Перевод: с английского на французский

с французского на английский

of speakers

Толкование Перевод

1 Speakers' Corner

Speakers' Corner n GB Speakers' corner.

ⓘ Speakers' Corner Coin nord-est de Hyde Park, à Londres, qui sert depuis le XIXe siècle de tribune à tous ceux qui veulent faire un discours ou donner leur avis en public sur le sujet de leur choix. Généralement, les orateurs montent sur une caisse en bois qui leur sert d'estrade, et parfois des débats s'engagent avec le public.

Big English-French dictionary > Speakers' Corner
2 instructions for speakers

informations aux orateurs

Glossaire des termes pour l'organisation d'événements > instructions for speakers
3 time allowed to speakers

Conf. temps de parole accordé a chaque orateur

English-French dictionary of law, politics, economics & finance > time allowed to speakers
4 time to be allowed to speakers

Conf. temps de parole accordé à chaque orateur

English-French dictionary of law, politics, economics & finance > time to be allowed to speakers
5 speaker

speaker ['spi:kə(r)]

noun

(a) (gen) celui m /celle f qui parle; (in discussion) interlocuteur(trice) m,f; (in public) orateur(trice) m,f; (during debate, at conference) intervenant(e) m,f;

∎ she's a good speaker elle sait parler ou s'exprimer en public;

∎ the chairman called the next speaker le président a appelé l'orateur(trice) m,f suivant(e)

(b) Linguistics locuteur(trice) m,f;

∎ native speakers of English ceux dont la langue maternelle est l'anglais;

∎ Spanish speaker hispanophone mf;

∎ as a speaker of Italian or an Italian speaker myself… moi qui parle italien…;

∎ my parents are Welsh speakers mes parents sont galloisants ou parlent (le) gallois;

∎ there are very few surviving speakers of the language il reste très peu de personnes qui parlent cette langue

(c) Politics speaker m, président(e) m,f de l'assemblée

∎ the Speaker (of the House of Commons) = le président de la Chambre des communes;

∎ the Speaker of the House = le président de la Chambre des représentants américaine

(d) (loudspeaker) haut-parleur m; (in stereo system) enceinte f, baffle m

►► Speakers' Corner = angle nord-est de Hyde Park, à Londres, où chacun peut venir le week-end haranguer la foule sur des tribunes improvisées;

speaker phone téléphone m avec haut-parleur

ⓘ SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE Le président de la Chambre des représentants est l'une des personnalités politiques les plus influentes à la Maison Blanche, et vient en deuxième position pour remplacer le président des États-Unis en cas de force majeure.

Un panorama unique de l'anglais et du français > speaker
6 chorus

chorus [ˈkɔ:rəs]

1. noun

(plural choruses)

a. ( = singers, speakers) chœur m ; ( = dancers) troupe f

• in chorus en chœur

• she's in the chorus (at concert) elle chante dans le chœur

• a chorus of praise/objections un concert de louanges/protestations

b. ( = part of song) refrain m

• to join in the chorus [one person] reprendre le refrain ; [several people] reprendre le refrain en chœur

2. transitive verb

• "yes", they chorussed « oui » répondirent-ils en chœur

3. compounds

► chorus girl noun danseuse f de revue

► chorus line noun (in musical) troupe f de danseurs

* * *
['kɔːrəs] 1.
noun

1) ( people) ( singers) chœur m; (dancers, actors) troupe f; ( of town etc) chorale f

2) ( piece of music) chœur m

3) ( refrain) refrain m; ( in jazz) chorus m

to join in the chorus — ( one person) reprendre le refrain; ( several people) reprendre le refrain en chœur

4) (of bird song, yells) concert m

a chorus of protest — une tempête de protestations

in chorus — en chœur

5) Theatre chœur m
2.
transitive verb ( utter in unison) crier [quelque chose] à l'unisson

English-French dictionary > chorus
7 here

here [hɪə^r]

1. adverb

   a. ici

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

► French speakers very often use là instead of the more correct ici.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

• I live here j'habite ici

• come here venez ici

• spring is here le printemps est là

• this man here saw it cet homme-ci l'a vu

• Mr Moore is not here just now M. Moore n'est pas là en ce moment

• are you there? -- yes I'm here vous êtes là ? -- oui je suis là

• I shan't be here this afternoon je ne serai pas là cet après-midi

• I'm here to help! à votre service !

