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21 power politics

power politics npl ( using military force) politique f de la force armée ; ( using coercion) politique f d'intimidation.

Big English-French dictionary > power politics
22 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 belle

In, to and from somewhere

For 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 Toulouse

to go to Toulouse

= aller à Toulouse

to live in Le Havre

= vivre au Havre

to go to Le Havre

= aller au Havre

to live in La Rochelle

= vivre à La Rochelle

to go to La Rochelle

= aller à La Rochelle

to live in Les Arcs

= vivre aux Arcs

to go to Les Arcs

= aller aux Arcs

Similarly, 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 Toulouse

to come from Le Havre

= venir du Havre

to come from La Rochelle

= venir de La Rochelle

to come from Les Arcs

= venir des Arcs

Belonging to a town or city

English 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 mpl

the people of Strasbourg

= les Strasbourgeois mpl

The 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 parisiens

However, 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 Bordeaux

Toulouse airport

= l’aéroport de Toulouse

the La Rochelle area

= la région de La Rochelle

Limoges buses

= les autobus de Limoges

the Le Havre City Council

= le conseil municipal du Havre

Lille representatives

= les représentants de Lille

Les Arcs restaurants

= les restaurants des Arcs

the Geneva road

= la route de Genève

Brussels streets

= les rues de Bruxelles

the Angers team

= l’équipe d’Angers

the Avignon train

= le train d’Avignon

but note

Orleans traffic

= la circulation à Orléans

Names of cities and towns in French-speaking countries and their adjectives

Remember 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)

Big English-French dictionary > Towns and cities
23 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
24 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 vu

I had seen

= j’avais vu

However, 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 parti

In this case, remember the past participle agrees with the subject of the verb:

she has gone

= elle est allée

Reflexive verbs (e.g. se lever, se coucher) always conjugate with être:

she has fainted

= elle s’est évanouie

For 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 maintenant

In 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 aller

For 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 voiture

she has a good memory

= elle a une bonne mémoire

they have (got) problems

= ils ont des problèmes

For 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 dine

to have a try = to try

to have a walk = to walk

In 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 arrivé

had there been a fire, we would all have been killed

= s’il y avait eu un incendie, nous serions tous morts

For examples of the above and all other uses of have see the entry.

Big English-French dictionary > Usage note : have
25 Usage note : might

Although usage shows that may and might are interchangeable in many contexts, might indicates a more remote possibility than may. French generally translates this element of possibility using peut-être with the appropriate verb tense:

it might snow

= il va peut-être neiger

(It is also possible to translate this more formally using il se peut + subjunctive: il se peut qu’il neige). For particular examples see might1 1.

It is possible to translate might differently depending on the nature of the context and the speaker’s point of view:

he might not come

= il risque de ne pas venir

implies that this is not a desirable outcome for the speaker ;

he might not come

= il pourrait ne pas venir or il se peut qu’il ne vienne pas

however, is neutral in tone. Where there is the idea of a possibility in the past which has not in fact occurred (see might1 2), French uses the past conditional of the verb (which is often pouvoir):

it might have been serious (but wasn’t in fact)

= ça aurait pu être grave

This is also the case where something which could have taken place did not, thus causing annoyance:

you might have said thanks!

= tu aurais pu dire merci!

(see might1 7).

might, as the past tense of may, will automatically occur in instances of reported speech:

he said you might be hurt

= il a dit que tu serais peut-être blessé

For more examples see the entry might1 and bear in mind the rules for the agreement of tenses.

Where there is a choice between may and might in making requests, might is more formal and even rather dated. French uses inversion (je peux = puis-je?) in this context and puis-je me permettre de…? (= might I…?) is extremely formal.

Might can be used to polite effect - to soften direct statements: you might imagine that…or to offer advice tactfully: it might be wise to…In both cases, French uses the conditional tense of the verb: on pourrait penser que… ; ce serait peut-être une bonne idée de… The use of well in phrases such as he might well be right etc. implies a greater degree of likelihood.

For translations of might well, may well, see B2 in the entry well1.

For translations of the phrase might as well ( we might as well go home), see well1 B2.

