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1 Usage note : when
when did she leave?= quand est-ce qu’elle est partie? or elle est partie quand? or quand est-elle partie?Note that in questions quand on its own requires inversion of the verb and subject:when are they arriving?= quand arrivent-ils?but when followed by est-ce que needs no inversion: quand est-ce qu’ils arrivent?Occasionally a more precise time expression is used in French:when’s your birthday?= quelle est la date de ton anniversaire?when did he set off?= à quelle heure est-il parti?Remember that the future tense is used after quand if future time is implied:tell him when you see him= dis-le-lui quand tu le verrasIt is often possible to give a short neat translation for a when clause if there is no change of subject in the sentence:when I was very young, I lived in Normandy= tout jeune, j’habitais en Normandiewhen he was leaving, he asked for my address= en partant, il m’a demandé mon adresseIn expressions such as the day when, the year when, où is used:the day when we got married= le jour où nous nous sommes mariés -
2 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. -
3 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. -
4 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… -
5 Usage note : may
When may (or may have) is used with another verb in English to convey possibility, French will generally use the adverb peut-être ( perhaps) with the equivalent verb:it may rain= il pleuvra peut-êtrewe may never know what happened= nous ne saurons peut-être jamais ce qui s’est passéhe may have got lost= il s’est peut-être perduAlternatively, and more formally, the construction il se peut que + subjunctive may be used: il se peut qu’il pleuve ; il se peut que nous ne sachions jamais. For particular usages, see 1 in the entry may1.peut-être is also used in French to convey concession:he may be slow but he’s not stupid= il est peut-être lent mais il n’est pas bêteyou may think I’m crazy but …= tu penses peut-être que je suis fou mais…you may close the door= vous pouvez fermer la porteNote that the polite question may I…? is translated by puis-je…?:may I make a suggestion?= puis-je faire une suggestion?For particular usages, see 2 in the entry may1.When may is used in rather formal English to convey purpose in the construction in order that + may, the French equivalent is pour que + subjunctive:in order that he may know= pour qu’il sachemay they be happy!= qu’ils soient heureux!long may it last!= que ça dure!When may well + verb is used to convey likelihood, the French uses il est fort possible que + subjunctive:he may well have gone elsewhere= il est fort possible qu’il soit allé ailleursBut note:that may well be but…= c’est possible mais…In the phrase may as well, may is used interchangeably with might, which is more frequently used. For translations see the entry might1. -
6 Usage note : her
When used as a direct object pronoun, her is translated by la (l’ before a vowel). Note that the object pronoun normally comes before the verb in French and that, in compound tenses like perfect and past perfect, the past participle agrees with the pronoun:I know her= je la connaisI’ve already seen her= je l’ai déjà vueIn imperatives, the direct object pronoun is translated by la and comes after the verb:catch her!= attrape-la!(note the hyphen)I’ve given her the book= je lui ai donné le livreI’ve given it to her= je le lui ai donnéIn imperatives, the indirect object pronoun is translated by lui and comes after the verb:phone her= téléphone-luigive them to her= donne-les-lui(note the hyphens)he did it for her= il l’a fait pour elleit’s her= c’est elleWhen translating her as a determiner ( her house etc.) remember that in French possessive adjectives, like most other adjectives, agree in gender and number with the noun they qualify ; her is translated by son + masculine singular noun ( son chien), sa + feminine singular noun ( sa maison) BUT son + feminine noun beginning with a vowel or mute ‘h’ ( son assiette), and ses + plural noun ( ses enfants).For her used with parts of the body ⇒ The human body. -
7 Usage note : not