• here I would like to mention Ms Knight j'aimerais ici mentionner Mme Knight

   b.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

► When here is used to make an announcement or an introduction, it is usually translated voilà; voici is slightly more formal.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

• here I am me voilà

• here we are at last! nous voilà enfin arrivés !

• here you are! (giving sth) voilà !

• here come my friends voilà mes amis qui arrivent

• here goes! (inf) allons-y !

• here we go again! c'est reparti ! (inf)

   c. (set structures)

► preposition + here

• around here par ici

• put it in here mettez-le ici

• in here please par ici, s'il vous plaît

• near here près d'ici

• over here ici

• it's cold up here il fait froid ici

• up to here jusqu'ici

• from here to London d'ici à Londres► here and there çà et là

• here, there and everywhere un peu partout► neither here nor there

• it's neither here nor there ça n'a aucun rapport► here and now tout de suite

• I must warn you here and now that... il faut que je vous prévienne tout de suite que...► here's to...

• here's to you! à la tienne ! à la vôtre !

• here's to your success! à votre succès !

2. exclamation

• here, I didn't promise that at all! dites donc, je n'ai jamais promis cela !

• here, you try to open it! (inf) tiens, essaie de l'ouvrir !

* * *

Note: When here is used to indicate the location of an object/point etc close to the speaker, it is generally translated by ici: come and sit here = viens t'asseoir ici

When the location is not so clearly defined, là is the usual translation: he's not here at the moment = il n'est pas là pour l'instant

Remember that voici is used to translate here is and here are when the speaker is drawing attention to an object/a place/a person etc physically close to him or her

For examples and particular usages, see entry below
[hɪə(r)] 1.
adverb

1) ici

far from/near here — loin/près d'ici

two kilometres from here — à deux kilomètres d'ici

come over here — venez par ici

up to here —

down to here — jusqu'ici

I'm up here — je suis là-haut

here lies — ( on tombstone) ci-gît

since you were last here — depuis ta dernière visite ici

here and there — par endroits

here they are/she comes! — les/la voici!

here is my key/are my keys — voici ma clé/mes clés

here comes the bus — voilà le bus

here you are — ( offering something) tiens, tenez

my colleague here — mon/ma collègue

which one? this one here or that one? — lequel? celui-ci ou celui-là?

here's what you do — voilà ce qu'il faut faire

2) (indicating presence, arrival)

she's not here right now — elle n'est pas là pour le moment

‘John?’ - ‘here sir’ — ( telling whereabouts) ‘John?’ - ‘ici Monsieur’; ( during roll call) ‘John?’ - ‘présent Monsieur’

here we are at last — nous voilà enfin

the train will be here any minute — le train va arriver d'un moment à l'autre

we get off here — c'est là qu'on descend

now that summer's here — maintenant que c'est l'été

here's our chance — voilà notre chance

3) (colloq) ( emphatic)

this here contraption — ce truc (colloq)

look ou see here, you! — écoute-moi bien toi!
2.
(colloq) exclamation hé!

••

here goes! — c'est parti!

here's hoping — j'espère

here's to our success/to you! — à notre succès/la tienne!

here there and everywhere — partout, par-ci par-là

it's neither here nor there — ( unimportant) c'est sans importance; ( irrelevant) ça n'a aucun rapport

English-French dictionary > here
8 idiom

idiom [ˈɪdɪəm]

noun

   a. ( = phrase) expression f idiomatique

   b. ( = language) idiome m

   c. ( = style) style m

* * *
['ɪdɪəm]
noun

1) ( phrase) idiome m

2) ( language) ( of speakers) parler m; (of theatre, sport) langue f; ( of music) style m

English-French dictionary > idiom
9 than

than [ðæn, ðən]

conjunction

a. que

• I have more than you j'en ai plus que toi

• he is taller than his sister il est plus grand que sa sœur

• you'd be better going by car than by bus tu ferais mieux d'y aller en voiture plutôt qu'en autobus

• it was a better play than we expected la pièce était meilleure que prévu

b. (with numerals) de

• more/less than 20 plus/moins de 20

• more than once plus d'une fois

* * *

Note: When than is used as a preposition in expressions of comparison, it is translated by que (or qu' before a vowel or mute ‘h’): he's taller than me = il est plus grand que moi; London is bigger than Oxford = Londres est plus grand qu'Oxford

For expressions with numbers, temperatures etc see the entry below

See also the entries more, less, hardly, soon, rather, other

When than is used as a conjunction, it is translated by que and the verb following it is preceded by ne: it was farther than I thought = c'était plus loin que je ne pensais. However, French speakers often try to phrase the comparison differently: it was more difficult than we expected = c'était plus difficile que prévu. For other uses see the entry below

