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1 most
most [məʊst]le plus de ⇒ 1 (a) la plupart de ⇒ 1 (b) le plus ⇒ 2 (a), 3 (a), 3 (b) la plus grande partie ⇒ 2 (b) la plupart ⇒ 2 (b) bien ⇒ 3 (c) au plus ⇒ 4∎ (the) most le plus de;∎ the candidate who gets (the) most votes le candidat qui obtient le plus de voix ou le plus grand nombre de voix;∎ which of your inventions gave you (the) most satisfaction? laquelle de vos inventions vous a procuré la plus grande satisfaction?;∎ for the most part (in largest number of cases) pour la plupart; (most often) le plus souvent ou la plupart du temps(b) (the majority of) la plupart de, la majorité de;∎ most Europeans la plupart ou la majorité des Européens;∎ I like most kinds of fruit j'aime presque tous les fruits;∎ I go out most evenings je sors presque tous les soirs;∎ I don't like most modern art en général, je n'aime pas l'art moderne;∎ most French wine is excellent presque tous les vins français sont excellents∎ (the) most le plus;∎ he is more reliable than most on peut compter sur lui plus que sur bien des gens;∎ we all earn a lot but Diana earns (the) most nous gagnons tous beaucoup d'argent mais c'est Diana qui en gagne le plus;∎ which of the three applicants has (the) most to offer? lequel des trois candidats a le plus à offrir?;∎ that is the most one can say in his defence c'est tout ce qu'on peut dire en sa faveur;∎ American familiar old-fashioned her latest album is the most! son dernier album est vraiment génial!;∎ to make the most of sth (advantage, chance, good weather) profiter de qch; (bad situation, ill-luck) tirer le meilleur parti de qch; (resources, skills) employer ou utiliser qch au mieux;∎ let's try and make the most of our last day essayons de profiter au maximum de notre dernière journée;∎ she made the most of her time in Mexico elle a profité au maximum du temps qu'elle a passé au Mexique;∎ the opposition made the most of the scandal l'opposition a tiré tout ce qu'elle pouvait du scandale;∎ he knows how to make the most of himself il sait se mettre en valeur(b) (the larger part) la plus grande ou la majeure partie; (the larger number) la plupart ou majorité;∎ most of my salary la majeure partie de mon salaire;∎ most of the snow has melted presque toute la neige a fondu;∎ most of the time la plupart du temps;∎ most of my friends are on holiday presque tous ou la plupart de mes amis sont en vacances;∎ most of us/them la plupart d'entre nous/eux3 adverb∎ the most populated region in the world la région la plus peuplée du monde;∎ it's the most beautiful house I've ever seen c'est la plus belle maison que j'aie jamais vue;∎ she was the one who explained things most clearly c'est elle qui expliquait les choses le plus clairement∎ (the) most le plus;∎ the people who complain (the) most les gens qui se plaignent le plus;∎ what worries you (the) most?, what most worries you? qu'est-ce qui vous inquiète le plus?;∎ it's the one I like most of all de tous, c'est celui que je préfère(c) (as intensifier) bien, fort;∎ a most interesting theory une théorie fort intéressante;∎ we had the most awful weather nous avons eu un temps détestable;∎ it's most kind of you to say so c'est extrêmement ou bien gentil à vous de dire ça;∎ she sang most delightfully elle a chanté de façon exquise;∎ most certainly you may! mais bien entendu!∎ most everybody had heard of it presque ou pratiquement tout le monde était au courantau plus, au maximum;∎ there's at most a 30 percent chance of success les chances de succès sont de 30 pour cent tout au plus;∎ at the very most tout au plus, au grand maximumAmerican most wanted list = liste des criminels les plus recherchés;∎ he's on the most wanted list il fait partie des criminels les plus recherchés -
2 case
Ⅰ.case1 [keɪs]cas ⇒ 1 (a), 1 (b), 1 (f)-(h) affaire ⇒ 1 (c), 1 (d) arguments ⇒ 1 (e) en tout cas ⇒ 2 au cas où ⇒ 3 en cas de ⇒ 41 noun(a) (instance, situation) cas m, exemple m;∎ it's a clear case of mismanagement c'est un exemple manifeste de mauvaise gestion;∎ it was a case of having to decide on the spur of the moment il fallait décider sur-le-champ;∎ we often hear of cases where companies go bankrupt nous entendons souvent parler de cas où des entreprises font faillite;∎ if it's a case of not having enough money si c'est une question d'argent;∎ to put the case clearly exposer clairement le cas ou la situation;∎ in the case of single mothers dans le cas des mères