Big English-French dictionary > Usage note : might
26 decoy

decoy

1 noun ['di:kɔɪ]

(a) (for catching birds → live bird) appeau m, chanterelle f; (→ artificial device) leurre m

(b) figurative (person) appât m; (message, tactic, phone call) piège m;

∎ we want you to act as a decoy nous voulons que vous serviez d'appât

2 transitive verb

[dɪ'kɔɪ] (bird → using live bird) attirer à l'appeau ou à la chanterelle; (→ using artificial means) attirer au leurre; (person) appâter, attirer;

∎ they decoyed him into leaving his house ils l'ont appâté ou attiré hors de chez lui;

∎ the phone call decoyed her away from the office le coup de téléphone était un piège pour la faire sortir du bureau

►► decoy duck (live) appeau m, chanterelle f; (wooden) leurre m

Un panorama unique de l'anglais et du français > decoy
27 oil

oil [ɔɪl]

1 noun

(a) (petroleum) pétrole m;

∎ to drill for oil effectuer des forages pour trouver du pétrole

(b) (in food, as lubricant) huile f; (as fuel) mazout m, fuel m ou fioul m domestique;

∎ sardines in oil sardines fpl à l'huile;

∎ Cars to change the oil faire la vidange;

∎ lubricating oil huile f lubrifiante;

∎ oil of lavender/turpentine essence f de lavande/de térébenthine;

∎ figurative to pour oil on troubled waters ramener le calme

(c) Art (paint) (peinture f à l') huile f; (picture) huile f;

∎ a portrait in oils un portrait (peint) à l'huile;

∎ she works in oils elle travaille avec de la peinture à l'huile

2 compound-forming noun

(a) (industry, production, corporation) pétrolier; (deposit, reserves) de pétrole; (magnate, sheikh) du pétrole

(b) (level, pressure) d'huile; (filter) à huile; (heating, burner) à mazout

3 transitive verb

(machine, engine) lubrifier, graisser; (hinge, wood, skin) huiler;

∎ figurative it will help to oil the wheels cela facilitera les choses, cela mettra de l'huile dans les rouages

4 oils plural noun

Stock Exchange (valeurs fpl) pétrolières fpl

►► oil bath bain m d'huile;

oil cake tourteau m (pour bétail);

oil change vidange f;

oil cooling refroidissement m par huile;

oil crisis choc m pétrolier;

oil drum bidon m à pétrole;

oil gland glande f uropygienne;

oil gauge (for measuring level) jauge f ou indicateur m de niveau d'huile; (for measuring pressure) indicateur m de pression d'huile;

oil kingdom pétromonarchie f;

oil lamp (burning oil) lampe f à huile; (burning paraffin) lampe f à pétrole;

oil paint peinture f à l'huile (substance);

oil painting peinture f à l'huile;

∎ British familiar he's no oil painting ce n'est pas une beauté;

oil palm éléis m;

American Cars oil pan carter m;

oil pressure switch manocontact m d'huile;

oil pressure warning light témoin m d'alerte de pression d'huile moteur;

oil prices prix mpl pétroliers;

oil refinery raffinerie f de pétrole;

oil rig (onshore) derrick m; (offshore) plate-forme f pétrolière;

Finance oil royalty redevance f pétrolière;

oil shale schiste m bitumineux;

oil slick (on sea) nappe f de pétrole; (on beach) marée f noire;

oil spill (event) marée f noire; (result) nappe f de pétrole;

British oil stove (using fuel oil) poêle m à mazout; (using paraffin, kerosene) réchaud m à pétrole;

oil sump carter m d'huile;

oil tanker (ship) pétrolier m, tanker m; (lorry) camion-citerne m (pour le pétrole);

oil temperature gauge indicateur m de température d'huile;

oil terminal terminal m (pétrolier);

oil well puits m de pétrole

Un panorama unique de l'anglais et du français > oil
28 whistle

whistle ['wɪsəl]

1 intransitive verb

(a) (person → using lips) siffler; (→ using whistle) donner un coup de sifflet, siffler;

∎ he walked in whistling happily il est entré en sifflant joyeusement;

∎ to whistle to sb siffler qn;

∎ I whistled to my dog j'ai sifflé mon chien;

∎ the porter whistled for a taxi le portier a sifflé un taxi;

∎ he whistles at all the girls il siffle toutes les filles;