See also the entries hardly, rather, soon
[ðæn, ðən] 1.
preposition

1) ( in comparisons) que

thinner than him — plus mince que lui

he has more than me — il en a plus que moi

I was more surprised than annoyed — j'étais plus étonné qu'ennuyé

2) (expressing quantity, degree, value) de

more/less than 100 — plus/moins de 100

more than half — plus de la moitié

temperatures lower than 30 degrees — des températures de moins de 30 degrés
2.
conjunction

1) ( in comparisons) que

he's older than I am — il est plus âgé que moi

it took us longer than we thought it would — ça nous a pris plus de temps que prévu

it was further away than I remembered — c'était plus loin que dans mon souvenir

2) ( expressing preferences)

I'd sooner ou rather do X than do Y — je préférerais faire X que (de) faire Y

3) ( when)

hardly ou no sooner had he left than the phone rang — à peine était-il parti que le téléphone a sonné

4) US ( from)

to be different than something — être différent de quelque chose

English-French dictionary > than
10 twin

twin [twɪn]

1. noun

jumeau m, - elle f

2. adjective

[brother, sister] jumeau (- elle f)

• twin boys jumeaux mpl

• twin girls jumelles fpl

3. transitive verb

[+ town] jumeler

• Stanton is twinned with a town in Germany Stanton est jumelée avec une ville allemande

4. compounds

► twin-bedded room noun (British) (in hotel) chambre f à deux lits

► twin beds plural noun lits mpl jumeaux

► twin-engined adjective bimoteur

► the Twin Towers plural noun les Tours jumelles (de New York)

► twin town noun (British) ville f jumelée

* * *
[twɪn] 1.
noun

1) ( one of two children) jumeau/-elle m/f

2) ( one of two objects)

this vase is the twin to yours — ce vase est celui qui va avec le tien
2.
noun modifier

1) [ brother, sister] jumeau/-elle

2) ( two) [masts, propellers] jumeaux/-elles (after n); [ speakers] jumelés

the twin aims of — le double but de
3.
transitive verb (p prés etc - nn-) jumeler [town] ( with avec)

English-French dictionary > twin
11 networking

noun

(a) COMPUTING travail m en réseau; (connecting as network) mise f en réseau;

∎ to have networking capabilities (of terminal) offrir la possibilité d'intégration à un réseau

(b) (making contacts) établissement m d'un réseau de contacts

Daimler-Chrysler has 13,000 people working in its Auburn Hills, Michigan headquarters. Kathryn Lee, staff labor programs administrator, is proud that her company supports a Women's Network Group and provides a number of opportunities for after-hours networking, including guest speakers and presentations.

English-French business dictionary > networking
12 master of ceremonies

( abbreviation MC) (a person who announces the various stages of an entertainment, formal social gathering, series of speakers at a dinner etc: The master of ceremonies introduced the speaker.) maître, maîtresse des cérémonies

English-French dictionary > master of ceremonies
13 platform

['plætfo:m]
noun

1) (a raised part of a floor eg in a hall, for speakers, entertainers etc: The orchestra arranged themselves on the platform.) estrade, tribune

2) (the raised area between or beside the lines in a railway station: They waited on the platform for their train to arrive; The London train will leave from platform 6.) quai

English-French dictionary > platform
14 ground

ground

A pret, pp ⇒ grind B, C.

B n

1 ( surface underfoot) sol m, terre f ; to put/throw sth on the ground poser/jeter qch par terre ; to sit/lie (down) on the ground s'asseoir/s'allonger par terre ; to fall to the ground tomber (par terre) ; to pick sth up off the ground ramasser qch (par terre) ; get up off the ground lève-toi ; to get off the ground [plane] décoller ; fig [idea] prendre fig ; to get sth off the ground faire démarrer [plan, undertaking, campaign] ; to burn to the ground brûler complètement ; above (the) ground en surface ; below (the) ground sous terre ; to prepare the ground lit préparer la terre or le sol ; fig ouvrir la voie (for à) ; to clear the ground lit, fig déblayer le terrain ; on the ground lit, fig sur le terrain ;

