'll be that much easier to organize ce sera d'autant plus facile à organiser;∎ not that much better pas beaucoup mieux∎ she's that much taller than me elle est plus grande que moi de ça14 this much∎ there was this much coffee left il restait ça de café2 pronoun∎ I had to cut this much off the hem of my skirt j'ai dû raccourcir ma jupe de ça(b) (one thing) une chose;∎ this much is true… une chose au moins est vraie…;∎ I'll say this much for her, she's got guts il faut reconnaître une chose, c'est qu'elle a du cran15 too muchtrop de2 pronountrop;∎ there's too much to do il y a trop à faire;∎ don't expect too much (be too demanding) ne soyez pas trop exigeant, n'en demandez pas trop; (be too hopeful) ne vous faites pas trop d'illusions;∎ to cost too much coûter trop cher;∎ £10 too much 10 livres de trop;∎ familiar she's too much! elle est trop!;∎ familiar that's too much! ça, c'est trop!;∎ familiar that's a bit much! c'est un peu fort!;∎ you can't have too much of a good thing abondance de biens ne nuit pas3 adverb(work, speak) trop -
8 much
❢ When much is used as an adverb, it is translated by beaucoup: it's much longer = c'est beaucoup plus long ; she doesn't talk much = elle ne parle pas beaucoup.For particular usages, see A below. When much is used as a pronoun, it is usually translated by beaucoup: there is much to learn = il y a beaucoup à apprendre. However, in negative sentences grand-chose is also used: I didn't learn much = je n'ai pas beaucoup appris or je n'ai pas appris grand-chose.When much is used as a quantifier, it is translated by beaucoup de: they don't have much money = ils n'ont pas beaucoup d'argent.For particular usages see C below.A adv1 ( to a considerable degree) beaucoup ; much smaller/happier beaucoup plus petit/ content (than que) ; they're not much cheaper than the originals ils ne sont pas beaucoup moins chers que les originaux ; much more interesting beaucoup or bien plus intéressant ; the film was much better than expected le film était bien meilleur que prévu ; it's much better organized c'est beaucoup mieux organisé ; they're getting much less demanding ils deviennent beaucoup moins exigeants ; the shoes are much too expensive les chaussures sont beaucoup trop chères ; it's much too dangerous c'est beaucoup trop dangereux ; he doesn't much care for them il ne les aime pas beaucoup ; I didn't much like what I saw je n'ai pas beaucoup aimé ce que j'ai vu ; she doesn't worry much about it ça ne l'inquiète pas beaucoup ; we'd much rather stay here nous préférerions de beaucoup rester ici ; the meeting has been much criticized on a beaucoup critiqué la réunion ; they are much to be pitied ils méritent qu'on ait pitié d'eux ; much loved by her friends très aimée de ses amis ; your comments would be much appreciated tous vos commentaires seront les bienvenus ; he's not much good at Latin/at tennis il n'est pas très bon en latin/au tennis ; he's not much good at doing il n'est pas très doué pour faire ; does it hurt much? est-ce que ça fait très mal? ; it's much the more interesting of the two studies c'est de loin la plus intéressante des deux études ; she's much the best teacher here elle est de loin le meilleur professeur ici ; much to our annoyance, they didn't phone back ils n'ont pas rappelé, ce qui nous a beaucoup vexés ; much to my surprise à ma grande surprise ;2 ( often) beaucoup, souvent ; we don't go out much nous ne sortons pas beaucoup ; they didn't see each other much ils ne se voyaient pas beaucoup ; she doesn't talk much about the past elle ne parle pas beaucoup du passé ; do you go to concerts much? est-ce que tu vas souvent au concert? ; a much married film star une vedette de cinéma qui s'est remariée plusieurs fois ;3 (approximately, nearly) plus ou moins, à peu près ; to be much the same être à peu près pareil (as que) ; his condition is much the same as yesterday son état est plus ou moins or à peu près le même qu'hier ; it's pretty much like driving a car c'est plus ou moins la même chose que de conduire une voiture ; he behaved much the way the others did il s'est comporté plus ou moins comme les autres ; in much the same way à peu près de la même façon (as que) ; much the same is true of China la situation est à peu près la même en Chine ;4 ( specifying degree to which something is true) too much trop ; you worry/talk too much tu t'inquiètes/parles trop ; very much ( a lot) beaucoup ; ( absolutely) tout à fait ; he misses you very much tu lui manques beaucoup ; I'd appreciate it very much if j'apprécierais beaucoup que (+ subj) ; thanks very much merci beaucoup ; we enjoyed ourselves very much nous nous sommes beaucoup amusés ; she's very much like her mother elle ressemble beaucoup à sa mère ; it's very much the norm c'est tout à fait la norme ; I felt very much the foreigner je me sentais tout à fait étranger ; so much tellement ; I wanted so much to meet you j'avais tellement envie de vous rencontrer ; it hurts so much ça fait tellement mal ; it's so much better c'est tellement mieux ; he hates flying so much that he prefers to take the boat il déteste tellement l'avion qu'il préfère prendre le bateau ; thanks so much for merci beaucoup pour ; as much autant (as que) ; I like them as much as you (do) je les aime autant que toi ; she doesn't worry as much as before elle ne s'inquiète pas autant qu'avant ; they hated each other as much as ever ils se détestaient toujours autant ; she is as much entitled to a visa as you elle a autant droit à un visa que toi ; they were as much a part of village life as the farmers ils faisaient autant partie de la vie du village que les fermiers ; he wasn't sure and said as much il n'était pas sûr et il l'a dit ; I thought as much c'est bien ce qui me semblait ; however much même si ; you'll have to accept the decision however much you disagree il va falloir que tu acceptes la décision même si tu n'es pas d'accord ; I couldn't cry out however much it hurt je ne pouvais pas crier même si ça me faisait très mal ;5 (emphatic: setting up a contrast) not