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  • 1 Usage note : be

    The direct French equivalent of the verb to be in subject + to be + predicate sentences is être:
    I am tired
    = je suis fatigué
    Caroline is French
    = Caroline est française
    the children are in the garden
    = les enfants sont dans le jardin
    It functions in very much the same way as to be does in English and it is safe to assume it will work as a translation in the great majority of cases.
    Note, however, that when you are specifying a person’s profession or trade, a/an is not translated:
    she’s a doctor
    = elle est médecin
    Claudie is still a student
    = Claudie est toujours étudiante
    This is true of any noun used in apposition when the subject is a person:
    he’s a widower
    = il est veuf
    But
    Lyons is a beautiful city
    = Lyon est une belle ville
    For more information or expressions involving professions and trades consult the usage note Shops, Trades and Professions.
    For the conjugation of the verb être see the French verb tables.
    Grammatical functions
    The passive
    être is used to form the passive in French just as to be is used in English. Note, however, that the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject:
    the rabbit was killed by a fox
    = le lapin a été tué par un renard
    the window had been broken
    = la fenêtre avait été cassée
    their books will be sold
    = leurs livres seront vendus
    our doors have been repainted red
    = nos portes ont été repeintes en rouge
    In spoken language, French native speakers find the passive cumbersome and will avoid it where possible by using the impersonal on where a person or people are clearly involved : on a repeint nos portes en rouge.
    Progressive tenses
    In French the idea of something happening over a period of time cannot be expressed using the verb être in the way that to be is used as an auxiliary verb in English.
    The present
    French uses simply the present tense where English uses the progressive form with to be:
    I am working
    = je travaille
    Ben is reading a book
    = Ben lit un livre
    The future
    French also uses the present tense where English uses the progressive form with to be:
    we are going to London tomorrow
    = nous allons à Londres demain
    I’m (just) coming!
    = j’arrive!
    I’m (just) going!
    = j’y vais!
    The past
    To express the distinction between she read a newspaper and she was reading a newspaper French uses the perfect and the imperfect tenses: elle a lu un journal/elle lisait un journal:
    he wrote to his mother
    = il a écrit à sa mère
    he was writing to his mother
    = il écrivait à sa mère
    However, in order to accentuate the notion of describing an activity which went on over a period of time, the phrase être en train de (= to be in the process of) is often used:
    ‘what was he doing when you arrived?’
    ‘he was cooking the dinner’
    = ‘qu’est-ce qu’il faisait quand tu es arrivé?’ ‘il était en train de préparer le dîner’
    she was just finishing her essay when …
    = elle était juste en train de finir sa dissertation quand …
    The compound past
    Compound past tenses in the progressive form in English are generally translated by the imperfect in French:
    I’ve been looking for you
    = je te cherchais
    For progressive forms + for and since (I’ve been waiting for an hour, I had been waiting for an hour, I’ve been waiting since Monday etc.) see the entries for and since.
    Obligation
    When to be is used as an auxiliary verb with another verb in the infinitive ( to be to do) expressing obligation, a fixed arrangement or destiny, devoir is used:
    she’s to do it at once
    = elle doit le faire tout de suite
    what am I to do?
    = qu’est-ce que je dois faire?
    he was to arrive last Monday
    = il devait arriver lundi dernier
    she was never to see him again
    = elle ne devait plus le revoir.
    In tag questions