∎ the audience booed and whistled le public a hué et sifflé;

∎ British familiar you can whistle for it! tu peux toujours courir ou te brosser!;

∎ British let him whistle for his lunch! il peut toujours l'attendre, son repas!;

∎ figurative to whistle in the dark essayer de se donner du courage

(b) (bird, kettle, train) siffler;

∎ bullets whistled past him des balles passaient près de lui en sifflant;

∎ the wind whistled through the trees le vent gémissait dans les arbres

2 transitive verb

(tune) siffler, siffloter;

∎ the coach whistled them off the field l'entraîneur a sifflé pour qu'ils quittent le terrain;

∎ the players were whistled off the field by the crowd les joueurs ont quitté le terrain sous les sifflements de la foule

3 noun

(a) (whistling → through lips) sifflement m; (→ from whistle) coup m de sifflet;

∎ the cheers and whistles of the crowd les acclamations et les sifflements de la foule;

∎ if you need me, just give a whistle tu n'as qu'à siffler si tu as besoin de moi

(b) (of bird, kettle, train) sifflement m

(c) (instrument → of person, on train) sifflet m;

∎ to blow a whistle donner un coup de sifflet;

∎ the whistle blew for the end of the shift le sifflet a signalé la fin du service;

∎ the referee blew his whistle for half-time l'arbitre a sifflé la mi-temps;

∎ to be as clean as a whistle briller comme un sou neuf;

∎ figurative it's got all the bells and whistles il a tous les accessoires possibles et imaginables

(d) Music

∎ (penny or tin) whistle flûtiau m, pipeau m

(e) South of England familiar (rhyming slang whistle and flute = suit) costard m

➲ whistle up separable transitive verb British

(a) (by whistling) siffler;

∎ I'll whistle up a cab je vais siffler un taxi

(b) (find) dénicher, dégoter;

∎ I managed to whistle up a van for the move j'ai réussi à dégoter un camion pour le déménagement;

∎ I can't whistle up a sofa just like that! je ne peux pas faire apparaître un canapé comme par enchantement!

Un panorama unique de l'anglais et du français > whistle
29 aim

aim [eɪm]

1. noun

   a. (using weapon, ball) his aim is bad il vise mal

• to take aim (at sb/sth) viser (qn/qch)

   b. ( = purpose) but m

• with the aim of doing sth dans le but de faire qch

• her aim is to... son but est de...

2. transitive verb

   a. ( = direct) [+ extinguisher] diriger ; [+ missile] pointer (at sur)

• to aim a gun at sb braquer un revolver sur qn

• his remarks are aimed at his father ses remarques visent son père

   b. ( = intend) viser ( to do sth à faire qch)

3. intransitive verb

viser

• to aim at viser

* * *
[eɪm] 1.
noun

1) ( purpose) but m

with the aim of doing — dans le but de faire

2) ( with weapon)

to take aim at something/somebody — viser quelque chose/quelqu'un

his aim is bad — il vise mal
2.
transitive verb

1)

to be aimed at somebody — [campaign, product, remark] viser quelqu'un

to be aimed at doing — [effort, action] viser à faire

2) braquer [gun] (at sur); lancer [ball, stone] (at sur); tenter de donner [blow, kick] (at à)

well-aimed — [blow, kick] bien placé
3.
intransitive verb

to aim for something —

to aim at something — lit, fig viser quelque chose

to aim at doing —

to aim to do — ( try) s'efforcer de faire; ( intend) avoir l'intention de faire

to aim high — fig viser haut

English-French dictionary > aim
30 almost

almost [ˈɔ:lməʊst]

adverb

presque

• I had almost forgotten about it j'avais presque oublié

• he almost fell il a failli tomber

* * *
['ɔːlməʊst]
Note: When almost is used to mean practically it is translated by presque: we're almost ready = nous sommes presque prêts; it's almost dark = il fait presque nuit; the room was almost empty = la salle était presque vide

When almost is used with a verb in the past tense to describe something undesirable or unpleasant that nearly happened, it is translated using the verb faillir followed by an infinitive: I almost forgot = j'ai failli oublier; he almost fell = il a failli tomber

adverb

1) ( practically) presque

almost any train — presque tous les trains

we're almost there — nous sommes presque arrivés

2) ( implying narrow escape)

he almost died — il a failli mourir

English-French dictionary > almost
31 can

I.

can¹ [kæn]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

► vb: neg cannot or can't

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

1. modal verb

   a.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

► can is often translated by the appropriate form of pouvoir.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

• can you come tomorrow? pouvez-vous venir demain ?