so much X as Y moins X que Y, plus Y que X ; it wasn't so much a warning as a threat c'était moins un avertissement qu'une menace, c'était plus une menace qu'un avertissement ; the discovery wasn't so much shocking as depressing la découverte était moins choquante que déprimante ; it doesn't annoy me so much as make me wonder ça m'agace moins que ça ne me surprend.B pron1 ( a great deal) beaucoup ; ( in negative sentences) grand-chose ; do you have much left? est-ce qu'il vous en reste beaucoup? ; did he earn much? est-ce qu'il a gagné beaucoup? ; we have much to learn nous avons beaucoup à apprendre (from de) ; we didn't eat much nous n'avons pas mangé grand-chose ; there isn't much to do il n'y a pas grand-chose à faire ; he doesn't have much to say il n'a pas grand-chose à dire ; there isn't much one can do to prevent it il n'y a pas grand-chose à faire pour empêcher ça ; he doesn't have much to complain about il n'a pas à se plaindre ; it leaves much to be desired ça laisse (vraiment) à désirer ; there's much to be said for beaucoup de choses plaident en faveur de [plan, country life, job-sharing] ; much of une grande partie de ; much of the difficulty lies in… une grande partie de la difficulté réside dans… ; much of the meeting was spent discussing… une grande partie de la réunion a été consacrée à discuter… ; much of their work involves… une grande partie de leur travail consiste à… ; much of what remains is useless une grande partie de ce qui reste est inutile ; much of the resentment is due to le ressentiment vient en grande partie de ; I don't see much of them now je ne les vois plus beaucoup maintenant ; to make much of sth ( focus on) insister sur qch ; ( understand) comprendre qch ; the report made much of the scandal le rapport insistait sur le scandale or faisait grand cas du scandale ; I couldn't make much of her last book je n'ai pas compris grand-chose à son dernier livre ;2 (expressing a relative amount, degree) so much tant ; they are willing to pay so much per vehicle ils sont prêts à payer tant par véhicule ; we'd eaten so much that nous avions tant mangé que ; she spends so much of her life abroad elle passe une très grande partie de sa vie à l'étranger ; she spends so much of her life abroad that elle passe une si grande partie de sa vie à l'étranger que ; so much of her work is gloomy il y a une grande partie de son œuvre qui est sombre ; so much of the earth is polluted la terre est tellement polluée ; so much of the time, it's a question of patience la plupart du temps c'est une question de patience ; too much trop ; it costs too much c'est trop cher ; you eat too much tu manges trop ; it's too much! lit c'est trop! ; ( in protest) c'en est trop! ; it's too much of a strain c'est trop éprouvant ; she was too much of an egotist to do elle était trop égoïste pour faire ; I couldn't eat all that, it's too much for me! je ne pourrais jamais manger tout ça, c'est trop pour moi! ; the heat/the work was too much for them ils n'ont pas pu supporter la chaleur/le travail ; the measures proved too much for them ils n'ont pas pu tolérer les mesures ; he was too much for his opponent il était trop fort pour son adversaire ; I bought about this much j'en ai acheté à peu près ça ; he's read this much already il a déjà lu tout ça ; I'll say this much for him, he's honest il a au moins ça pour lui, il est honnête ; this much is certain, we'll have no choice une chose est certaine, nous n'aurons pas le choix ; twice as much deux fois autant or plus ; if we had half as much as you si nous avions la moitié de ce que tu as ; I'll need half as much again il me faudra encore la moitié de ça ; as much as possible autant que possible ; they paid as much as we did ils ont payé autant que nous ; is it as much as that? est-ce que ça fait autant que ça? ; I enjoy nature as much as the next person j'apprécie la nature autant que n'importe qui ; it can cost as much as £50 ça peut coûter jusqu'à 50 livres sterling ; it was as much as I could do not to laugh il a fallu que je me retienne pour ne pas rire ; as much as to say… d'un air de dire… ; how much? combien? ; how much did you pay for it? combien est-ce que tu l'as payé? ; tell them how much you won dis-leur combien tu as gagné ; how much do they know? qu'est-ce qu'ils savent au juste? ; he never knew how much we missed him il n'a jamais su à quel point or combien il nous a manqué ; do you know how much this means to me? est-ce que tu sais à quel point or combien c'est important pour moi? ;3 (focusing on limitations, inadequacy) it's not ou nothing much ce n'est pas grand-chose ; it's not up to much GB ça ne vaut pas grand-chose ; he 's not much to look at il n'est pas très beau ; she doesn't think much of him elle n'a pas très bonne opinion de lui ; she doesn't think much of it elle n'en pense pas beaucoup de bien ; I'm not much of a letter-writer/reader je n'aime pas beaucoup écrire des lettres/lire ; it's not much of a film ce n'est pas un bon film ; it wasn't much of a life ce n'était pas une vie ; it wasn't much of a holiday for us ce n'était vraiment pas des vacances pour nous ; that's not much of a consolation! ça ne me console pas tellement! ; I'm not much of a one for cooking ○ la cuisine ce n'est pas mon fort ○.C quantif beaucoup de ; have you got much money/work? est-ce que tu as beaucoup d'argent/de travail? ; I haven't got (very) much time je n'ai pas beaucoup de temps ; we didn't get much support nous n'avons pas eu beaucoup de soutien ; it doesn't make much sense ça n'a pas beaucoup de sens ; there isn't much wine left il ne reste pas beaucoup de vin ; does he watch much TV? est-ce qu'il regarde beaucoup la télé ○ ? ; she didn't speak much English elle parlait peu anglais ; too much energy trop d'énergie ; to spend too much money dépenser trop d'argent ; we don't have too much time nous n'avons pas beaucoup de temps ; don't use so much salt ne mets pas tant de sel ; why does he make so much noise? pourquoi fait-il tant de bruit? ; I spent so much time doing j'ai