célibataires;∎ in that case dans ou en ce cas;∎ in these cases it's best to wait dans de telles circonstances, il vaut mieux attendre;∎ in this particular case en l'occurrence;∎ in which case auquel cas;∎ in your case en ce qui vous concerne, dans votre cas;∎ in Paul's case dans le cas de Paul;∎ in many/most cases dans beaucoup de/la plupart des cas;∎ in no case en aucun cas;∎ in some cases dans certains cas;∎ in the vast majority of cases dans la plupart des cas;∎ in nine cases out of ten neuf fois sur dix;∎ the current crisis is a case in point la crise actuelle est un exemple typique;∎ it's a case of now or never il s'agit de saisir l'occasion ou de faire vite;(b) (actual state of affairs) cas m;∎ can we assume that this is in fact the case? pouvons-nous considérer que c'est bien le cas?;∎ that is not the case in Great Britain ce ou tel n'est pas le cas en Grande-Bretagne;∎ as is often/usually the case comme c'est souvent/ordinairement le cas;∎ as the case or whatever the case may be selon le cas;∎ if such is indeed the case si tel est ou si c'est vraiment le cas(c) (investigation) affaire f;∎ it was one of Inspector Dupont's most difficult cases ce fut une des affaires les plus difficiles de l'inspecteur Dupont;∎ a murder/fraud case une affaire de meurtre/fraude;∎ the case continues affaire à suivre;∎ the case is closed c'est une affaire classée;∎ familiar to be on sb's case être sur le dos de qn;∎ familiar get off my case! fiche-moi la paix!;∎ a civil rights case une affaire de droits civils;∎ her case comes up next week son procès a lieu la semaine prochaine;∎ to try a case juger une affaire;∎ he won his case for slander (barrister) il a gagné le procès en diffamation; (plaintiff) il a gagné son procès ou il a eu gain de cause dans son procès en diffamation(e) (argument) arguments mpl;∎ there is no case against him aucune preuve n'a pu être retenue contre lui;∎ the case against/for the defendant les arguments contre/en faveur de l'accusé;∎ there is a good case against/for establishing quotas il y a beaucoup à dire contre/en faveur de l'établissement de quotas;∎ the union has a good case le syndicat a de bons arguments ou de bonnes raisons;∎ state your case présentez vos arguments;∎ there is a case to be answered here il ne faut pas négliger cette question;∎ to make (out) a case for sth présenter des arguments pour ou en faveur de qch∎ there have been several cases of meningitis recently il y a eu plusieurs cas de méningite récemment;∎ the hospital could only take the most serious cases l'hôpital ne pouvait s'occuper que des cas les plus graves;∎ all burns cases are treated here tous les grands brûlés sont traités ici∎ he's a real case! c'est un cas ou un phénomène!;∎ he's a sad case c'est vraiment un pauvre type∎ in any case I shan't be coming je ne viendrai pas en tout cas ou de toute façon;∎ in any case, that's not the point bref ou en tout cas, là n'est pas la question(b) (at least) du moins, en tout cas;∎ that's what I was told, or in any case was led to believe c'est ce qu'on m'a dit ou en tout cas ou ou du moins, ce qu'on m'a fait croire1 adverbau cas où;∎ I'll take my umbrella (just) in case je vais prendre mon parapluie au cas oùau cas où;∎ in case you think I'm bluffing au cas où tu croirais que je bluffe;∎ I kept a place for you, in case you were late je t'ai gardé une place, au cas où tu serais en retarden cas de;∎ in case of emergency/fire en cas d'urgence/d'incendie►► case conference étude f de cas (par un groupe de spécialistes);case grammar grammaire f des cas;case history antécédents mpl;case law jurisprudence f, droit m jurisprudentiel;case load (nombre m de) dossiers mpl à traiter;case notes dossier m;case study étude f de casⅡ.case21 noun(a) (container) caisse f, boîte f; (for bottles) caisse f; (for fruit, vegetables) cageot m; (chest) coffre m; (for jewellery) coffret m; (for necklace, watch) écrin m; (for camera, guitar, spectacles, cigarettes) étui m; (for pencils, geometry etc instruments) trousse f(b) (for display) vitrine f(d) Typography casse f(a) (put in box) mettre en boîte ou caisse∎ cased in ice couvert de glace∎ the robbers had thoroughly cased the joint les voleurs avaient bien examiné les lieux (avant de faire leur coup)►► case knife couteau m à gaine -
3 case