When not is used without a verb before an adjective, an adverb, a verb or a noun, it is translated by pas:it’s a cat not a dog= c’est un chat pas un chiennot at all= pas du toutnot bad= pas malFor examples and particular usages see the entry not.When not is used to make the verb be negative (it’s not a cat) it is translated by ne…pas in French ; ne comes before the verb or the auxiliary in compound tenses and pas comes after the verb or auxiliary: ce n’est pas un chat ;she hasn’t been ill= elle n’a pas été malade.When not is used with the auxiliary do to make a verb negative (he doesn’t like oranges) do + not is translated by ne…pas in French: il n’aime pas les oranges.When not is used in the present perfect tense (I haven’ t seen him, she hasn’t arrived yet), ne…pas is again used in French on either side of the appropriate auxiliary ( avoir or être): je ne l’ai pas vu, elle n’est pas encore arrivée.When not is used with will to make a verb negative (will not, won’t), ne…pas is used with the future tense in French:she won’t come by car= elle ne viendra pas en voitureWhen used with a verb in the infinitive, ne…pas are placed together before the verb:he decided not to go= il a décidé de ne pas y alleryou were wrong not to tell her= tu as eu tort de ne pas le lui direWhen not is used in question tags, the whole tag can usually be translated by the French n’est-ce pas, e.g.she bought it, didn’t she?= elle l’a acheté, n’est-ce pas?For usages not covered in this note see the entry not. -
8 Usage note : for
for my sister= pour ma sœurfor the garden= pour le jardinfor me= pour moiFor particular usages see the entry for.When for is used as a preposition indicating purpose followed by a verb it is translated by pour + infinitive:for cleaning windows= pour nettoyer les vitresWhen for is used in the construction to be + adjective + for + pronoun + infinitive the translation in French is être + indirect pronoun + adjective + de + infinitive:it’s impossible for me to stay= il m’est impossible de resterit was hard for him to understand that…= il lui était difficile de comprendre que…it will be difficult for her to accept the changes= il lui sera difficile d’accepter les changementsFor the construction to be waiting for sb to do see the entry wait.For particular usages see the entry for.In time expressionsfor is used in English after a verb in the progressive present perfect tense to express the time period of something that started in the past and is still going on. To express this French uses a verb in the present tense + depuis:I have been waiting for three hours (and I am still waiting)= j’attends depuis trois heureswe’ve been together for two years (and we’re still together)= nous sommes ensemble depuis deux ansWhen for is used in English after a verb in the past perfect tense, French uses the imperfect + depuis:I had been waiting for two hours (and was still waiting)= j’attendais depuis deux heuresfor is used in English negative sentences with the present perfect tense to express the time that has elapsed since something has happened. To express this, French uses the same tense as English (the perfect) + depuis:I haven’t seen him for ten years (and I still haven’t seen him)= je ne l’ai pas vu depuis dix ansIn spoken French, there is another way of expressing this: ça fait or il y a dix ans que je ne l’ai pas vu.When for is used in English in negative sentences after a verb in the past perfect tense, French uses the past perfect + depuis:I hadn’t seen him for ten years= je ne l’avais pas vu depuis dix ans, or (in spoken French) ça faisait or il y avait dix ans que je ne l’avais pas vufor is used in English after the preterite to express the time period of something that happened in the past and is no longer going on. Here French uses the present perfect + pendant:last Sunday I gardened for two hours= dimanche dernier, j’ai jardiné pendant deux heuresfor is used in English after the present progressive tense or the future tense to express an anticipated time period in the future. Here French uses the present or the future tense + pour:I’m going to Rome for six weeks= je vais à Rome pour six semainesI will go to Rome for six weeks= j’irai à Rome pour six semainesNote, however, that when the verb to be is used in the future with for to emphasize the period of time, French uses the future + pendant:I will be in Rome for six weeks= je serai à Rome pendant six semaineshe will be away for three days= il sera absent pendant trois joursFor particular usages see A13, 14, 15 and 16 in the entry for.for is often used in English to form a structure with nouns, adjectives and verbs (weakness for, eager for, apply for, fend for etc.). For translations, consult the appropriate noun, adjective or verb entry (weakness, eager, apply, fend etc.). -
9 Usage note : them
