this job is too complicated for us to finish today

meno caro — less expensive, cheaper

è meno alto di suo fratello/di quel che pensavo — he is not as tall as his brother/as I thought, he is less tall than his brother/than I thought

ha due anni meno di me — he's two years younger than me

dovresti mangiare meno — you should eat less, you shouldn't eat so much

meno ne discutiamo, meglio è — the less we talk about it, the better

deve avere non meno di trent'anni — he must be at least thirty

meno fumo più mangio — the less I smoke the more I eat

andare all'università diventa sempre meno facile — it's getting less and less easy to go to university

ho speso (di) meno — I spent less

arrivo tra meno di un'ora — I'll be there in less than o in under an hour

sono le otto meno un quarto — it's a quarter to eight Brit o of eight Am

mi hai dato due carte di meno — you gave me two cards too few

eh, se avessi dieci anni di meno! — oh, if only I were ten years younger!

ho una sterlina in meno — I am one pound short

non voglio essere da meno di lui — I don't want to be outdone by him

fare a meno di — to do o manage without

se non c'è zucchero ne faremo a meno — if there isn't any sugar we'll do without

potresti fare a meno di fumare in macchina? — would you mind not smoking in the car?

non ho potuto fare a meno di ridere — I couldn't help laughing

in men che non si dica — in less than no time, quick as a flash

meno male! — good!, thank goodness!, just as well!

meno male che sei arrivato — it's a good job that you have come

men che meno gli inglesi — least of all the English

fammi sapere se verrai o meno — let me know if you are coming or not

quanto meno poteva avvertire — he could at least have let us know

non mi piace come scrive e tanto meno come parla — I don't like the way he writes let alone the way he talks

meno bambini ci sono, meglio è — the fewer children there are the better

meno storie! — stop messing around!

meno tempo — less time

meno turisti — fewer tourists

era il meno che ti potesse capitare — (rimprovero) you were asking for it

parlare del più e del meno — to talk about this and that

per lo meno — perlomeno

i meno — (la minoranza) the minority

a meno che non faccia caldo — unless it is hot

a meno di prendere un giorno di ferie — unless I (o you ecc) take a day off

ci siamo tutti meno lui — we are all here except (for) him

tutti meno uno — all but one

meno di due ore — under o less than two hours

non troverai niente a meno di 200 euro — you won't find anything for less than o for under 200 euros

parlare del più e del meno — to talk about this and that, to shoot the breeze AE

in men che non si dica — before you could say knife, in the bat o wink of an eye, in (less than) no time

fare a meno di — to manage o do without, to dispense with [auto, servizi]

if I were you, I wouldn't do it it — yo en tu lugar or yo que tú, no lo haría

it's a good plot, if a complicated one — es un buen argumento, aunque complicado or si bien es complicado

• if you ask me — en lo que a mí se refiere

• if you had come earlier, you would have seen him — si hubieras venido antes, le habrías visto

if I had known I would have told you — de haberlo sabido te lo habría dicho, si lo sé te lo digo *

• if it hadn't been for you we would have all died — de no ser or de no haber sido por ti hubiéramos muerto todos

• you can go if you like — puedes ir si quieres

• if necessary — si es necesario, si hace falta

• if I were you I would go to Spain — yo que tú iría a España, yo en tu lugar iría a España

• if it weren't for him, we wouldn't be in this mess! — ¡si estamos metidos en este lío, es por él! *, ¡no estaríamos metidos en este lío de no ser por él! *

• if and when she comes — si (en efecto) viene, en el caso de que venga

if she wants any help she asks me — si or cuando necesita ayuda me la pide

if it was fine we went out for a walk — si or cuando hacía buen tiempo dábamos un paseo

it's a nice film if rather long — es una buena película, aunque or si bien algo larga

• I will do it, even if it is difficult — lo haré, aunque me resulte difícil

I'll finish it if or even if it takes me all day — lo terminaré aunque me lleve todo el día

• I couldn't eat it if I tried — aunque me lo propusiera no lo podría comer

• he asked me if I had eaten — me preguntó si había comido

• I don't know if he's here — no sé si está aquí

• I wonder if it's true — me pregunto si es or será verdad

• if anything this one is better — hasta creo que este es mejor, este es mejor si cabe

I think you should paint it blue, if anything — en todo caso or si acaso, yo lo pintaría de azul

• as if — como si

• if at all, they aren't paid enough, if (they are paid) at all — les pagan poco, eso cuando les pagan

change it to red, if at all — en todo caso or si acaso, cámbialo a rojo

• if it isn't old Garfield! — ¡pero si es el bueno de Garfield!, ¡hombre, Garfield, tú por aquí!

• if not — si no

• if only I had known! — ¡de haberlo sabido!

• if so — si es así, de ser así

are you coming? if so, I'll wait — ¿vienes? si es así or de ser así te espero; see as; see even 2., 4)

• that's or it's a big if — es un gran pero

• there are a lot of ifs and buts — hay muchas dudas sin resolver

if I were you, I wouldn't do it it — yo en tu lugar or yo que tú, no lo haría

it's a good plot, if a complicated one — es un buen argumento, aunque complicado or si bien es complicado