passé tant de temps à faire ; she gets so much enjoyment out of the radio elle a tant de plaisir à écouter la radio ; we paid twice as much money nous avons payé deux fois plus d'argent ; how much time have we got left? combien de temps nous reste-t-il? ; how much liquid does it contain? combien de liquide est-ce que ça contient?D much+ (dans composés) much-loved/-respected très apprécié/respecté ; much-maligned tant décrié ; much-needed indispensable.E much as conj phr bien que (+ subj) ; much as he needed the money, he wouldn't beg for it il avait vraiment besoin de cet argent et pourtant il ne pouvait se résoudre à mendier ; much as we regret our decision we have no choice bien que nous regrettions or nous avons beau regretter notre décision, nous n'avons pas le choix.F much less conj phr encore moins ; I've never seen him much less spoken to him je n'ai jamais eu l'occasion de le voir encore moins de lui parler.G so much as adv phr without so much as saying goodbye/as an apology sans même dire au revoir/s'excuser ; if you so much as move/sigh si tu fais le moindre mouvement/pousses le moindre soupir ; they can be imprisoned for so much as criticizing the regime ils peuvent être emprisonnés ne serait-ce que pour avoir critiqué le régime.much wants more plus on en a plus on en veut ; there isn't much in GB ou to US it (in contest, competition) ils se suivent de près ; there isn't much in it for us ( to our advantage) ça ne va pas nous apporter grand-chose ; she's late again? that's a bit much! elle est encore en retard? elle exagère! ; ⇒ so. -
9 Colours
Not all English colour terms have a single exact equivalent in French: for instance, in some circumstances brown is marron, in others brun. If in doubt, look the word up in the dictionary.Colour termswhat colour is it?= c’est de quelle couleur? or (more formally) de quelle couleur est-il?it’s green= il est vert or elle est verteto paint sth green= peindre qch en vertto dye sth green= teindre qch en vertto wear green= porter du vertdressed in green= habillé de vertColour nouns are all masculine in French:I like green= j’aime le vertI prefer blue= je préfère le bleured suits her= le rouge lui va bienit’s a pretty yellow!= c’est un joli jaune!have you got it in white?= est-ce que vous l’avez en blanc?a pretty shade of blue= un joli ton de bleuit was a dreadful green= c’était un vert affreuxa range of greens= une gamme de vertsMost adjectives of colour agree with the noun they modify:a blue coat= un manteau bleua blue dress= une robe bleueblue clothes= des vêtements bleusSome that don’t agree are explained below.Words that are not true adjectivesSome words that translate English adjectives are really nouns in French, and so don’t show agreement:a brown shoe= une chaussure marronorange tablecloths= des nappes fpl orangehazel eyes= des yeux mpl noisetteOther French words like this include: cerise ( cherry-red), chocolat ( chocolate-brown) and émeraude ( emerald-green).Shades of colourExpressions like pale blue, dark green or light yellow are also invariable in French and show no agreement:a pale blue shirt= une chemise bleu pâledark green blankets= des couvertures fpl vert foncéa light yellow tie= une cravate jaune clairbright yellow socks= des chaussettes fpl jaune vifFrench can also use the colour nouns here: instead of une chemise bleu pâle you could say une chemise d’un bleu pâle ; and similarly des couvertures d’un vert foncé (etc). The nouns in French are normally used to translate English adjectives of this type ending in -er and -est:a darker blue= un bleu plus foncéthe dress was a darker blue= la robe était d’un bleu plus foncéSimilarly:a lighter blue= un bleu plus clair (etc.)In the following examples, blue stands for most basic colour terms:pale blue= bleu pâlelight blue= bleu clairbright blue= bleu vifdark blue= bleu foncédeep blue= bleu profondstrong blue= bleu soutenuOther types of compound in French are also invariable, and do not agree with their nouns:a navy-blue jacket= une veste bleu marineThese compounds include: bleu ciel ( sky-blue), vert pomme ( apple-green), bleu nuit ( midnight-blue), rouge sang ( blood-red) etc. However, all English compounds do not translate directly into French. If in doubt, check in the dictionary.French compounds consisting of two colour terms linked with a hyphen are also invariable:a blue-black material= une étoffe bleu-noira greenish-blue cup= une tasse bleu-verta greeny-yellow dress= une robe vert-jauneEnglish uses the ending -ish, or sometimes -y, to show that something is approximately a certain colour, e.g. a reddish hat or a greenish paint. The French equivalent is -âtre:blue-ish= bleuâtregreenish or greeny= verdâtregreyish= grisâtrereddish= rougeâtreyellowish or yellowy= jaunâtreetc.Other similar French words are rosâtre, noirâtre and blanchâtre. Note however that these words are often rather negative in French. It is better not to use them if you want to be complimentary about something. Use instead tirant sur le rouge/jaune etc.To describe a special colour, English can add -coloured to a noun such as raspberry (framboise) or flesh (chair). Note how this is said in French, where the two-word compound with couleur is invariable, and, unlike English, never has a hyphen:a chocolate-coloured skirt= une jupe couleur chocolatraspberry-coloured fabric= du tissu couleur framboiseflesh-coloured tights= un collant couleur chairColour verbsEnglish makes some colour verbs by adding -en (e.g. blacken). Similarly French has some verbs in -ir made from colour terms:to blacken= noircirto redden= rougirto whiten= blanchirThe other French colour terms that behave like this are: bleu (bleuir), jaune (jaunir), rose (rosir) and vert (verdir). It is always safe, however, to use devenir, thus:to turn purple= devenir violetDescribing peopleNote the use of the definite article in the following:to have black hair= avoir les cheveux noirsto have blue eyes= avoir les yeux bleusNote the use of à in the following:a girl with blue eyes= une jeune fille aux yeux bleusthe man with black hair= l’homme aux cheveux noirsNot all colours have direct equivalents in French. The following words are used for describing the colour of someone’s hair (note that les cheveux is plural in French):fair= blonddark= brunblonde or blond= blondbrown= châtain invred= rouxblack= noirgrey= griswhite= blancCheck other terms such as yellow, ginger, auburn, mousey etc. in the dictionary.Note these nouns in French:a fair-haired man= un blonda fair-haired woman= une blondea dark-haired man= un bruna dark-haired woman= une bruneThe following words are useful for describing the colour of someone’s eyes:blue= bleulight blue= bleu clair invlight brown= marron clair invbrown= marron invhazel= noisette invgreen= vertgrey= grisgreyish-green= gris-vert invdark= noir -