When used as a direct object pronoun, referring to people, animals or things, them is translated by les:I know them= je les connaisNote that the object pronoun normallycomes before the verb in French and that in compound tenses like the present perfect and past perfect, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the direct object pronoun:He’s seen them( them being masculine or of mixed gender)= il les a vus( them being all feminine gender)= il les a vuesIn imperatives, the direct object pronoun is translated by les and comes after the verb:catch them!= attrape-les! (note the hyphen)I gave them it or I gave it to them= je le leur ai donnéIn imperatives, the indirect object pronoun is translated by leur and comes after the verb:phone them!= téléphone-leur! (note the hyphen)After prepositions and the verb to be, the translation is eux for masculine or mixed gender and elles for feminine gender:he did it for them= il l’a fait pour eux or pour ellesit’s them= ce sont eux or ce sont ellesFor particular usages see the entry them. -
10 Usage note : by
When by is used with a passive verb, it is translated by par:he was killed by a tiger= il a été tué par un tigreshe was horrified by the news= elle a été horrifiée par la nouvelleFor particular usages, see the entry by.When by is used with a present participle to mean by means of, it is translated by en:she learned French by listening to the radio= elle a appris le français en écoutant la radioFor particular usages, see the entry by.by telephone= par téléphoneto hold something by the handle= tenir quelque chose par la poignéeNote, however:to travel by bus/train/plane= voyager en bus/train/avionIn time expressions by is translated by avant:it must be finished by Friday= il faut que ce soit fini avant vendrediFor particular usages, see the entry by.by often appears as the second element in phrasal verbs (get by, put by, stand by etc.). For translations, consult the appropriate verb entry (get, put, stand etc.).For translations of fixed phrases and expressions such as to learn something by heart, to deliver something by hand etc. consult the appropriate noun entry (heart, hand etc.).For all other uses of by see the entry by. -
11 Usage note : let
When let is used in English with another verb in order to make a suggestion (let’s do it at once), the first person plural - ons of the appropriate verb can generally be used to express this in French: faisons-le tout de suite. (Note that the verb alone translates let us do and no pronoun appears in French.)In the spoken language, however, which is the usual context for such suggestions, French speakers will use the much more colloquial on + present tense or si on + imperfect tense:let’s do it at once= on le fait tout de suite? or si on le faisait tout de suite?let’s go to the cinema tonight= si on allait au cinéma ce soir?let’s go!= allons-y! or on y va!These translations can also be used for negative suggestions:let’s not take or don’t let’s take the bus - let’s walk= on ne prend pas le bus, on y va à pied or ne prenons pas le bus, allons-y à piedFor more examples and particular usages see A1 in the entry let1.When let is used in English with another verb to express defiance or a command (just let him try!) French uses the structure que + present subjunctive:just let him try!= qu’il essaie!don’t let me see you here again!= que je ne te revoie plus ici!For more examples and particular usages see A2 in the entry let1.When let is used to mean allow, it is generally translated by the verb laisser. For examples and particular usages see A3 in the entry let1.For translations of expressions such as let fly, let loose, let slip etc., consult the entry for the second word (fly, loose, slip etc.). -
12 Usage note : like
When like is used as a preposition (like a child, do it like this) it can generally be translated by comme.she’s like her father or she looks like her father= elle ressemble à son pèrelike is used after certain other verbs in English to express particular kinds of resemblance (taste like, feel like, smell like etc.). For translations, consult the appropriate verb entry.songs like my mother sings= des chansons comme celles que chante ma mèreWhen like is used to introduce an illustrative example ( big cities like London) it can be translated by either comme or tel/telle/tels/ telles que: les grandes villes comme Londres or les grandes villes telles que Londres. -
13 Usage note : at