    French has no direct equivalent of tag questions like isn’t he? or wasn’t it? There is a general tag question n’est-ce pas? (literally isn’t it so?) which will work in many cases:
    their house is lovely, isn’t it?
    = leur maison est très belle, n’est-ce pas?
    he’s a doctor, isn’t he?
    = il est médecin, n’est-ce pas?
    it was a very good meal, wasn’t it?
    = c’était un très bon repas, n’est-ce pas?
    However, n’est-ce pas can very rarely be used for positive tag questions and some other way will be found to express the extra meaning contained in the tag: par hasard ( by any chance) can be very useful as a translation:
    ‘I can’t find my glasses’ ‘they’re not in the kitchen, are they?’
    = ‘je ne trouve pas mes lunettes’ ‘elles ne sont pas dans la cuisine, par hasard?’
    you haven’t seen Gaby, have you?
    = tu n’as pas vu Gaby, par hasard?
    In cases where an opinion is being sought, si? meaning more or less or is it? or was it? etc. can be useful:
    it’s not broken, is it?
    = ce n’est pas cassé, si?
    he wasn’t serious, was he?
    = il n’était pas sérieux, si?
    In many other cases the tag question is simply not translated at all and the speaker’s intonation will convey the implied question.
    In short answers
    Again, there is no direct equivalent for short answers like yes I am, no he’s not etc. Where the answer yes is given to contradict a negative question or statement, the most useful translation is si:
    ‘you’re not going out tonight’ ‘yes I am’
    = ‘tu ne sors pas ce soir’ ‘si’
    In reply to a standard enquiry the tag will not be translated:
    ‘are you a doctor?’ ‘yes I am’
    = ‘êtes-vous médecin?’ ‘oui’
    ‘was it raining?’ ‘yes it was’
    = ‘est-ce qu’il pleuvait?’ ‘oui’
    Probability
    For expressions of probability and supposition ( if I were you etc.) see the entry be.
    Other functions
    Expressing sensations and feelings
    In expressing physical and mental sensations, the verb used in French is avoir:
    to be cold
    = avoir froid
    to be hot
    = avoir chaud
    I’m cold
    = j’ai froid
    to be thirsty
    = avoir soif
    to be hungry
    = avoir faim
    to be ashamed
    = avoir honte
    my hands are cold
    = j’ai froid aux mains
    If, however, you are in doubt as to which verb to use in such expressions, you should consult the entry for the appropriate adjective.
    Discussing health and how people are
    In expressions of health and polite enquiries about how people are, aller is used:
    how are you?
    = comment allez-vous?
    ( more informally) comment vas-tu?
    are you well?
    = vous allez bien?
    how is your daughter?
    = comment va votre fille?
    my father is better today
    = mon père va mieux aujourd’hui
    Discussing weather and temperature
    In expressions of weather and temperature faire is generally used:
    it’s cold
    = il fait froid
    it’s windy
    = il fait du vent
    If in doubt, consult the appropriate adjective entry.
    Visiting somewhere
    When to be is used in the present perfect tense to mean go, visit etc., French will generally use the verbs venir, aller etc. rather than être:
    I’ve never been to Sweden
    = je ne suis jamais allé en Suède
    have you been to the Louvre?
    = est-ce que tu es déjà allé au Louvre?
    or est-ce que tu as déjà visité le Louvre?
    Paul has been to see us three times
    = Paul est venu nous voir trois fois
    Note too:
    has the postman been?
    = est-ce que le facteur est passé?
    For here is, here are, there is, there are see the entries here and there.
    The translation for an expression or idiom containing the verb to be will be found in the dictionary at the entry for another word in the expression: for to be in danger see danger, for it would be best to … see best etc.
    This dictionary contains usage notes on topics such as the clock, time units, age, weight measurement, days of the week, and shops, trades and professions, many of which include translations of particular uses of to be.