10 Numbers
0 zéro*1 un†2 deux3 trois4 quatre5 cinq6 six7 sept8 huit9 neuf10 dix11 onze12 douze13 treize14 quatorze15 quinze16 seize17 dix-sept18 dix-huit19 dix-neuf20 vingt21 vingt et un22 vingt-deux30 trente31 trente et un32 trente-deux40 quarante50 cinquante60 soixante70 soixante-dixseptante (in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland etc.)71 soixante et onzeseptante et un ( etc)72 soixante-douze73 soixante-treize74 soixante-quatorze75 soixante-quinze76 soixante-seize77 soixante-dix-sept78 soixante-dix-nuit79 soixante-dix-neuf80 quatre-vingts‡81 quatre-vingt-un§82 quatre-vingt-deux90 quatre-vingt-dix ; nonante (in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, etc)91 quatre-vingt-onze ; nonante et un92 quatre-vingt-douze ; nonante-deux ( etc.)99 quatre-vingt-dix-neuf100 cent101 cent un†102 cent deux110 cent dix111 cent onze112 cent douze187 cent quatre-vingt-sept200 deux cents250 deux cent|| cinquante300 trois cents1000 || mille1001 mille un†1002 mille deux1020 mille vingt1200 mille** deux cents2000 deux mille††10000 dix mille10200 dix mille deux cents100000 cent mille102000 cent deux mille1000000 un million‡‡1264932 un million deux cent soixante-quatre mille neuf cent trente-deux1000000000 un milliard‡‡1000000000000 un billion‡‡* In English 0 may be called nought, zero or even nothing ; French is always zéro ; a nought = un zéro.† Note that one is une in French when it agrees with a feminine noun, so un crayon but une table, une des tables, vingt et une tables, combien de tables? - il y en a une seule etc.‡ Also huitante in Switzerland. Note that when 80 is used as a page number it has no s, e.g. page eighty = page quatre-vingt.§ Note that vingt has no s when it is in the middle of a number. The only exception to this rule is when quatre-vingts is followed by millions, milliards or billions, e.g. quatre-vingts millions, quatre-vingts billions etc.Note that cent does not take an s when it is in the middle of a number. The only exception to this rule is when it is followed by millions, milliards or billions, e.g. trois cents millions, six cents billions etc. It has a normal plural when it modifies other nouns, e.g. 200 inhabitants = deux cents habitants.|| Note that figures in French are set out differently ; where English would have a comma, French has simply a space. It is also possible in French to use a full stop (period) here, e.g. 1.000. French, like English, writes dates without any separation between thousands and hundreds, e.g. in 1995 = en 1995.** When such a figure refers to a date, the spelling mil is preferred to mille, i.e. en 1200 = en mil deux cents. Note however the exceptions: when the year is a round number of thousands, the spelling is always mille, so en l’an mille, en l’an deux mille etc.†† Mille is invariable ; it never takes an s.‡‡ Note that the French words million, milliard and billion are nouns, and when written out in full they take de before another noun, e.g. a million inhabitants is un million d’habitants, a billion francs is un billion de francs. However, when written in figures, 1,000,000 inhabitants is 1000000 habitants, but is still spoken as un million d’habitants. When million etc. is part of a complex number, de is not used before the nouns, e.g. 6,000,210 people = six millions deux cent dix personnes.Use of enNote the use of en in the following examples:there are six= il y en a sixI’ve got a hundred= j’en ai centEn must be used when the thing you are talking about is not expressed (the French says literally there of them are six, I of them have a hundred etc.). However, en is not needed when the object is specified:there are six apples= il y a six pommesApproximate numbersWhen you want to say about…, remember the French ending -aine:about ten= une dizaineabout ten books= une dizaine de livresabout fifteen= une quinzaineabout fifteen people= une quinzaine de personnesabout twenty= une vingtaineabout twenty hours= une vingtaine d’heuresSimilarly une trentaine, une quarantaine, une cinquantaine, une soixantaine and une centaine ( and une douzaine means a dozen). For other numbers, use environ (about):about thirty-five= environ trente-cinqabout thirty-five francs= environ trente-cinq francsabout four thousand= environ quatre milleabout four thousand pages= environ quatre mille pagesEnviron can be used with any number: environ dix, environ quinze etc. are as good as une dizaine, une quinzaine etc.Note the use of centaines and milliers to express approximate quantities:hundreds of books= des centaines de livresI’ve got hundreds= j’en ai des centaineshundreds and hundreds of fish= des centaines et des centaines de poissonsI’ve got thousands= j’en ai des milliersthousands of books= des milliers de livresthousands and thousands= des milliers et des milliersmillions and millions= des millions et des millionsPhrasesnumbers up to ten= les nombres jusqu’à dixto count up to ten= compter jusqu’à dixalmost ten= presque dixless than ten= moins de dixmore than ten= plus de dixall ten of them= tous les dixall ten boys= les dix garçonsNote the French word order:my last ten pounds= mes dix dernières livresthe next twelve weeks= les douze prochaines semainesthe other two= les deux autresthe last four= les quatre