case [keɪs]1. nouna. ( = fact, example) cas m• is it the case that...? est-il vrai que... ?• I'm in charge here, in case you've forgotten! (inf) c'est moi qui commande ici, au cas où vous l'auriez oublié !• there is a strong case for compulsory vaccination les partisans de la vaccination obligatoire ont de solides arguments• to have a good/strong case avoir de bons/solides argumentsd. (British = suitcase) valise f ; ( = box) (for bottles) caisse f ; (for goods on display) vitrine f ; (for jewels) coffret m ; (for camera, binoculars) étui m• violin/umbrella case étui m à violon/parapluie2. compounds* * *I 1. [keɪs]1) (instance, example) cas min which case —
in that case — en ce cas, dans ce cas-là
in such ou these cases — dans un cas pareil
in 7 out of 10 cases — 7 fois sur 10, dans 7 cas sur 10
a case in point — un cas d'espèce, un exemple typique
2) (state of affairs, situation) cas msuch ou this being the case — en ce cas, dans ce cas-là
is it the case that...? — est-il vrai que...?
as ou whatever the case may be — selon le(s) cas
should this be the case ou if this is the case — si c'est le cas
3) Lawthe case for the State — US l'accusation f
the case is closed — Law, fig l'affaire or la cause est entendue
4) ( convincing argument) arguments mplthere's a strong case for/against doing — il y a de bonnes raisons pour/pour ne pas faire
5) ( trial) affaire f, procès mdivorce/murder case — procès en divorce/pour meurtre
famous cases — causes fpl célèbres
6) ( criminal investigation)to work ou be on a case — enquêter sur une affaire
8) ( client) cas m9) (colloq) ( person)a hard case — un dur; head case
10) Linguistics cas m2. 3.in case conjunctional phrase au cas où (+ conditional)4.in case of prepositional phrase en cas deII 1. [keɪs]1) ( suitcase) valise f2) (crate, chest) caisse f3) ( display cabinet) vitrine f4) (for spectacles, binoculars, cartridge, weapon) étui m; ( for jewels) écrin m; (of camera, watch) boîtier m; (of piano, clock) caisse f2.(colloq) transitive verb ( reconnoitre) -
4 CASE
case [keɪs]1. nouna. ( = fact, example) cas m• is it the case that...? est-il vrai que... ?• I'm in charge here, in case you've forgotten! (inf) c'est moi qui commande ici, au cas où vous l'auriez oublié !• there is a strong case for compulsory vaccination les partisans de la vaccination obligatoire ont de solides arguments• to have a good/strong case avoir de bons/solides argumentsd. (British = suitcase) valise f ; ( = box) (for bottles) caisse f ; (for goods on display) vitrine f ; (for jewels) coffret m ; (for camera, binoculars) étui m• violin/umbrella case étui m à violon/parapluie2. compounds* * *[keɪs]noun (abrév = computer-aided software engineering) CPAO f -
5 French departments
The names of French departments usually have the definite article, except when used after the preposition en.In, to and from somewhereto live in the Loiret= vivre dans le Loiretto go to the Loiret= aller dans le Loiretto live in the Landes= vivre dans les Landesto go to the Landes= aller dans les Landesto live in the Loir-et-Cher= vivre dans le Loir-et-Cherto go to the Loir-et-Cher= aller dans le Loir-et-Cherto live in Savoy= vivre en Savoieto go to Savoy= aller en Savoieto live in Seine-et-Marne= vivre en Seine-et-Marneto go to Seine-et-Marne= aller en Seine-et-Marneto come from the Loiret= venir du Loiretto come from the Landes= venir des Landesto come from the Loir-et-Cher= venir du Loir-et-CherFor from, use de without the definite article for feminine names of departments:to come from Savoy= venir de Savoieto come from Seine-et-Marne= venir de Seine-et-MarneUses with nounsUse de with the definite article in most cases:a Cantal accent= un accent du Cantalthe Var area= la région du Varthe Creuse countryside= les paysages de la CreuseLoiret people= les gens du LoiretYonne representatives= les représentants de l’YonneLandes restaurants= les restaurants des Landesthe Calvados team= l’équipe du CalvadosArdennes towns= les villes des ArdennesSeine-et-Marne hotels= les hôtels de Seine-et-MarneSome cases are undecided:Savoy roads= les routes de Savoie or de la Savoie -
6 in general
(usually; in most cases; most of (a group of people etc): People in general were not very sympathetic; People were in general not very sympathetic.) en général -
7 as a general rule
(usually; in most cases: As a general rule, we don't employ unskilled workers.) en règle générale -
8 Usage note : will