2 (area, territory) lit, fig terrain m ; a piece of ground un terrain ; built on high/rocky ground construit sur un terrain surélevé/accidenté ; holy/neutral ground terrain consacré/neutre ; to cover a lot of ground lit faire beaucoup de chemin ; fig avancer beaucoup ; to cover the same ground [teachers, speakers] traiter le même sujet ; [articles, lectures] traiter du même sujet ; to go over the same ground se répéter ; to break fresh ou new ground innover (by ou in doing en faisant) ; to break new political/legal ground innover dans le domaine politique/légal ; it breaks no new ground cela n'apporte rien de nouveau ; on neutral ground en terrain neutre ; on my/her own ground sur mon/son propre terrain ; to be on sure ou firm ground être sûr de ce qu'on avance ; to be on shaky ground être dans une position délicate ; to be sure of one's ground être sûr de son fait or de ce qu'on avance ; (to be) on dangerous ground ( in discussion) (être) sur un terrain miné ; ( in dealings) (être) dans une position délicate ; on safe ground sur un terrain familier ; the ground is shifting le climat est en train de changer fig ; familiar/new ground domaine m familier/nouveau ;

3 gen, Sport ( for specific activity) terrain m ;

4 ( reason) gen, Jur motifs mpl, raisons fpl ;

5 fig (in contest, discussion) to gain ground gagner du terrain (on, over sur) ; to lose ground perdre du terrain (to au profit de) ; to give ou yield ground céder du terrain (to devant ; on, over au niveau de) ; to make up ou regain lost ground regagner du terrain perdu ; to hold ou stand (one's) ground tenir bon ; to change ou shift one's ground fig changer son fusil d'épaule (on au sujet de) ;

6 US Elec terre f ;

7 Art fond m ;

8 Naut to touch ground racler le fond ;

9 ( also ground coat) Constr sous-couche f.

C grounds npl

1 (of house, institution) parc m (of de) ; private grounds propriété f privée ;

2 ( reasons) on ethical grounds pour des raisons d'éthique ; on compassionate grounds pour raisons personnelles ; grounds for motifs de [divorce, appeal, extradition, arrest, opposition, criticism, hope] ; to have grounds for complaint/for suspicion avoir des motifs de se plaindre/de douter ; to give sb grounds for anxiety être un motif or une source d'angoisse pour qn ; grounds for doing motifs pour faire ; there are reasonable grounds/there are no grounds for supposing that il y a des motifs suffisants/il n'y a aucun motif pour supposer que ; to give sb good grounds for doing donner à qn de bonnes raisons de faire ; to have grounds to do avoir des raisons de faire ; on (the) grounds of en raison de [cost, public interest] ; pour raison de [adultery, negligence, insufficient evidence] ; on (the) grounds of ill-health pour raisons de santé ; to lodge an appeal on the grounds of insanity faire appel en arguant la folie ; on the grounds that en raison du fait que.

D ground pp adj [coffee, pepper] moulu.

E vtr

1 Aviat immobiliser [aircraft] ; déclarer [qn] inapte [crew, pilot] ;

2 Naut faire échouer [vessel] (on sur) ; to be grounded s'échouer ;

3 ( base) to ground sth on ou in fonder qch sur ; to be grounded on être fondé sur [principle, fact, experience] ; to be grounded in être fondé sur [right, truth, understanding] ; well-grounded suspicions des soupçons fondés ; a well-grounded theory une théorie bien fondée ;

4 ○ ( punish) priver [qn] de sortie [teenager] ;

5 US Elec mettre [qch] à la terre ;

6 Mil to ground arms poser l'arme à la terre ; ground arms! reposez armes!

Idioms

to be thick/thin on the ground être/ne pas être légion inv ; to go to ground se terrer ; to run sb/sth to ground dénicher ○ qn/qch ; to run ou drive oneself into the ground s'user or se crever ○ au travail ; to run sth into the ground laisser péricliter [business] ; to run a car into the ground garder une voiture jusqu'à ce qu'elle soit bonne pour la casse ; that suits me down to the ground ça me va parfaitement.

Big English-French dictionary > ground
15 idiom

idiom n

1 Ling ( phrase) idiome m, idiotisme m spec ;

2 ( language) ( of speakers) parler m ; (of theatre, sport) langue f ;

3 (of music, art, architecture) style m ; in the jazz idiom dans le style jazz.

Big English-French dictionary > idiom
16 than

than,

❢ When than is used as a preposition in expressions of comparison, it is translated by que (or qu' before a vowel or mute ‘h’): he's taller than me = il est plus grand que moi ; London is bigger than Oxford = Londres est plus grand qu'Oxford.