    Big English-French dictionary > Usage note : be

  • 2 common

    common ['kɒmən]
    (a) (ordinary) courant, commun; (plant, species) commun;
    ∎ it's quite common c'est courant ou tout à fait banal;
    ∎ it's a common experience cela arrive à beaucoup de gens ou à tout le monde;
    ∎ he's nothing but a common criminal ce n'est qu'un vulgaire criminel;
    ∎ a common expression une expression courante;
    ∎ common name (of plant) nom m vulgaire;
    ∎ a common occurrence une chose fréquente ou qui arrive souvent;
    ∎ a common sight un spectacle familier;
    ∎ in common parlance dans le langage courant;
    ∎ British pejorative the common horde la plèbe, la populace;
    ∎ the common man l'homme du peuple;
    ∎ the common people le peuple, les gens du commun;
    ∎ common prostitute vulgaire prostituée f;
    ∎ common salt sel m (ordinaire);
    ∎ a common soldier un simple soldat;
    ∎ common thief vulgaire voleur m;
    ∎ it's only common courtesy to reply ce serait la moindre des politesses de répondre;
    ∎ British to have the common touch savoir parler aux gens simples
    (b) (shared, public) commun;
    ∎ by common consent d'un commun accord;
    ∎ the common good le bien public;
    ∎ common land terrain m communal ou banal;
    ∎ common ownership copropriété f;
    ∎ the common parts (in building) les parties communes;
    ∎ common staircase escalier m commun;
    ∎ common wall mur m commun ou mitoyen;
    ∎ common ground (in interests) intérêt m commun; (for discussion) terrain m d'entente;
    ∎ there is no common ground between the two groups il n'y a pas de terrain d'entente entre les deux groupes;
    ∎ British to make common cause with sb faire cause commune avec qn;
    ∎ Commerce common carrier transporteur m (public);
    ∎ common interest group groupe m d'intérêt commun;
    ∎ Aviation common rated fare tarif m commun;
    ∎ Aviation common rated points = destinations pour lesquelles les tarifs sont identiques à partir d'un même point de départ
    (c) (widespread) général, universel;
    ∎ the common belief la croyance universelle;
    ∎ in common use d'usage courant;
    ∎ it's common knowledge that… tout le monde sait que… + indicative, il est de notoriété publique que… + indicative;
    ∎ the agreement is common knowledge l'accord est connu de tous;
    ∎ it's common practice to thank your host il est d'usage de remercier son hôte;
    ∎ British it's common talk that… on entend souvent dire que… + indicative
    (d) pejorative (vulgar) commun, vulgaire;
    ∎ a common little man un petit homme vulgaire
    (e) Grammar (gender) non marqué
    ∎ common time or measure mesure f à quatre temps
    2 noun
    (a) (land) terrain m communal;
    ∎ British Law right of common (of land) communauté f de jouissance; (of pasture) droit m de (vaine) pâture; (of property) droit m de servitude
    ∎ nothing out of the common rien d'extraordinaire
    ∎ or literary the commons (common people) le peuple
    ∎ to be on short common faire maigre chère
    ∎ the Commons les Communes fpl
    en commun;
    ∎ to have sth in common with sb avoir qch en commun avec qn;
    ∎ we have nothing in common nous n'avons rien en commun;
    ∎ they have certain ideas in common ils partagent certaines idées
    ►► EU Common Agricultural Policy politique f agricole commune;
    common cold rhume m;
    common crab crabe m vert;
    common currency Finance monnaie f commune;
    ∎ figurative to be common currency être monnaie courante;
    Mathematics & figurative common denominator dénominateur m commun;
    Mathematics common divisor commun diviseur m;
    British School Common Entrance = examen de fin d'études primaires permettant d'entrer dans une "public school";
    American Stock Exchange common equities actions fpl ordinaires;
    Religion Common Era ère f chrétienne;
    EU common external tariff tarif m externe commun;
    Mathematics common factor facteur m commun;
    EU Common Fisheries Policy politique f commune de la pêche;
    Accountancy common fixed costs coûts mpl fixes communs;
    American Mathematics common fraction fraction f ordinaire;
    EU Common Foreign and Security Policy politique f étrangère et de sécurité commune;
    Computing common gateway interface interface f commune de passerelle;
    Ornithology common gull goéland m cendré;
    common law droit m coutumier, common law f;
    Mathematics common logarithm logarithme m vulgaire ou décimal;
    EU the Common Market le marché commun;
    Mathematics common multiple commun multiple m;
    Grammar common noun nom m commun;
    common ownership copropriété f;
    the Common Riding = festival se déroulant dans plusieurs villes des Borders, en Écosse, au cours duquel ont lieu des proclamations, des processions, des cavalcades, des manifestations sportives et des reconstitutions historiques;
    British School & University common room (for students) salle f commune; (for staff) salle f des professeurs;
    common sense bon sens m, sens m commun;
    ∎ she has a great deal of common sense elle a beaucoup de bon sens;
    ∎ it's only common sense ça tombe sous le sens;
    Ornithology common snipe bécassine f des marais;
    American Stock Exchange common stock actions fpl ordinaires;
    Ornithology common tern sterne f pierregarin
    ⓘ COMMON LAW On désigne ainsi l'ensemble des règles de droit qui constituent la base du système juridique des pays de langue anglaise. À l'opposé des systèmes issus du droit romain, qui s'appuie sur la loi telle qu'elle est fixée dans des Codes, ces règles, non écrites, sont établies par la jurisprudence.

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

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