• can I help you? est-ce que je peux vous aider ?

• where can he be? où peut-il bien être ?

• it can be very cold here il peut faire très froid ici

• he will do what he can il fera ce qu'il pourra

   b. (indicating possibility) their behaviour can seem strange leur comportement peut sembler bizarre

• can he have done it already? est-il possible qu'il l'ait déjà fait ?

   c. (indicating impossibility) it can't have been him ça ne peut pas être lui

• he can't be dead! ce n'est pas possible, il n'est pas mort !

• you can't be serious! vous ne parlez pas sérieusement !

• she can't be very clever if she failed this exam elle ne doit pas être très intelligente si elle a échoué à cet examen

   d. ( = know how to) savoir

• he can read and write il sait lire et écrire

• she can't swim elle ne sait pas nager

   e.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

► can used with a verb of perception is not usually translated.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

• I can see you je vous vois

• I can't hear you je ne t'entends pas

2. compounds

► can-do (inf) adjective

[person, organization] dynamique

II.

can² [kæn]

1. noun

   a. (for oil, petrol) bidon m

   b. [of food] boîte f (de conserve)

• a can of beer une canette de bière

2. transitive verb

[+ food] mettre en conserve

• canned fruit fruits mpl en conserve

• canned food conserves fpl

• canned music (inf) musique f enregistrée

3. compounds

► can opener noun ouvre-boîtes m inv

* * *
I [kæn]
modal auxiliary (prét, conditional could; nég au prés cannot, can't)

1) ( expressing possibility)

we can rent a house — nous pouvons louer une maison

it can also be used to dry clothes — on peut aussi s'en servir pour sécher le linge

you can't have forgotten! — tu ne peux pas avoir oublié!

it cannot be explained logically — ça n'a pas d'explication logique

it could be that... — il se peut que... (+ subj)

could be — (colloq) peut-être

it could be a trap — c'est peut-être un piège, ça pourrait être un piège

I could be wrong — je me trompe peut-être, il se peut que j'aie tort

you could have been electrocuted! — tu aurais pu t'électrocuter!

‘did she know?’ - ‘no, how could she?’ — ‘est-ce qu'elle était au courant?’ - ‘non, comment est-ce qu'elle aurait pu l'être?’

the computer couldn't ou can't have made an error — l'ordinateur n'a pas pu faire d'erreur, il est impossible que l'ordinateur ait fait une erreur

nothing could be simpler — il n'y a rien de plus simple

2) ( expressing permission)

you can turn right here — vous pouvez tourner à droite ici

I can't leave yet — je ne peux pas partir pour le moment

could I interrupt? — puis-je vous interrompre?

3) ( when making requests)

can you leave us a message? — est-ce que tu peux nous laisser un message?

can I ask you a question? — puis-je vous poser une question?

4) ( when making an offer)

can I give you a hand? — est-ce que je peux te donner un coup de main?

what can I do for you? — ( in shop) qu'y a-t-il pour votre service?

5) ( when making suggestions)

you can always exchange it — tu peux toujours l'échanger

we could try and phone him — nous pourrions essayer de lui téléphoner

6) (have skill, knowledge to)

she can't read yet — elle ne sait pas encore lire

can he type? — est-ce qu'il sait taper à la machine?

7) (have ability, power to)

computers can process data rapidly — les ordinateurs peuvent traiter rapidement les données

to do all one can — faire tout ce qu'on peut or tout son possible

he couldn't sleep for weeks — il n'a pas pu dormir pendant des semaines

I wish I could have been there — j'aurais aimé (pouvoir) être là

8) (have ability, using senses, to)

can you see it? — est-ce que tu le vois?