When at is used as a straightforward preposition it is translated by à:at the airport= à l’aéroportat midnight= à minuitat the age of 50= à l’âge de 50 ansRemember that à + le always becomes au andà + les always becomes aux (au bureau, aux bureaux).When at means at the house, shop, etc. of, it is translated by chez:at Amanda’s= chez Amandaat the hairdresser’s= chez le coiffeurIf you have doubts about how to translate a phrase or idiom beginning with at (at the top of, at home, at a guess etc.) you should consult the appropriate noun entry (top, home, guess etc.). This dictionary contains usage notes on such topics as age, the clock, length measurement, games and sports etc. Many of these use the preposition at.at also often appears in English as the second element of a phrasal verb (look at, aim at, etc.). For translations, look at the appropriate verb entry (look, aim etc.).at is used after certain nouns, adjectives and verbs in English (her surprise at, an attempt at, annoyed at etc.). For translations, consult the appropriate noun, adjective or verb entry (surprise, attempt, annoy etc.).In the entry at, you will find particular usages and idiomatic expressions which do not appear elsewhere in the dictionary. -
14 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. -
15 Usage note : lot
When a lot is used as a pronoun (they buy a lot, he spends a lot), it is translated by beaucoup: ils achètent beaucoup, il dépense beaucoup. For particular usages, see A1 in the entry lot1.When a lot is used to mean much in negative expressions (they didn’t have a lot) it is translated by pas grand-chose: ils n’avaient pas grand-chose. For particular usages, see A1 in the entry lot1.When the lot is used as a pronoun ( they took the lot), it is usually translated by tout: ils ont tout pris. For particular usages, see A2 in the entry lot1.When a lot of is used as a quantifier ( a lot of money) it is translated by beaucoup de. For particular usages, see B1 in the entry lot1. -
16 Usage note : nothing
‘what are you doing?’ ‘nothing’= ‘que fais-tu?’ ‘rien’nothing as a pronoun when it is the subject of a verb is translated by rien ne in French:nothing changes= rien ne changenothing has changed= rien n’a changénothing as a pronoun when it is the object of a verb is translated by ne rien ; ne comes before the verb, and before the auxiliary in compound tenses, and rien comes after the verb or auxiliary:I see nothing= je ne vois rienI saw nothing= je n’ai rien vuWhen ne rien is used with an infinitive the two words are not separated:I prefer to say nothing= je préfère ne rien direFor examples and particular usages, see A in the entry nothing. -
17 Usage note : less
When less is used as a quantifier ( less money) it is translated by moins de: moins d’argent. For examples and particular usages, see A in the entry less.When less is used as a pronoun ( you should have taken less), it is translated by moins: tu aurais dû en prendre moins.less than is usually translated by moins que and even less by encore moins. For examples and particular usages of these see B in the entry less.When less is used as an adverb followed by a verb, an adjective, or another adverb (to eat less, less interesting, less often) it is translated by moins: manger moins, moins intéressant, moins souvent. For examples and particular usages see C in the entry less.For the phrase less and less see E in the entry less. -
18 Usage note : have
When used as an auxiliary in present perfect, future perfect and past perfect tenses, have is normally translated by avoir:I have seen= j’ai vuI had seen= j’avais vuHowever, some verbs in French, especially verbs of movement and change of state (e.g. aller, venir, descendre, mourir), take être rather than avoir in these tenses:he has left= il est partiIn this case, remember the past participle agrees with the subject of the verb:she has gone= elle est alléeReflexive verbs (e.g. se lever, se coucher) always conjugate with être:she has fainted= elle s’est évanouieFor translations of time expressions using for or since (he has been in London for six months, he has been in London since June), see the entries for and since.For translations of time expressions using just (I have just finished my essay, he has just gone), see the entry just1.to have to meaning must is translated by either devoir or the impersonal construction il faut que + subjunctive:I have to leave now= il faut que je parte maintenant or je dois partir maintenantIn negative sentences, not to have to is generally translated by ne pas être obligé de e.g.you don’t have to go= tu n’es pas obligé d’y allerFor examples and particular usages see the entry have.When have is used as a straightforward transitive verb meaning possess, have (or have got) can generally be translated by avoir, e.g.I have (got) a car= j’ai une voitureshe has a good memory= elle a une bonne mémoirethey have (got) problems= ils ont des problèmesFor examples and particular usages see entry ; see also got.have is also used with certain noun objects where the whole expression is equivalent to a verb:to have dinner = to dineto have a try = to tryto have a walk = to walkIn such cases the phrase is very often translated by the equivalent verb in French (dîner, essayer, se promener). For translations consult the appropriate noun entry (dinner, try, walk).had is used in English at the beginning of a clause to replace an expression with if. Such expressions are generally translated by si + past perfect tense, e.g.had I taken the train, this would never have happened= si j’avais pris le train, ce ne serait jamais arrivéhad there been a fire, we would all have been killed= s’il y avait eu un incendie, nous serions tous mortsFor examples of the above and all other uses of have see the entry. -