For expressions with numbers, temperatures etc see the entry below. See also the entries more, less, hardly, soon, rather, other. When than is used as a conjunction, it is translated by que and the verb following it is preceded by ne: it was farther than I thought = c'était plus loin que je ne pensais. However, French speakers often try to phrase the comparison differently: it was more difficult than we expected = c'était plus difficile que prévu. For other uses see the entry below. See also the entries hardly, rather, soon.

A prep

1 ( in comparisons) que ; thinner than him plus mince que lui ; he has more than me il a plus que moi ; faster by plane than by boat plus rapide en avion qu'en bateau ; I was more surprised than annoyed j'étais plus étonné qu'ennuyé ; it's more difficult for us than for them c'est plus difficile pour nous que pour eux ;

2 (expressing quantity, degree, value) de ; more/less than 100 plus/moins de 100 ; more than half plus de la moitié ; temperatures lower than 30 degrees des températures de moins de 30 degrés.

B conj

1 ( in comparisons) que ; he's older than I am il est plus âgé que moi ; it took us longer than we thought it would ça nous a pris plus de temps que prévu ; it was further away than I remembered c'était plus loin que dans mon souvenir ; there's nothing better/worse than doing il n'y a rien de mieux/de pire que de faire ;

2 ( expressing preferences) I'd sooner ou rather do X than do Y je préférerais faire X que (de) faire Y ;

3 ( when) hardly ou no sooner had he left than the phone rang à peine était-il parti que le téléphone a sonné ;

4 US ( from) to be different than sth être différent de qch.

Big English-French dictionary > than
17 twin

twin

A n

1 ( one of two children) jumeau/-elle m/f ; a pair ou set of twins des jumeaux/-elles mpl/fpl ;

2 ( one of two objects) this candlestick has lost its twin ce chandelier n'a plus son pendant ; this vase is the twin to yours ce vase est celui qui va avec le tien ;

3 ( room) chambre f à deux lits.

B twins npl

1 ( pair of children) jumeaux/-elles mpl/fpl ;

2 Astrol the Twins les Gémeaux mpl.

C modif

1 ( related) [brother, sister, lamb] jumeau/-elle ; my twin sons/daughters mes fils jumeaux/filles jumelles ;

2 ( two) [masts, propellers, towers, taps] jumeaux/-elles (after n) ; [speakers] jumelés ;

3 ( combined) double ; the twin aims/problems/roles of le double but/problème/rôle de.

D vtr ( p prés etc - nn-) ( link) jumeler ; to twin Oxford with Bonn jumeler Oxford et Bonn.

Big English-French dictionary > twin
18 The days of the week

Note that French uses lower-case letters for the names of days ; also, French speakers normally count the week as starting on Monday.

Write the names of days in full ; do not abbreviate as in English (Tues, Sat and so on). The French only abbreviate in printed calendars, diaries etc.

Monday

= lundi

Tuesday

= mardi

Wednesday

= mercredi

Thursday

= jeudi

Friday

= vendredi

Saturday

= samedi

Sunday

= dimanche

What day is it?

(Lundi in this note stands for any day ; they all work the same way ; for more information on dates in French ⇒ Date.)

what day is it?

= quel jour sommes-nous? or (very informally) on est quel jour?

it is Monday

= nous sommes lundi

today is Monday

= c’est lundi aujourd’hui

Note the use of French le for regular occurrences, and no article for single ones. (Remember: do not translate on.)

on Monday

= lundi

on Monday, we’re going to the zoo

= lundi, on va au zoo

I’ll see you on Monday morning

= je te verrai lundi matin

but

on Mondays

= le lundi

on Mondays, we go to the zoo

= le lundi, on va au zoo

I see her on Monday mornings

= je la vois le lundi matin

Specific days

Monday afternoon

= lundi après-midi

one Monday evening

= un lundi soir

that Monday morning

= ce lundi matin-là

last Monday night

= la nuit de lundi dernier or (if evening) lundi dernier dans la soirée

early on Monday

= lundi matin de bonne heure

late on Monday

= lundi soir tard

this Monday

= ce lundi

that Monday

= ce lundi-là

that very Monday

= précisément ce lundi-là

last Monday

= lundi dernier

next Monday

= lundi prochain

the Monday before last

= l’autre lundi

a month from Monday

= dans un mois lundi

in a month from last Monday

= dans un mois à dater de lundi dernier

finish it by Monday

= termine-le avant lundi

from Monday on

= à partir de lundi

Regular events

every Monday

= tous les lundis

each Monday

= chaque lundi

every other Monday

= un lundi sur deux

every third Monday

= un lundi sur trois

Sometimes

most Mondays

= presque tous les lundis

some Mondays

= certains lundis

on the second Monday in the month

= le deuxième lundi de chaque mois

the odd Monday or the occasional Monday

= le lundi de temps en temps

Happening etc. on that day

Monday’s paper

= le journal de lundi or de ce lundi

the Monday papers

= les journaux du lundi

Monday flights

= les vols du lundi

the Monday flight

= le vol du lundi

Monday closing (of shops)