I can't hear anything — je n'entends rien

I could feel my heart beating — je sentais mon cœur battre

9) (indicating capability, tendency)

she could be quite abrupt — elle pouvait être assez brusque

10) (expressing likelihood, assumption)

it can't be as bad as that! — ça ne peut pas être aussi terrible que ça!

he couldn't be more than 10 years old — ( now) il ne peut pas avoir plus de 10 ans

11) ( expressing willingness to act)

we can take you home — nous pouvons te déposer chez toi

I couldn't leave the children — ( didn't want to) je ne pouvais pas laisser les enfants; ( wouldn't want to) je ne pourrais pas laisser les enfants

12) ( be in a position to)

they can hardly refuse — ils peuvent difficilement refuser

I couldn't possibly accept the money — je ne peux vraiment pas accepter cet argent

13) ( expressing a reproach)

they could have warned us — ils auraient pu nous prévenir

you could at least say sorry! — tu pourrais au moins t'excuser!

how could you! — comment as -tu pu faire une chose pareille!

14) ( expressing surprise)

what can she possibly want from me? — qu'est-ce qu'elle peut bien me vouloir?

who could it be? — qui est-ce que ça peut bien être?

you can't ou cannot be serious! — tu veux rire! (colloq)

can you believe it! — tu te rends compte?

15) ( for emphasis)

I couldn't agree more! — je suis entièrement d'accord!

they couldn't have been nicer — ils ont été extrêmement gentils

you couldn't be more mistaken — tu te trompes complètement

16) ( expressing exasperation)

I was so mad I could have screamed! — j'aurais crié tellement j'étais en colère!

I could murder him! — (colloq) je le tuerais! (colloq)

17) ( expressing obligation)

she can ask me herself — elle peut venir me le demander elle-même

you can get lost! — (colloq) va te faire fiche! (colloq)

18) ( avoiding repetition of verb)

‘can we borrow it?’ - ‘you can’ — ‘est-ce que nous pouvons l'emprunter?’ - ‘bien sûr’

leave as soon as you can — partez dès que vous le pourrez

‘can anyone give me a lift home?’ - ‘we can’ — ‘est-ce que quelqu'un peut me déposer chez moi?’ - ‘oui, nous’

••

as happy/excited as can ou could be — très heureux/excité

no can do — (colloq) non, je ne peux pas
II 1. [kæn]
noun ( of food) boîte f; ( aerosol) bombe f; ( for petrol) bidon m; ( of drink) cannette f
2.
transitive verb (p prés etc - nn-) Culinary mettre [quelque chose] en conserve
3.
canned past participle adjective

1) [food] en boîte

2) (colloq) [laughter] enregistré

••

a can of worms — une affaire dans laquelle il vaut mieux ne pas trop fouiller

in the can — (colloq) Cinema ( of film) dans la boîte; ( of negotiations) dans la poche

to carry the can for somebody — (colloq) porter le chapeau à la place de quelqu'un (colloq)

English-French dictionary > can
32 come off

come off

1) ( become detached) ( accidentally) [button, label, handle] se détacher; [lid] s'enlever; [paint] s'écailler; ( intentionally) [handle, panel, lid] s'enlever

2) ( fall) [rider] tomber

3) (wash, rub off) [ink] s'effacer; [stain] partir

4) ( take place) [deal] se réaliser; [merger, trip] avoir lieu

5) ( succeed) [plan, trick] réussir

6) ( fare)

she came off well — ( in deal) elle s'en est très bien tirée

who came off worst? — ( in fight) lequel des deux a été le plus touché?

come off [something]

7) ( stop using) arrêter [tablet, heroin]

8) ( fall off) tomber de [bicycle, horse]

English-French dictionary > come off
33 critically

critically [ˈkrɪtɪkəlɪ]

adverb

   a. ( = crucially) to be critically important être d'une importance capitale

• a critically important moment un moment critique

• to be (running) critically low on sth manquer sérieusement de qch

• books are in critically short supply on manque sérieusement de livres

   b. [ill, injured] gravement

   c. [speak, say] sévèrement

   d. [study, examine, watch] d'un œil critique

   e. critically acclaimed salué par la critique

* * *
['krɪtɪklɪ]
adverb

1) ( using judgment) [compare, examine] d'un œil critique

2) ( with disapproval) [view] sévèrement; [speak] avec animosité (of, about de)

3) ( seriously) [ill] très gravement

critically important — capital

critically flawed — profondément vicié

English-French dictionary > critically
34 draw out

draw out

1) [train, bus] partir

the train drew out of the station — le train a quitté la gare

a car drew out in front of me — une voiture a déboîté devant moi

2) [day, night] rallonger

draw [something] out, draw out [something]

3) gen tirer [handkerchief, purse, knife] (from, out of de); retirer [nail, cork] (from, out of de); aspirer [liquid, air]

4) Finance retirer [cash, money]

5) ( cause to last longer) faire durer [event]; ( unnecessarily) faire traîner

6) obtenir [information, confession]; ( using force) soutirer

draw [somebody] out faire sortir [quelqu'un] de sa coquille

English-French dictionary > draw out
35 each other

[ˌiːtʃ 'ʌðə(r)]
Note: each other is very often translated by using a reflexive pronoun ( nous, vous, se)

For examples and particular usages see the entry below

pronoun (also one another)

they know each other — ils se connaissent

to help each other — s'entraider

they wear each other's clothes — ils se prêtent leurs vêtements

to worry about each other — s'inquiéter l'un pour l'autre

kept apart from each other — séparés l'un de l'autre

English-French dictionary > each other
36 every

every [ˈevrɪ]

adjective

   a. ( = each) chaque

• every shop in the town chaque magasin de la ville

• not every child has the same advantages les enfants n'ont pas tous les mêmes avantages

• he spends every penny he earns il dépense tout ce qu'il gagne

• every one of them had brought something chacun d'entre eux avait apporté quelque chose

• every (single or last) one of them tous sans exception

• every time I see him chaque fois que je le vois

• every single time chaque fois sans exception

• at every moment à tout moment

• at every opportunity à chaque occasion

• of every sort de toute sorte

• from every side de toute part

• of every age de tout âge

• he became weaker every day il devenait chaque jour plus faible

• in every way ( = from every point of view) en tous points ; ( = by every means) par tous les moyens

   b. (for emphasis) I have every confidence in him j'ai pleine confiance en lui

• there is every chance that he will come il y a toutes les chances qu'il vienne

• you have every reason to complain vous avez tout lieu de vous plaindre

• I have every reason to think that... j'ai tout lieu de penser que...

• his every action chacune de ses actions

• his every wish son moindre désir

   c. (recurring intervals) tous les, toutes les

• every fifth day tous les cinq jours

• one man in every ten un homme sur dix

• every quarter of an hour tous les quarts d'heure

• every few days tous les deux ou trois jours

• every 15 metres tous les 15 mètres

► every other..., every second...

• every other or second child un enfant sur deux

• every other or second day tous les deux jours

• every other Wednesday un mercredi sur deux

   d. (in phrases) he is every bit as clever as his brother il est tout aussi intelligent que son frère

• every now and then

• every now and again

• every so often de temps en temps

• every man for himself chacun pour soi (PROV) every little helps(PROV) les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières

* * *

Note: every is most frequently translated by tous les/toutes les + plural noun: every day = tous les jours. When every is emphasized to mean every single, it can also be translated by chaque. For examples and exceptions, see the entry below
['evrɪ] 1.
determiner

1) ( each)

every house in the street — toutes les maisons de la rue

every time I go there — chaque fois que j'y vais

I've read every one of her books — j'ai lu tous ses livres

that goes for every one of you! — c'est valable pour tout le monde!

I enjoyed every minute of it — chaque minute a été un plaisir

he spent every last penny — il a dépensé jusqu'au dernier sou

every second day — tous les deux jours

there are three women for every ten men — il y a trois femmes pour dix hommes

from every side — de toutes parts

in every way — ( from every point of view) à tous les égards; ( using every method) par tous les moyens

2) ( emphatic)

there is every chance that — il y a toutes les chances que

every right to complain — tous les droits de se plaindre

I wish you every success — je vous souhaite beaucoup de succès

every bit as much as — tout autant que

3) ( indicating frequency)

every day/Thursday — tous les jours/jeudis

once every few days — tous les deux ou trois jours

every 20 kilometres — tous les 20 kilomètres
2.
every other adjectival phrase ( alternate)

every other day — tous les deux jours

every other Sunday — un dimanche sur deux

••

every now and then —

every now and again —

every so often —

every once in a while — de temps en temps

every man for himself! — ( in fight to succeed) chacun pour soi!; ( abandoning ship etc) sauve qui peut!

every which way — dans tous les sens

English-French dictionary > every
37 from

from [frɒm]

preposition

   a. de

• from house to house de maison en maison

• from town to town de ville en ville

• to jump from a wall sauter d'un mur

• to travel from London to Paris voyager de Londres à Paris

• he comes from London il est (originaire) de Londres

• where are you from? d'où êtes-vous (originaire) ?