derniersCalculations in FrenchNote that French uses a comma where English has a decimal point.0,25 zéro virgule vingt-cinq0,05 zéro virgule zéro cinq0,75 zéro virgule soixante-quinze3,45 trois virgule quarante-cinq8,195 huit virgule cent quatre-vingt-quinze9,1567 neuf virgule quinze cent soixante-septor neuf virgule mille cinq cent soixante-sept9,3456 neuf virgule trois mille quatre cent cinquante-sixPercentages in French25% vingt-cinq pour cent50% cinquante pour cent100% cent pour cent200% deux cents pour cent365% troix cent soixante-cinq pour cent4,25% quatre virgule vingt-cinq pour centFractions in FrenchOrdinal numbers in French§1st 1er‡ premier ( feminine première)2nd 2e second or deuxième3rd 3e troisième4th 4e quatrième5th 5e cinquième6th 6e sixième7th 7e septième8th 8e huitième9th 9e neuvième10th 10e dixième11th 11e onzième12th 12e douzième13th 13e treizième14th 14e quatorzième15th 15e quinzième16th 16e seizième17th 17e dix-septième18th 18e dix-huitième19th 19e dix-neuvième20th 20e vingtième21st 21e vingt et unième22nd 22e vingt-deuxième23rd 23e vingt-troisième24th 24e vingt-quatrième25th 25e vingt-cinquième30th 30e trentième31st 31e trente et unième40th 40e quarantième50th 50e cinquantième60th 60e soixantième70th 70e soixante-dixième or septantième (in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland etc.)71st 71e soixante et onzième or septante et unième (etc.)72nd 72e soixante-douzième73rd 73e soixante-treizième74th 74e soixante-quatorzième75th 75e soixante-quinzième76th 76e soixante-seizième77th 77e soixante-dix-septième78th 78e soixante-dix-huitième79th 79e soixante-dix-neuvième80th 80e quatre-vingtième¶81st 81e quatre-vingt-unième90th 90e quatre-vingt-dixième or nonantième (in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland etc.)91st 91e quatre-vingt-onzième, or nonante et unième (etc.)99th 99e quatre-vingt-dix-neuvième100th 100e centième101st 101e cent et unième102nd 102e cent-deuxième196th 196e cent quatre-vingt-seizième200th 200e deux centième300th 300e trois centième400th 400e quatre centième1,000th 1000e millième2,000th 2000e deux millième1,000,000th 1000000e millionièmeLike English, French makes nouns by adding the definite article:the firstthe second= le second (or la seconde etc.)the first three= les trois premiers or les trois premièresNote the French word order in:the third richest country in the world= le troisième pays le plus riche du monde* Note that half, when not a fraction, is translated by the noun moitié or the adjective demi ; see the dictionary entry.† Note the use of les and d’entre when these fractions are used about a group of people or things: two-thirds of them = les deux tiers d’entre eux.‡ This is the masculine form ; the feminine is 1re and the plural 1ers (m) or 1res (f).§ All the ordinal numbers in French behave like ordinary adjectives and take normal plural endings where appropriate.¶ Also huitantième in Switzerland. -
11 how
1. adverb, conjunction1) (in what way: How do you make bread?) comment2) (to what extent: How do you like my new hat?; How far is Paris from London?) comment; à quelle distance3) (by what means: I've no idea how he came here.) comment4) (in what condition: How are you today?; How do I look?) comment5) (for what reason: How is it that I am the last to know about this?) comment•- however2. conjunction(in no matter what way: This painting still looks wrong however you look at it.) de quelque façon que- how come - how do you do? -
12 Countries and continents
Most countries and all continents are used with the definite article in French:France is a beautiful country= la France est un beau paysI like Canada= j’aime le Canadato visit the United States= visiter les États-Unisto know Iran= connaître l’IranA very few countries do not:to visit Israel= visiter IsraëlWhen in doubt, check in the dictionary.All the continent names are feminine in French. Most names of countries are feminine e.g. la France, but some are masculine e.g. le Canada.Most names of countries are singular in French, but some are plural (usually, but not always, those that are plural in English) e.g. les États-Unis mpl (the United States), and les Philippines fpl (the Philippines). Note, however, the plural verb sont:the Philippines is a lovely country= les Philippines sont un beau paysIn, to and from somewhereWith continent names, feminine singular names of countries and masculine singular names of countries beginning with a vowel, for in and to, use en, and for from, use de:to live in Europe= vivre en Europeto go to Europe= aller en Europeto come from Europe= venir d’Europeto live in France= vivre en Franceto go to France= aller en Franceto come from France= venir de Franceto live in Afghanistan= vivre en Afghanistanto go to Afghanistan= aller en Afghanistanto come from Afghanistan= venir d’AfghanistanNote that names of countries and continents that include North, South, East, or West work in the same way:to live in North Korea= vivre en Corée du Nordto go to North Korea= aller en Corée du Nordto come from North Korea= venir de Corée du NordWith masculine countries beginning with a consonant, and with plurals, use au or aux for in and to, and du or des for from:to live in Canada= vivre au Canadato go to Canada= aller au Canadato come from Canada= venir du Canadato live in the United States= vivre aux États-Unisto go to the United States= aller aux États-Unisto come from the United States= venir des États-Unisto live in the Philippines= vivre aux Philippinesto go to the Philippines= aller aux Philippinesto come from the Philippines= venir des PhilippinesAdjective uses: français or de France or de la France?For French, the translation français is usually safe ; here are some typical examples:the French army= l’armée françaisethe French coast= la côte françaiseFrench cooking= la cuisine françaiseFrench currency= la monnaie françaisethe French Customs= la douane françaisethe French government= le gouvernement françaisthe French language= la langue françaiseFrench literature= la littérature françaiseFrench money= l’argent françaisthe French nation= le peuple françaisFrench politics= la politique françaisea French town= une ville françaiseFrench traditions= les traditions françaisesSome nouns, however, occur more commonly with de France (usually, but not always, their English equivalents can have of France as well as French):the Ambassador of France or the French Ambassador= l’ambassadeur de Francethe French Embassy= l’ambassade de Francethe history of France or French history= l’histoire de Francethe King of France or the French king= le roi de Francethe rivers of France= les fleuves et rivières de Francethe French team= l’équipe de Francebut note:the capital of France or the French capital= la capitale de la FranceNote that many geopolitical adjectives like French can also refer to nationality, e.g. a French tourist ⇒ Nationalities, or to the language, e.g. a French word ⇒ Languages. -