= la fermeture du lundi

Monday’s classes

= les cours de lundi or de ce lundi

Monday classes

= les cours du lundi

Monday trains

= les trains du lundi

Big English-French dictionary > The days of the week
19 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

In 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 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?

( 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’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
20 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 réunion

she left before me

= elle est partie avant moi

For 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 yeux

he 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 précédente

the 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 précédente

For 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 avant

you could have told me before

= tu aurais pu me le dire avant

When before means previously in statements about the past, it is translated by auparavant:

I had met her two or three times before

= je l’avais rencontrée deux ou trois fois auparavant

When before means already it is translated by déjà:

I’ve met her before

= je l’ai déjà rencontrée

you’ve asked me that question before

= tu m’as déjà posé cette question

In 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’escargots

you’ve never told me that before

= tu ne m’as jamais dit ça

For 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 voir

before I cook dinner I’m going to phone my mother

= avant de préparer le dîner je vais appeler ma mère

Where 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 parte

Some 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.

Big English-French dictionary > Usage note : before

Страницы

См. также в других словарях:

Speakers' Corner (TV series) — Speakers Corner was a television series which aired weekly on Citytv and A Channel stations in Canada, featuring numerous unscripted short segments on a variety of topics as recorded by members of the general public such as rants, shoutouts,… … Wikipedia
Speakers' Corner — Speakers’ Corner im Hyde Park Redner am Speakers’ Corner Speakers’ Corner („Ecke der Redner“) ist ein Versammlungsplatz am nordöstlichen Ende des Hyde Park … Deutsch Wikipedia
Speakers Corner — Speakers’ Corner im Hyde Park Redner am Speakers’ Corner Speakers’ Corner („Ecke der Redner“) ist ein Versammlungsplatz am nordöstlichen Ende des Hyde Park … Deutsch Wikipedia
Speakers’ Corner — im Hyde Park Speakers’ Corner 1974 Hyde Park … Deutsch Wikipedia
Speakers Bank — is a large coral atoll structure in the Northwestern part of the Chagos Archipelago. It is the northernmost feature of the archipelago, located at coord|04|55|S|72|20|E|name=Speakers Bank|display=title,inline, 22 km Northwest of Blenheim Reef and … Wikipedia
Speakers' Corner — Speakers’ Corner [Speakers Corner] the north east corner of ↑Hyde Park in London, England. Since the 19th century people have been allowed to make speeches to the public there about any subject they choose. At ↑weekends there are usually several… … Useful english dictionary
Speakers' Corner — A Speakers Corner is an area where public speaking is allowed. The original and most noted is in the north east corner of Hyde Park in London, England. Speakers there are allowed to speakas long as the police consider their speeches lawful.… … Wikipedia
Speakers' Corner — Un miembro del Partido Socialista de Gran Bretaña protestando contra el capitalismo, 31 de octubre de 2004 Speakers Corner (el Rincón del orador en español) es una zona donde se permite hablar en público, la misma se encuentra ubicada en el… … Wikipedia Español
Speakers' Corner — 51°30′42.15″N 0°9′35.2″O / 51.5117083, 0.159778 … Wikipédia en Français
Speakers of 2004 Democratic National Convention — The 2004 Democratic National Convention featured a variety of speakers, ranging from former presidents to rising newcomers.Monday, July 26thPrincipal speakers* William J. Clinton, 42nd president of the United States * James E. Carter Jr., 39th… … Wikipedia
Speakers' Corner, Singapore — Singapore Speakers Corner (Chinese: 演说者角落) is a local version of London s Speakers Corner, where members of the public can give speeches and engage public debates. Launched on September 1 2000, the Singapore Speakers Corner was created as critics … Wikipedia

Словари и энциклопедии на Академике

Перевод: с английского на французский

of speakers

См. также в других словарях:

Поделиться ссылкой на выделенное

Словари и энциклопедии на Академике

Перевод: с английского на французский

of speakers

См. также в других словарях:

Поделиться ссылкой на выделенное

Прямая ссылка: