I can't believe it's true

I believe (that) she is right o I believe her to be right credo o penso che abbia ragione; she is believed to be a spy è ritenuta una spia; to let sb. believe (that) lasciare credere a qcn. che; I believe so, not — credo di sì, di no

to believe in — credere in [discipline, exercise, person]; credere a [ promises]

to believe in doing — credere che sia utile o che faccia bene fare

I believe (that) she is right o I believe her to be right credo o penso che abbia ragione; she is believed to be a spy è ritenuta una spia; to let sb. believe (that) lasciare credere a qcn. che; I believe so, not — credo di sì, di no

to believe in — credere in [discipline, exercise, person]; credere a [ promises]

to believe in doing — credere che sia utile o che faccia bene fare

he is believed to be in the London area — man vermutet ihn im Raum London

make believe [that...] — so tun, als ob...

don't you believe it — wers glaubt, wird selig (inf)

believe me, I mean it — glauben Sie mir, es ist mir ernst or Ernst

believe you me! (inf) — das können Sie mir glauben!

would you believe it! (inf) — ist das (denn) die Möglichkeit (inf)

he could hardly believe his eyes/ears — er traute seinen Augen/Ohren nicht

if he is to be believed — wenn man ihm glauben darf or Glauben schenken kann

she's hardly what you'd call a cordon bleu chef — iro no es precisamente or no es lo que se dice un cocinero de primera

it's hardly surprising! — ¡no me extraña or sorprende!

"do you think he'll pass?" - "hardly!" — -¿crees que aprobará? -¡qué va! or ¡ni hablar!

• hardly anyone — casi nadie

• hardly anything — casi nada

• there was hardly anywhere to go — no había casi ningún sitio donde ir

• hardly ever — casi nunca

The words rang true, but Soames did not drop his caution. (J. Galsworthy, ‘The White Monkey’, part II, ch. I) — Как будто говорит правду! Но осторожность не покидала Сомса.

I think I can tell a good story and I can create characters that ring true. (W. S. Maugham, ‘Cakes and Ale’, ch. I) — Я думаю, что могу рассказать интересную историю, создать действительно живые характеры.

He must be, Tuppence thought, a marvellous actor... His words to her that morning had rung so very true. (A. Christie, ‘N or M?’, ch. VI) — "Должно быть, этот Карл фон Дейним прекрасный актер", - подумала Тапенс. Его слова, сказанные ей сегодня утром, звучали так искренно.

‘I don't believe you,’ said Austin. ‘It doesn't ring true.’ (I. Murdoch, ‘An Accidental Man’) — - Я тебе не верю, - сказал Остин. - Очень уж это сомнительно.

• now for something completely different — y ahora algo totalmente distinto

• not now, dear — ahora no, querido

• right now all I want to do is... — en este momento or ahora mismo, lo único que me apetece es...

• the time is now eight o'clock — son las ocho

nobody would think of doing that now — hoy en día or ahora a nadie se le ocurriría hacer eso

if we leave now, we'll be there by six — si salimos ahora or ya, estaremos allí para las seis

• it's now or never — es ahora o nunca

• I'll do it right now — lo haré ahora mismo

• as of now — a partir de ahora

• before now — (=already) ya, antes; (=in the past) antes de ahora; (=till this moment) hasta ahora, antes

• between now and next Tuesday — entre hoy y el martes que viene

• by now, they must be there by now — ya deben haber llegado

• that will be all for now, that will do for now — por ahora or por el momento basta con eso

• (in) three weeks/100 years from now — dentro de tres semanas/100 años

• from now on — (with present, future tense) a partir de ahora, de ahora en adelante; (with past tense) a partir de entonces

• till now, until now, up to now — (=till this moment) hasta ahora; (=till that moment) hasta entonces

they won't be long now — no tardarán en venir, al rato vienen (Mex)

now you've gone and done it! * — ¡ahora sí que la has hecho buena! *

• (every) now and again — de vez en cuando

• any minute or moment now — de un momento a otro

• just now — (=at this moment) ahora mismo, en este momento; (=a moment ago) hace un momento

I'm busy just now — ahora mismo or en este momento estoy ocupado

• (every) now and then — de vez en cuando

now, as you all know... — bien or bueno, como todos sabéis...

now, some people may disagree but... — bien or bueno, puede que algunos no estén de acuerdo pero...

• come now, you must be hungry — venga ya, no me digas que no tienes hambre

• hush now, don't cry — shh, no llores

• now then, what's the trouble? — ¡entonces a ver! ¿cuál es el problema?

• well now, what have we here! — ¡vamos a ver! ¿qué tenemos aquí?

not so tall as — colloq. non alto come o quanto

I'm not feeling so good — colloq. non mi sento troppo bene

he dived and as he did so... — si tuffò e nel farlo o facendolo...

so many of her friends — così tanti suoi amici; (in comparisons)

to behave like so many schoolgirls — comportarsi come tante ragazzine; (limited amount)

so much of her life — così tanta parte della sua vita; (limited amount)

there's only so much you can take — non puoi sopportare oltre; (to such an extent)

thank you so much — grazie mille; (in contrasts)

so much for equality — colloq. alla faccia dell'uguaglianza

so much for saying you'd help — colloq. meno male che avevi detto che avresti dato una mano

so long! — colloq. (goodbye) arrivederci! ciao!

not so tall as — colloq. non alto come o quanto

I'm not feeling so good — colloq. non mi sento troppo bene

he dived and as he did so... — si tuffò e nel farlo o facendolo...

so many of her friends — così tanti suoi amici; (in comparisons)

to behave like so many schoolgirls — comportarsi come tante ragazzine; (limited amount)

so much of her life — così tanta parte della sua vita; (limited amount)

there's only so much you can take — non puoi sopportare oltre; (to such an extent)

thank you so much — grazie mille; (in contrasts)

so much for equality — colloq. alla faccia dell'uguaglianza

so much for saying you'd help — colloq. meno male che avevi detto che avresti dato una mano

so long! — colloq. (goodbye) arrivederci! ciao!

it's a long o big word — es una palabra difícil

bad o naughty o rude word — palabrota f, mala palabra f (esp AmL), garabato m (Chi)

he didn't say so in so many words, but that's what he meant — no lo dijo así or con esas palabras, pero eso es lo que quiso decir

in other words — ( introducing a reformulation) es decir, o sea

to have a way with words — tener* mucha labia or facilidad de palabra

to be lost for words — no encontrar* palabras, no saber* qué decir

famous last words! — (set phrase)

nothing can possibly go wrong -famous last words! — nada puede salir mal -sí, créetelo! (iró)

without a word of a lie — (BrE) palabra (de honor)!

by word of mouth: the news spread by word of mouth la noticia se fue transmitiendo or propagando de boca en boca; people got to know about it by word of mouth la gente se enteró porque se corrió la voz; from the word go desde el primer momento or desde el principio, desde el vamos (CS); the last word: to have the last word tener* or decir* la última palabra; the last word in computers la última palabra en computadoras; to eat one's words: I was forced to eat my words me tuve que tragar lo que había dicho; to get a word in edgewise o (BrE) edgeways meter baza, meter la cuchara (fam); to hang on somebody's every word sorber las palabras de alguien; to have a word with somebody about something hablar con alguien de or sobre algo; to have a word in somebody's ear about something (BrE) hablar en privado con alguien de or sobre algo; to have words with somebody tener* unas palabras con alguien; to put in a (good) word for somebody recomendar* a alguien; ( for somebody in trouble) interceder por alguien; to put words into somebody's mouth atribuirle* a alguien algo que no dijo; to take the words out of somebody's mouth quitarle la(s) palabra(s) de la boca a alguien; to waste words gastar saliva; to weigh one's words medir* sus (or mis etc) palabras; there's many a true word spoken in jest! — lo dices en broma, pero...; mince I

to keep/give one's word — cumplir/dar* su (or mi etc) palabra

to break one's word, to go back on one's word faltar a su (or mi etc) palabra; we only have his word for it no tenemos pruebas de ello, solo su palabra; you can take my word for it te lo aseguro; a man of his word un hombre de palabra; to be as good as one's word: he was there all right, as good as his word allí estaba, tal como lo había prometido; to take somebody at her/his word — tomarle la palabra a alguien

she left word with her secretary that... — dejó recado con la secretaria de que..., le dejó dicho a la secretaria que... (CS)

word has it that... — corre la noticia or el rumor or la voz de que..., dicen que..., se dice que...

to put the word out o about that... — hacer* correr la voz de que...

the words — (=lyrics) la letra

• I won't hear a word against him — no permito que se le critique

• a big word * — una palabra difícil

• in word and deed — de palabra y hecho

• words fail me — no me lo puedo creer

• a man of few words — un hombre nada locuaz

• I can't find (the) words to tell you... — no encuentro palabras para decirte...

• fine words — palabras elocuentes (pero quizá poco sinceras)

• word for word — palabra por palabra

• I can't get a word out of him — no logro sacarle una palabra

• in a word — en pocas palabras, en una palabra

• to have the last word in an argument — decir la última palabra en una discusión

• to measure one's words — medir las palabras

• by word of mouth — verbalmente, de palabra

• a word of advice — un consejo

• I can't put my feelings into words — no tengo palabras para expresar lo que siento

• don't say a word about it — no digas nada de eso

• to weigh one's words — medir las palabras

• with these words, he sat down — y tras pronunciar estas palabras se sentó

• without a word — sin decir palabra or ni pío

to have a word in sb's ear — (Brit) decir algo a algn en confianza

• to have words with sb — reñir or (esp LAm) pelear(se) con algn

• words passed between them — cambiaron algunas palabras injuriosas

• to bring word of sth to sb — informar a algn de algo

• word came that... — llegó noticia de que..., se supo que...

• if word gets out that... — si sale a la luz que..., si llega a saberse que...

• the word is going round that... — se dice que..., corre la voz de que...

• word has it that..., the word is that... — se dice que...

• to leave word (with/for sb) that... — dejar recado (con/para algn) de que..., dejar dicho (con/para algn) que...

• there's still no word from John — todavía no sabemos nada de John

• pass the word that it's time to go — diles que es hora de marcharnos

• to send word — mandar recado

• to spread the word — propagar la noticia

• it's his word against mine — es su palabra contra la mía

• to take sb at his word — aceptar lo que algn dice

• to break one's word — faltar a or no cumplir la palabra

• to give sb one's word (that...) — dar la palabra a algn (de que...)

• to go back on one's word — faltar a la palabra

• you have my word — tienes mi palabra

we only have or we've only got her word for it — todo lo que sabemos es lo que ella dice

• to hold or keep sb to his word — hacer que algn cumpla su palabra

• word of honour — palabra f, palabra f de honor

• to keep one's word — cumplir (lo prometido)

• (upon) my word! — ¡caramba!

• he's a man of his word — es hombre de palabra

• I take your word for it — te creo, ¡basta con que me lo digas! *

word of command — voz f de mando

word association N — (Psych) asociación f de palabras

word blindness N — alexia f

word class N — categoría f gramatical (de las palabras)

word count N — recuento m de vocabulario

word formation N — formación f de palabras