13 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 -
14 Points of the compass
north = nord Nsouth = sud Seast = est Ewest = ouest Onord, sud, est, ouest is the normal order in French as well as English.northeast = nord-est NEnorthwest = nord-ouest NOnorth-northeast = nord-nord-est NNEeast-northeast = est-nord-est ENEWhere?Compass points in French are not normally written with a capital letter. However, when they refer to a specific region in phrases such as I love the North or he lives in the North, and it is clear where this North is, without any further specification such as of France or of Europe, then they are written with a capital letter, as they often are in English, too. In the following examples, north and nord stand for any compass point word.I love the North= j’aime le Nordto live in the North= vivre dans le NordNormally, however, these words do not take a capital letter:in the north of Scotland= dans le nord de l’ÉcosseTake care to distinguish this fromto the north of Scotland (i.e. further north than Scotland)= au nord de l’Écossein the south of Spain= dans le sud de l’Espagne*it is north of the hill= c’est au nord de la collinea few kilometres north= à quelques kilomètres au norddue north of here= droit au nord* Note that the south of France is more usually referred to as le Midi.There is another set of words in French for north, south etc., some of which are morecommon than others:(north) septentrion (rarely used) septentrional(e)(south) midi méridional(e)(east) orient oriental(e)(west) occident occidental(e)Translating northern etc.a northern town= une ville du Norda northern accent= un accent du Nordthe most northerly outpost= l’avant-poste le plus au nordRegions of countries and continents work like this:northern Europe= l’Europe du Nordthe northern parts of Japan= le nord du Japoneastern France= l’est de la FranceFor names of countries and continents which include these compass point words, such as North America or South Korea, see the dictionary entry.Where to?French has fewer ways of expressing this than English has ; vers le is usually safe:to go north= aller vers le nordto head towards the north= se diriger vers le nordto go northwards= aller vers le nordto go in a northerly direction= aller vers le norda northbound ship= un bateau qui se dirige vers le nordWith some verbs, such as to face, the French expression changes:the windows face north= les fenêtres donnent au norda north-facing slope= une pente orientée au nordIf in doubt, check in the dictionary.Where from?The usual way of expressing from the is du:it comes from the north= cela vient du nordfrom the north of Germany= du nord de l’AllemagneNote also these expressions relating to the direction of the wind:the north wind= le vent du norda northerly wind= un vent du nordprevailing north winds= des vents dominants du nordthe wind is in the north= le vent est au nordthe wind is coming from the north= le vent vient du nordCompass point words used as adjectivesThe French words nord, sud, est and ouest are really nouns, so when they are used as adjectives they are invariable.the north coast= la côte nordthe north door= la porte nordthe north face (of a mountain)= la face nordthe north side= le côté nordthe north wall= le mur nordNautical bearingsThe preposition by is translated by quart in expressions like the following:north by northwest= nord quart nord-ouestsoutheast by south= sud-est quart sud -
15 Usage note : to
This dictionary contains usage notes on such topics as the clock, weight measurement, games and sports etc. Many of these use the preposition to.When to is used as a preposition with movement verbs (go, travel etc.) it is often translated by à but remember to use en with feminine countries ( en France) and au with masculine countries ( au Portugal) ; ⇒ Countries and continents.Remember when using à in French that à + le always becomes au and à + les always becomes aux.When to forms the infinitive of a verb taken alone (by a teacher, for example) it needs no translation:to go= allerto find= trouver etc.However, when to is used as part of an infinitive giving the meaning in order to, it is translated by pour:he’s gone into town to buy a shirt= il est parti en ville pour acheter une chemiseto is also used as part of an infinitive after certain adjectives: difficult to understand, easy to read etc. Here to is usually translated by à: difficile à comprendre, facile à lire:it’s easy to read= c’est facile à lireHowever, when the infinitive has an object, to is usually translated by de:it’s easy to lose one’s way= il est facile de perdre son cheminTo check translations, consult the appropriate adjective entry: difficult, easy etc.to is also used as part of an infinitive after certain verbs: she told me to wash my hands, I’ll help him to tidy the room etc. Here the translation, usually either à or de, depends on the verb used in French. To find the correct translation, consult the appropriate verb entry: tell, help etc. For all other uses see the entry to. -
16 after