19 Usage note : that
In French, determiners agree in gender and number with the noun they precede ; that is translated by ce + masculine singular noun ( ce monsieur), cet + masculine singular noun beginning with a vowel or mute ‘h’ ( cet homme) and cette + feminine singular noun ( cette femme) ; those is translated by ces.Note, however, that the above translations are also used for the English this (plural these). So when it is necessary to insist on that as opposed to another or others of the same sort, the adverbial tag -là is added to the noun:I prefer THAT version= je préfère cette version-làFor particular usages, see the entry that.As a pronoun meaning that one, those onesIn French, pronouns reflect the gender and number of the noun they are referring to. So that is translated by celui-là for a masculine noun, celle-là for a feminine noun and those is translated by ceux-là for a masculine noun and celles-là for a feminine noun:I think I like that one (dress) best= je crois que je préfère celle-làFor other uses of that, those as pronouns (e.g. who’s that?) and for adverbial use (e.g. that much, that many) there is no straightforward translation, so see the entry that for examples of usage.When used as a relative pronoun, that is translated by qui when it is the subject of the verb and by que when it is the object:the man that stole the car= l’homme qui a volé la voiturethe film that I saw= le film que j’ai vuRemember that in the present perfect and past perfect tenses, the past participle will agreewith the noun to which que as object refers:the apples that I bought= les pommes que j’ai achetéesWhen that is used as a relative pronoun with a preposition, it is translated by lequel when standing for a masculine singular noun, by laquelle when standing for a feminine singular noun, by lesquels when standing for a masculine plural noun and by lesquelles when standing for a feminine plural noun:the chair that I was sitting on= la chaise sur laquelle j’étais assisethe children that I bought the books for= les enfants pour lesquels j’ai acheté les livresRemember that in cases where the English preposition used would normally be translated by à in French (e.g. to, at), the translation of the whole (prep + rel pron) will be auquel, à laquelle, auxquels, auxquelles:the girls that I was talking to= les filles auxquelles je parlaisSimilarly, where the English preposition used would normally be translated by de in French (e.g. of, from), the translation of the whole (prep + rel pron) will be dont in all cases:the Frenchman that I received a letter from= le Français dont j’ai reçu une lettreWhen used as a conjunction, that can almost always be translated by que (qu’ before a vowel or mute ‘h’):she said that she would do it= elle a dit qu’elle le ferait -
20 Usage note : your
In French, determiners agree in gender and number with the noun they qualify. So your, when addressing one person, is translated by votre, or more familiarly ton, + masculine singular noun ( votre chien or ton chien), by votre or ta + feminine singular noun ( votre maison or ta maison) and by vos or tes + plural noun ( vos enfants or tes enfants). Note that ton is used with a feminine noun beginnning with a vowel or mute ‘h’ ( ton adresse).When addressing more than one person, the translation is votre + singular noun and vos + plural noun. When your is stressed, à vous or à toi is added after the noun:your house= votre maison à vousWhen used impersonally to mean one’s, your is translated by son, sa or ses when you is translated by on:you buy your tickets at the door= on prend ses billets à l’entréeThe translation after an impersonal verb in French is son, sa, ses:you have to buy your tickets at the door= il faut prendre ses billets à l’entréeNote, however, the following:sweets are bad for your teeth= les bonbons sont mauvais pour les dentsyour average student= l’étudiant moyenFor your used with parts of the body ⇒ The human body.
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