When will is used to express the future in French, the future tense of the French verb is generally used:he’ll come= il viendraIn spoken and more informal French or when the very near future is implied, the present tense of aller + infinitive can be used:I’ll do it now= je vais le faire tout de suiteIf the subject of the modal auxiliary will is I or we, shall is sometimes used instead of will to talk about the future. For further information, consult the entry shall in the dictionary.Tag questionsFrench has no direct equivalent of tag questions like won’t he? or will they? There is a general tag question n’est-ce pas? which will work in many cases:you’ll do it tomorrow, won’t you?= tu le feras demain, n’est-ce pas?In cases where an opinion is being sought, non? meaning is that not so? can be useful:that will be easier, won’t it?= ce sera plus facile, non?In many other cases the tag question is simply not translated at all and the speaker’s intonation will convey the implied question.Short answersAgain, there is no direct equivalent for short answers like no she won’t, yes they will etc. Where the answer yes is given to contradict a negative question or statement, the most useful translation is si:‘they won’t forget’ ‘yes they will’= ‘ils n’oublieront pas’ ‘si’ or (for more emphasis) bien sûr que siWhere the answer no is given to contradict a positive question or statement, the most useful translation is bien sûr que non:‘she’ll post the letter, won’t she?’ ‘no she won’t’= ‘elle va poster la lettre?’ ‘bien sûr que non’In reply to a standard enquiry the tag will not be translated:‘you’ll be ready at midday then?’ ‘yes I will’= ‘tu seras prêt à midi?’ ‘oui’For more examples and other uses, see the entry will. -
9 Usage note : be
I am tired= je suis fatiguéCaroline is French= Caroline est françaisethe children are in the garden= les enfants sont dans le jardinIt functions in very much the same way as to be does in English and it is safe to assume it will work as a translation in the great majority of cases.Note, however, that when you are specifying a person’s profession or trade, a/an is not translated:she’s a doctor= elle est médecinClaudie is still a student= Claudie est toujours étudianteThis is true of any noun used in apposition when the subject is a person:he’s a widower= il est veufButLyons is a beautiful city= Lyon est une belle villeFor more information or expressions involving professions and trades consult the usage note Shops, Trades and Professions.For the conjugation of the verb être see the French verb tables.Grammatical functionsThe passiveêtre is used to form the passive in French just as to be is used in English. Note, however, that the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject:the rabbit was killed by a fox= le lapin a été tué par un renardthe window had been broken= la fenêtre avait été casséetheir books will be sold= leurs livres seront vendusour doors have been repainted red= nos portes ont été repeintes en rougeIn spoken language, French native speakers find the passive cumbersome and will avoid it where possible by using the impersonal on where a person or people are clearly involved : on a repeint nos portes en rouge.Progressive tensesIn French the idea of something happening over a period of time cannot be expressed using the verb être in the way that to be is used as an auxiliary verb in English.The presentFrench uses simply the present tense where English uses the progressive form with to be:I am working= je travailleBen is reading a book= Ben lit un livreIn order to accentuate duration être en train de is used: je suis en train de travailler ; Ben est en train de lire un livre.The futureFrench also uses the present tense where English uses the progressive form with to be:we are going to London tomorrow= nous allons à Londres demainI’m (just) coming!= j’arrive!I’m (just) going!= j’y vais!The pastTo express the distinction between she read a newspaper and she was reading a newspaper French uses the perfect and the imperfect tenses: elle a lu un journal/elle lisait un journal:he wrote to his mother= il a écrit à sa mèrehe was writing to his mother= il écrivait à sa mèreHowever, in order to accentuate the notion of describing an activity which went on over a period of time, the phrase être en train de (= to be in the process of) is often used:‘what was he doing when you arrived?’‘he was cooking the dinner’= ‘qu’est-ce qu’il faisait quand tu es arrivé?’ ‘il était en train de préparer le dîner’she was just finishing her essay when …= elle était juste en train de finir sa dissertation quand …The compound pastCompound past tenses in the progressive form in English are generally translated by the imperfect in French:I’ve been looking for you= je te cherchaisFor progressive forms + for and since (I’ve been waiting for an hour, I had been waiting for an hour, I’ve been waiting since Monday etc.) see the entries for and since.ObligationWhen to be is used as an auxiliary verb with another verb in the infinitive ( to be to do) expressing obligation, a fixed arrangement or destiny, devoir is used:she’s to do it at once= elle doit le faire tout de suitewhat am I to do?= qu’est-ce que je dois faire?he was to arrive last Monday= il devait arriver lundi derniershe was never to see him again= elle ne devait plus le revoir.In tag questionsFrench has no direct equivalent of tag questions like isn’t he? or wasn’t it? There is a general tag question n’est-ce pas? (literally isn’t it so?) which will work in many cases:their house is lovely, isn’t it?= leur maison est très belle, n’est-ce pas?he’s a doctor, isn’t he?= il est médecin, n’est-ce pas?it was a very good meal, wasn’t it?= c’était un très bon repas, n’est-ce pas?However, n’est-ce pas can very rarely be used for positive tag questions and some other way will be found to express the extra meaning contained in the tag: par hasard ( by any chance) can be very useful as a translation:‘I can’t find my glasses’ ‘they’re not in the kitchen, are they?’= ‘je ne trouve pas mes lunettes’ ‘elles ne sont pas dans la cuisine, par hasard?’you haven’t seen Gaby, have you?= tu n’as pas vu Gaby, par hasard?In cases where an opinion is being sought, si? meaning more or less or is it? or was it? etc. can be useful:it’s not broken, is it?= ce n’est pas cassé, si?he wasn’t serious, was he?= il n’était pas sérieux, si?In many other cases the tag question is simply not translated at all and the speaker’s intonation will convey the implied question.In short answersAgain, there is no direct equivalent for short answers like yes I am, no he’s not etc. Where the answer yes is given to contradict a negative question or statement, the most useful translation is si:‘you’re not going out tonight’ ‘yes I am’= ‘tu ne sors pas ce soir’ ‘si’In reply to a standard enquiry the tag will not be translated:‘are you a doctor?’ ‘yes I am’= ‘êtes-vous médecin?’ ‘oui’‘was it raining?’ ‘yes it was’= ‘est-ce qu’il pleuvait?’ ‘oui’ProbabilityFor expressions of probability and supposition ( if I were you etc.) see the entry be.Other functionsExpressing sensations and feelingsIn expressing physical and mental sensations, the verb used in French is avoir:to be cold= avoir froidto be hot= avoir chaudI’m cold= j’ai froidto be thirsty= avoir soifto be hungry= avoir faimto be ashamed= avoir hontemy hands are cold= j’ai froid aux mainsIf, however, you are in doubt as to which verb to use in such expressions, you should consult the entry for the appropriate adjective.Discussing health and how people areIn expressions of health and polite enquiries about how people are, aller is used:how are you?= comment allez-vous?( more informally) comment vas-tu?( very informally as a greeting) ça va?are you well?= vous allez bien?how is your daughter?= comment va votre fille?my father is better today= mon père va mieux aujourd’huiDiscussing weather and temperatureIn expressions of weather and temperature faire is generally used:it’s cold= il fait froidit’s windy= il fait du ventIf in doubt, consult the appropriate adjective entry.Visiting somewhereWhen to be is used in the present perfect tense to mean go, visit etc., French will generally use the verbs venir, aller etc. rather than être:I’ve never been to Sweden= je ne suis jamais allé en Suèdehave you been to the Louvre?= est-ce que tu es déjà allé au Louvre?or est-ce que tu as déjà visité le Louvre?Paul has been to see us three times= Paul est venu nous voir trois foisNote too:has the postman been?= est-ce que le facteur est passé?The translation for an expression or idiom containing the verb to be will be found in the dictionary at the entry for another word in the expression: for to be in danger see danger, for it would be best to … see best etc.This dictionary contains usage notes on topics such as the clock, time units, age, weight measurement, days of the week, and shops, trades and professions, many of which include translations of particular uses of to be. -
10 Usage note : do
she’s doing her homework= elle fait ses devoirswhat are you doing?= qu’est-ce que tu fais?what has he done with the newspaper?= qu’est-ce qu’il a fait du journal?faire functions in very much the same way as to do does in English and it is safe to assume it will work in the great majority of cases. For the conjugation of the verb faire, see the French verb tables.Grammatical functionsIn questionsIn French there is no use of an auxiliary verb in questions equivalent to the use of do in English.When the subject is a pronoun, the question is formed in French either by inverting the subject and verb and putting a hyphen between the two ( veux-tu?) or by prefacing the subject + verb by est-ce que (literally is it that):do you like Mozart?= aimes-tu Mozart? or est-ce que tu aimes Mozart?did you put the glasses in the cupboard?= as-tu mis les verres dans le placard? or est-ce que tu as mis les verres dans le placard?When the subject is a noun there are again two possibilities:did your sister ring?= est-ce que ta sœur a téléphoné? or ta sœur a-t-elle téléphoné?did Max find his keys?= est-ce que Max a trouvé ses clés? or Max a-t-il trouvé ses clés?In negativesEqually, auxiliaries are not used in negatives in French:I don’t like Mozart= je n’aime pas Mozartyou didn’t feed the cat= tu n’as pas donné à manger au chatdon’t do that!= ne fais pas ça!In emphatic usesThere is no verbal equivalent for the use of do in such expressions as I DO like your dress. A French speaker will find another way, according to the context, of expressing the force of the English do. Here are a few useful examples:I DO like your dress= j’aime beaucoup ta robeI DO hope she remembers= j’espère qu’elle n’oubliera pasI DO think you should see a doctor= je crois vraiment que tu devrais voir un médecinWhen referring back to another verbIn this case the verb to do is not translated at all:I don’t like him any more than you do= je ne l’aime pas plus que toiI live in Oxford and so does Lily= j’habite à Oxford et Lily aussishe gets paid more than I do= elle est payée plus que moiI haven’t written as much as I ought to have done= je n’ai pas écrit autant que j’aurais dû‘I love strawberries’ ‘so do I’= ‘j’adore les fraises’ ‘moi aussi’In polite requestsIn polite requests the phrase je vous en prie can often be used to render the meaning of do:do sit down= asseyez-vous, je vous en priedo have a piece of cake= prenez un morceau de gâteau, je vous en prie‘may I take a peach?’ ‘yes, do’= ‘puis-je prendre une pêche?’ ‘je vous en prie’In imperativesIn French there is no use of an auxiliary verb in imperatives:don’t shut the door= ne ferme pas la portedon’t tell her anything= ne lui dis riendo be quiet!= tais-toi!In tag questionsFrench has no direct equivalent of tag questions like doesn’t he? or didn’t it? There is a general tag question n’est-ce pas? (literally isn’t it so?) which will work in many cases:you like fish, don’t you?= tu aimes le poisson, n’est-ce pas?he lives in London, doesn’t he?= il habite à Londres, 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 meaning contained in the tag: par hasard can often be useful as a translation:Lola didn’t phone, did she?= Lola n’a pas téléphoné par hasard?Paul doesn’t work here, does he?= Paul ne travaille pas ici par hasard?In many cases the tag is not translated at all and the speaker’s intonation will convey what is implied:you didn’t tidy your room, did you? (i.e. you ought to have done)= tu n’as pas rangé ta chambre?In short answersAgain, there is no direct French equivalent for short answers like yes I do, no he doesn’t etc. Where the answer yes is given to contradict a negative question or statement, the most useful translation is si:‘Marion didn’t say that’ ‘yes she did’= ‘Marion n’a pas dit ça’ ‘si’‘they don’t sell vegetables at the baker’s’ ‘yes they do’= ‘ils ne vendent pas les légumes à la boulangerie’ ‘si’In response to a standard enquiry the tag will not be translated:‘do you like strawberries?’ ‘yes I do’= ‘aimez-vous les fraises?’ ‘oui ’For more examples and particular usages, see the entry do. -
11 many
many [ˈmenɪ]• many happy returns! bon anniversaire !• how many? combien ?• how many people? combien de personnes ?• there were so many (that...) il y en avait tant (que...)► too many* * *['menɪ] 1.(comparative more; superlative most) quantifier beaucoup de, un grand nombre demany times — de nombreuses fois, bien des fois
how many people/times? — combien de personnes/fois?
2.many a man would be glad of such an opportunity — plus d'un homme se réjouirait d'une telle occasion
pronoun beaucoupto have had one too many — (colloq) avoir bu un coup de trop (colloq)
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12 Towns and cities
Occasionally the gender of a town is clear because the name includes the definite article, e.g. Le Havre or La Rochelle. In most other cases, there is some hesitation, and it is always safer to avoid the problem by using la ville de:Toulouse is beautiful= la ville de Toulouse est belleIn, to and from somewhereFor in and to with the name of a town, use à in French ; if the French name includes the definite article, à will become au, à la, à l’ or aux:to live in Toulouse= vivre à Toulouseto go to Toulouse= aller à Toulouseto live in Le Havre= vivre au Havreto go to Le Havre= aller au Havreto live in La Rochelle= vivre à La Rochelleto go to La Rochelle= aller à La Rochelleto live in Les Arcs= vivre aux Arcsto go to Les Arcs= aller aux ArcsSimilarly, from is de, becoming du, de la, de l’ or des when it combines with the definite article in town names:to come from Toulouse= venir de Toulouseto come from Le Havre= venir du Havreto come from La Rochelle= venir de La Rochelleto come from Les Arcs= venir des ArcsBelonging to a town or cityEnglish sometimes has specific words for people of a certain city or town, such as Londoners, New Yorkers or Parisians, but mostly we talk of the people of Leeds or the inhabitants of San Francisco. On the other hand, most towns in French-speaking countries have a corresponding adjective and noun, and a list of the best-known of these is given at the end of this note.The noun forms, spelt with a capital letter, mean a person from X:the inhabitants of Bordeaux= les Bordelais mplthe people of Strasbourg= les Strasbourgeois mplThe adjective forms, spelt with a small letter, are often used where in English the town name is used as an adjective:Paris shops= les magasins parisiensHowever, some of these French words are fairly rare, and it is always safe to say les habitants de X, or, for the adjective, simply de X. Here are examples of this, using some of the nouns that commonly combine with the names of towns:a Bordeaux accent= un accent de BordeauxToulouse airport= l’aéroport de Toulousethe La Rochelle area= la région de La RochelleLimoges buses= les autobus de Limogesthe Le Havre City Council= le conseil municipal du HavreLille representatives= les représentants de LilleLes Arcs restaurants= les restaurants des Arcsthe Geneva road= la route de GenèveBrussels streets= les rues de Bruxellesthe Angers team= l’équipe d’Angersthe Avignon train= le train d’Avignonbut noteOrleans traffic= la circulation à OrléansNames of cities and towns in French-speaking countries and their adjectivesRemember that when these adjectives are used as nouns, meaning a person from X or the people of X, they are spelt with capital letters.Aix-en-Provence = aixois(e)Alger = algérois(e)Angers = angevin(e)Arles = arlésien(ne)Auxerre = auxerrois(e)Avignon = avignonnais(e)Bastia = bastiais(e)Bayonne = bayonnais(e)Belfort = belfortain(e)Berne = bernois(e)Besançon = bisontin(e)Béziers = biterrois(e)Biarritz = biarrot(e)Bordeaux = bordelais(e)Boulogne-sur-Mer = boulonnais(e)Bourges = berruyer(-ère)Brest = brestois(e)Bruges = brugeois(e)Bruxelles = bruxellois(e)Calais = calaisien(ne)Cannes = cannais(e)Carcassonne = carcassonnais(e)Chambéry = chambérien(ne)Chamonix = chamoniard(e)Clermont-Ferrand = clermontois(e)Die = diois(e)Dieppe = dieppois(e)Dijon = dijonnais(e)Dunkerque = dunkerquois(e)Fontainebleau = bellifontain(e)Gap = gapençais(e)Genève = genevois(e)Grenoble = grenoblois(e)Havre, Le = havrais(e)Lens = lensois(e)Liège = liégeois(e)Lille = lillois(e)Lourdes = lourdais(e)Luxembourg = luxembourgeois(e)Lyon = lyonnais(e)Mâcon = mâconnais(e)Marseille = marseillais(e) or phocéen(ne)Metz = messin(e)Modane = modanais(e)Montpellier = montpelliérain(e)Montréal = montréalais(e)Moulins = moulinois(e)Mulhouse = mulhousien(ne)Nancy = nancéien(ne)Nantes = nantais(e)Narbonne = narbonnais(e)Nevers = nivernais(e)Nice = niçois(e)Nîmes = nîmois(e)Orléans = orléanais(e)Paris = parisien(ne)Pau = palois(e)Périgueux = périgourdin(e)Perpignan = perpignanais(e)Poitiers = poitevin(e)Pont-à-Mousson = mussipontain(e)Québec = québécois(e)Reims = rémois(e)Rennes = rennais(e)Roanne = roannais(e)Rouen = rouennais(e)Saint-Étienne = stéphanois(e)Saint-Malo = malouin(e)Saint-Tropez = tropézien(ne)Sancerre = sancerrois(e)Sète = sétois(e)Sochaux = sochalien(ne)Strasbourg = strasbourgeois(e)Tarascon = tarasconnais(e)Tarbes = tarbais(e)Toulon = toulonnais(e)Toulouse = toulousain(e)Tours = tourangeau(-elle)Tunis = tunisois(e)Valence = valentinois(e)Valenciennes = valenciennois(e)Versailles = versaillais(e)Vichy = vichyssois(e) -
13 general
['‹enərəl] 1. adjective1) (of, involving etc all, most or very many people, things etc: The general feeling is that he is stupid; His general knowledge is good although he is not good at mathematics.) général2) (covering a large number of cases: a general rule.) général3) (without details: I'll just give you a general idea of the plan.) général4) ((as part of an official title) chief: the Postmaster General.) général2. noun(in the British army, (a person of) the rank next below field marshal: General Smith.) général/-ale- generalise - generalization - generalisation - generally - General Certificate of Education - general election - general practitioner - general store - as a general rule - in general - the general public -
14 British regions and counties
The names of British regions and counties usually have the definite article in French, except when used with the preposition en.In, to and from somewhereMost counties and regions are masculine ; with these, in and to are translated by dans le, and from by du:to live in Sussex= vivre dans le Sussexto go to Sussex= aller dans le Sussexto come from Sussex= venir du SussexNote however:Cornwall= la Cornouaillesto live in Cornwall= vivre en Cornouaillesto go to Cornwall= aller en Cornouaillesto come from Cornwall= venir de la CornouaillesUses with nounsThere are rarely French equivalents for English forms like Cornishmen, and it is always safe to use de with the definite article:Cornishmen= les habitants mpl de la CornouaillesLancastrians= les habitants du LancashireIn other cases, du is often possible:a Somerset accent= un accent du Somersetthe Yorkshire countryside= les paysages du Yorkshirebut it is usually safe to use du comté de:the towns of Fife= les villes du comté de Fifethe rivers of Merioneth= les rivières du comté de Merionethor de la région de:Grampian cattle= le bétail de la région des GrampiansBig English-French dictionary > British regions and counties
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