after ['ɑ:ftə(r)]∎ after a while au bout d'un moment, après un moment;∎ after breakfast après le petit déjeuner;∎ after dark après la tombée de la nuit;∎ the day after the battle le lendemain de la bataille;∎ after which she left après quoi elle est partie;∎ it is after six o'clock already il est déjà six heures passées ou plus de six heures;∎ shortly after midday/three peu après midi/trois heures;∎ American it's twenty after eight il est huit heures vingt;∎ the day after tomorrow après-demain m;∎ after this date passé ou après cette date(b) (in space) après;∎ the shopping centre is just after the church le centre commercial est juste après l'église;∎ there ought to be a comma after "however" il devrait y avoir une virgule après "however"(c) (in series, priority etc) après;∎ Rothman comes after Richardson Rothman vient après Richardson;∎ I would put Racine after Molière pour moi Racine passe après Molière;∎ after you (politely) après vous (je vous en prie);∎ after you with the paper tu peux me passer le journal quand tu l'auras fini∎ day after day jour après jour;∎ time after time maintes (et maintes) fois;∎ (for) mile after mile sur des kilomètres et des kilomètres;∎ he's made mistake after mistake il a fait erreur sur erreur;∎ generation after generation of farmers des générations entières de fermiers;∎ there was street after street of apartment blocks rue après rue, les immeubles se succédaient;∎ it's been one crisis after another ever since she arrived on va de crise en crise depuis son arrivée∎ close the door after you fermez la porte derrière vous;∎ he locked up after them il a tout fermé après leur départ ou après qu'ils soient partis;∎ don't expect me to clean up after you ne croyez pas que je vais nettoyer derrière vous(f) (in view of) après;∎ I'll never speak to him again, after what he said to me je ne lui parlerai plus jamais après ce qu'il m'a dit;∎ after the way I've been treated après la façon dont on m'a traité;∎ after what you told me après ce que vous m'avez dit;∎ and after all I've done for them! et après tout ce que j'ai fait pour eux!∎ after all the trouble I took, no one came après ou malgré tout le mal que je me suis donné, personne n'est venu∎ after Rubens d'après Rubens∎ to be after sb/sth chercher qn/qch;∎ the police are after him la police est à ses trousses, il est recherché par la police;∎ their mother always seems to be after them leur mère a l'air de ne jamais les laisser tranquilles;∎ he's after her money il en veut à son argent;∎ familiar what's he after? (want) qu'est-ce qu'il veut?□ ; (looking for) qu'est-ce qu'il cherche?□ ; (intend) qu'est-ce qu'il a derrière la tête?;∎ familiar I know what she's after je sais où elle veut en venir;∎ she's after a full-time job elle cherche un travail à temps plein∎ to ask or to inquire after sb demander des nouvelles de qn;∎ British to name a child after sb donner à un enfant le nom de qn;∎ to run after sb courir après qn;∎ they ran after him ils lui ont couru après2 adverbaprès, ensuite;∎ the day after le lendemain, le jour suivant;∎ the night after la nuit d'après;∎ two days after deux jours après ou plus tard;∎ the week after la semaine d'après ou suivante;∎ for months after pendant des mois après;∎ soon after peu après;∎ long after longtemps après;∎ to follow (on) after suivre(when subject changes) après que + indicative ou familiar subjunctive; (when subject stays the same) après + infinitive;∎ come and see me after you have spoken to him venez me voir quand vous lui aurez parlé;∎ I came after he had left je suis arrivé après qu'il soit parti;∎ after I had seen him I went out après l'avoir vu, je suis sorti;∎ after saying goodnight to the children après avoir dit bonsoir aux enfants;∎ was that before or after you'd signed the contract? était-ce avant ou après que vous ayez signé le contrat?∎ in after life or years plus tard dans la vie∎ what's for afters? qu'est-ce qu'il y a pour le dessert ou comme dessert?;∎ there was ice cream for afters il y avait de la glace en dessert ou pour le dessert(a) (when all's said and done) après tout;∎ after all, she is very young après tout, elle est très jeune;∎ that, after all, is why we came après tout, c'est pour ça qu'on est venus;∎ it only costs £5 after all ça ne coûte que cinq livres après tout(b) (against expectation) après ou malgré tout;∎ so she was right after all alors elle avait raison en fait;∎ so you went to the party after all? alors, finalement, tu es allé à la soirée?l'un après l'autre;∎ one after another they got up and left the room l'un après l'autre, ils se levèrent et quittèrent la pièce;∎ he made several mistakes one after the other il a fait plusieurs fautes d'affilée ou à la file -
17 along
along [əˈlɒŋ]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━1. adverb• along here, along there par làb. ► all along depuis le début2. preposition• somewhere along the line someone made a mistake à un moment donné, quelqu'un a commis une erreur* * *Note: When along is used as a preposition meaning all along it can usually be translated by le long de: there were trees along the road = il y avait des arbres le long de la route. For particular usages see the entry belowalong is often used after verbs of movement. If the addition of along does not change the meaning of the verb, along will not be translated: as he walked along = tout en marchantHowever, the addition of along often produces a completely new meaning. This is the case in expressions like the project is coming along, how are they getting along?. For translations consult the appropriate verb entry (come, get etc)[ə'lɒŋ], US [ə'lɔːŋ] 1.2.to push/pull something along — pousser/tirer quelque chose
to run along the beach — [path etc] longer la plage
2) ( the length of)3) ( at a point along)3.somewhere along the way — lit quelque part en chemin; fig quelque part
along with prepositional phrase ( accompanied by) accompagné de; ( at same time as) en même temps que -
18 although