• it is 10km from there c'est à 10 km de là

• not far from here pas loin d'ici

• far from blaming you loin de vous le reprocher

• a letter from my mother une lettre de ma mère

• tell him from me dites-lui de ma part

• from a picture by Picasso d'après un tableau de Picasso

• he took/stole it from them il le leur a pris/volé

• to shelter from the rain s'abriter de la pluie

• from bad to worse de mal en pis

• he went from office boy to director in five years de garçon de bureau, il est passé directeur en cinq ans

• seen from above vu d'en haut

• she was looking at him from over the wall elle le regardait depuis l'autre côté du mur

• from under the table de dessous la table

   b. (time) (starting point) à partir de, de

• from 14 July à partir du 14 juillet

• from beginning to end du début (jusqu')à la fin

• from her childhood onwards... dès son enfance...

• from time to time de temps en temps

• from day to day de jour en jour

• from year to year d'année en année

• five years from now dans cinq ans

   c. (used with prices, numbers) à partir de

• wine from 10 euros a bottle vins à partir de 10 € la bouteille

• take 12 from 18 soustrayez 12 de 18

• 3 from 8 leaves 5 8 moins 3 égalent 5

   d. (source) to drink from a stream/a glass boire à un ruisseau/dans un verre

• he took it from the cupboard il l'a pris dans le placard

• to take sth from a shelf prendre qch sur une étagère

• to speak from notes parler en lisant ses notes

• from your point of view de votre point de vue

   e. (cause, reason) he died from his injuries il est mort des suites de ses blessures

• from what I heard... d'après ce que j'ai entendu...

• from what I can see... à ce que je vois...

• from the look of things... à en juger par les apparences...

* * *
[frəm, frɒm]
Note: When from is used as a straightforward preposition in English it is translated by de in French: from Rome = de Rome; from the sea = de la mer; from Lisa = de Lisa. Remember that de + le always becomes du: from the office = du bureau, and de + les always becomes des: from the United States = des États-Unis

from is often used after verbs in English ( suffer from, benefit from etc). For translations, consult the appropriate verb entry (suffer, benefit etc)

from is used after certain nouns and adjectives in English ( shelter from, exemption from, free from, safe from etc). For translations, consult the appropriate noun or adjective entry (shelter, exemption, free, safe etc)

This dictionary contains usage notes on such topics as nationalities, countries and continents, provinces and regions. Many of these use the preposition from. For the index to these notes

For examples of the above and particular usages of from, see the entry below

preposition

1) ( indicating place of origin)

paper from Denmark — du papier provenant du Danemark

a flight from Nice — un vol en provenance de Nice

a friend from Chicago — un ami (qui vient) de Chicago

a colleague from Japan — un collègue japonais

people from Spain — les Espagnols

where is he from? — d'où est-il?, d'où vient-il?

she comes from Oxford — elle vient d'Oxford

a tunnel from X to Y — un tunnel qui relie X à Y

the road from A to B — la route qui va de A à B

noises from upstairs — du bruit venant d'en-haut

to take something from one's bag — sortir quelque chose de son sac

to take something from the shelf — prendre quelque chose sur l'étagère

from under the table — de dessous la table

2) ( expressing distance)

10 km from the sea — à 10 km de la mer

it's not far from here — ce n'est pas loin d'ici

the journey from A to B — le voyage de A à B

3) ( expressing time span)

open from 2 pm until 5 pm — ouvert de 14 à 17 heures

from June to August — du mois de juin au mois d'août

15 years from now — dans 15 ans

one month from now — dans un mois, d'ici un mois

from today — à partir d'aujourd'hui

deaf from birth — sourd de naissance

from the age of 8 — depuis l'âge de 8 ans

from day to day — de jour en jour

4) ( using as a basis)

from a short story by Maupassant — d'après un conte de Maupassant

to speak from experience — parler d'expérience

5) ( working for)

a man from the council — un homme qui travaille pour le conseil municipal

a representative from Grunard and Co — un représentant de chez Grunard et Cie

6) ( among)

to select ou choose ou pick from — choisir parmi

7) ( indicating a source)

a card from Pauline — une carte de Pauline

a letter from them — une lettre de leur part

where did it come from? — d'où est-ce que ça vient?