although [ɔ:lˈðəʊ]a. ( = despite the fact that) bien que + subj• although it's raining there are 20 people here already bien qu'il pleuve, il y a déjà 20 personnes• I'll do it, although I don't want to je vais le faire bien que je n'en aie pas envie• the room, although small, was quite comfortable la pièce était confortable, bien que petiteb. ( = but) mais• I don't think this is going to work, although it's worth a try je ne pense pas que ça va marcher, mais ça vaut la peine d'essayer* * *[ɔːl'ðəʊ]1) ( in spite of the fact that) bien que (+ subj)they're generous, although poor — ils sont généreux, quoique pauvres
2) (but, however) maisyou don't have to attend, although we advise it — vous n'êtes pas obligés de venir, mais nous vous le conseillons
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19 another
another [əˈnʌðər]1. adjectivea. ( = one more) un... de plus, encore un• I won't wait another minute! je n'attendrai pas une minute de plus !• another beer? vous reprendrez bien une bière ?• and another thing... (inf) ( = what's more) et autre chose...b. ( = different) un autre2. pronoun* * *Note: When another is used as a determiner it is translated by un autre or une autre according to the gender of the noun that follows: another ticket = un autre billet; another cup = une autre tasse. However, when another means an additional, encore can also be used: another cup of tea? = une autre tasse de thé or encore une tasse de thé? For more examples and particular usages, see I belowWhen another is used as a pronoun it is translated by un autre or une autre according to the gender of the noun it refers to: that cake was delicious, can I have another? = ce gâteau était délicieux, est-ce que je peux en prendre un autre?; I see you like the peaches - have another = je vois que tu aimes les pêches - prends-en une autre. Note that en is always added in French when un/une autre are used as pronouns. For more examples and particular usages, see II below[ə'nʌðə(r)] 1.1) ( an additional) un/-e autre, encore un/-ewould you like another drink? — est-ce que tu veux un autre verre?, encore un verre?
that will cost you another £5 — cela vous coûtera 5 livres sterling de plus
it was another ten years before they met again — dix ans se sont écoulés avant qu'ils se rencontrent de nouveau
and another thing,... — et de plus,...
2) ( a different) un/-e autreto put it another way... — en d'autres termes...
that's quite another matter — ça c'est une autre histoire or question
3) ( new)2.pronoun un/-e autrecan I have another? — est-ce que je peux en avoir un/-e autre?
one after another — l'un/l'une après l'autre
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20 except
except [ɪkˈsept]1. prepositiona. sauf• all except the eldest daughter tous, sauf la fille aînéeb. sinon• what can they do except wait? que peuvent-ils faire sinon attendre ?• not or without excepting sans excepter* * *Note: There are four frequently used translations for except when used as a preposition. By far the most frequent of these is sauf; the others are excepté, à l'exception de and hormis. Note, however, that in what/where/who questions, except is translated by sinon. For examples and the phrase except for see below[ɪk'sept] 1.everybody except Lisa — tout le monde sauf Lisa, tout le monde à l'exception de or excepté or hormis Lisa
except if/when — sauf si/quand
2.except that — sauf que, si ce n'est que
except for prepositional phrase à part, à l'exception de3.transitive verb excepter
См. также в других словарях:
however — 1. When ever is being used as an intensive after the interrogative adverb how, as in How ever did you do it?, the two words should always be written separately. 2. However, in the meaning ‘nevertheless’, has many possible positions in a clause.… … Modern English usage
However — How*ev er, conj. Nevertheless; notwithstanding; yet; still; though; as, I shall not oppose your design; I can not, however, approve of it. [1913 Webster] In your excuse your love does little say; You might howe er have took a better way. Dryden.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
However — How*ev er, adv. [Sometimes contracted into howe er.] 1. In whetever manner, way, or degree. [1913 Webster] However yet they me despise and spite. Spenser. [1913 Webster] Howe er the business goes, you have made fault. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. At… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
however — [hou eer′hou ev′ər] adv. [ME hou ever] 1. no matter how; in whatever manner 2. to whatever degree or extent 3. by what means [however did he escape?]: intensive form of HOW1 4. nevertheless; yet; in spite of that; all the same: often used as a… … English World dictionary
however — index notwithstanding, regardless, unless Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
however — late 14c., from HOW (Cf. how) + EVER (Cf. ever) … Etymology dictionary
however — [adv] still, nevertheless after all, all the same, anyhow, be that as it may, but, despite, for all that, howbeit, in spite of, nonetheless, notwithstanding, on the other hand, per contra, though, withal, without regard to, yet; concept 544 … New thesaurus
however — ► ADVERB 1) used to introduce a statement contrasting with a previous one. 2) in whatever way. 3) to whatever extent … English terms dictionary
however — how|ev|er [ hau evər ] function word *** However can be used in the following ways: as a way of showing how a sentence is related to what has already been said: Prices have been rising. It is unlikely, however, that this increase will continue.… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
however */*/*/ — UK [haʊˈevə(r)] / US [haʊˈevər] adverb, conjunction Summary: However can be used in the following ways: as a way of showing how a sentence is related to what has already been said: Prices have been rising. It is unlikely, however, that this… … English dictionary
however — [[t]haʊe̱və(r)[/t]] ♦ 1) ADV: ADV with cl You use however when you are adding a comment which is surprising or which contrasts with what has just been said. This was not an easy decision. It is, however, a decision that we feel is dictated by our … English dictionary