a quote from somebody — une citation de quelqu'un

8) (expressing extent, range)

wine from £5 a bottle — du vin à partir de 5 livres la bouteille

children from the ages of 12 to 15 — les enfants de 12 à 15 ans

to rise from 10 to 17% — passer de 10 à 17%

everything from paperclips to wigs — tout, des trombones aux perruques

from start to finish — du début à la fin

9) ( in subtraction)

10 from 27 leaves 17 — 27 moins 10 égale 17

10) (because of, due to)

I know from speaking to her that — j'ai appris en lui parlant que

he knows her from work — il la connaît car ils travaillent ensemble

11) ( judging by) d'après

from the way he talks you'd think he was an expert — à l'entendre, on dirait un spécialiste

English-French dictionary > from
38 microscopic

microscopic [‚maɪkrəˈskɒpɪk]

adjective

microscopique ; [examination, analysis] au microscope

* * *
[ˌmaɪkrə'skɒpɪk]
adjective

1) ( minute) microscopique

2) ( using a microscope) au microscope

English-French dictionary > microscopic
39 movement

movement [ˈmu:vmənt]

1. noun

a. mouvement m

• massage the skin using small circular movements massez la peau en faisant de petits mouvements circulaires

• eye movements (during sleep) mouvements mpl oculaires

• there was a movement towards the exit il y eut un mouvement vers la sortie

• there has been some movement towards fewer customs restrictions il semble que l'on aille vers une réduction des restrictions douanières

• the free movement of labour, capital and goods la libre circulation de la main-d'œuvre, des capitaux et des marchandises

• a downward movement in share prices une tendance à la baisse du prix des actions

• resistance movement mouvement m de résistance

b. ( = bowel movement) selles fpl

2. plural noun

movements ( = comings and goings) allées fpl et venues fpl

• the police know little about his movements la police ne sait pas grand-chose sur ses allées et venues

* * *
['muːvmənt]
noun

1) gen, Economics, Music mouvement m; (of hand, arm) geste m

to watch somebody's movements — surveiller les faits et gestes de quelqu'un

an upward/downward movement in prices — une augmentation/diminution des prix

a movement towards liberalization — une évolution vers la libéralisation

a movement away from marriage — une tendance à rejeter le mariage

2) ( transporting) acheminement m

3) ( circulation) circulation f

English-French dictionary > movement
40 one another

Note: one another is very often translated by using a reflexive pronoun ( nous, vous, se, s')

For examples and particular usages see the entry below

pronoun

they love one another — ils s'aiment

to help one another — s'aider mutuellement

we often use one another's cars — souvent nous échangeons nos voitures

to worry about one another — s'inquiéter l'un pour l'autre

English-French dictionary > one another

Страницы

См. также в других словарях:

using — index through (by means of) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
using up — index consumption Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
Using — Use Use, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Used}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Using}.] [OE. usen, F. user to use, use up, wear out, LL. usare to use, from L. uti, p. p. usus, to use, OL. oeti, oesus; of uncertain origin. Cf. {Utility}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To make use of; … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
using — adj addicted to heroin or habituated to another hard drug. A euphemism employed by law enforcers and drug abusers. ► Looks like she s using again … Contemporary slang
using — n. utilizing, applying juËs n. function; utilization; benefit, advantage; consumption; occasion or need to use; ability to use; practice of using v. utilize, take advantage of; practice; employ; exploit; treat; consume … English contemporary dictionary
using evasion — index evasive Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
using the help of — index through (by means of) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
Using Three Words — Infobox musical artist Name = Using Three Words Img capt = Img size = Background = group or band Birth name = Alias = Born = Died = Origin = flagicon|Australia Canberra, Australia Instrument = Genre = Rock Indie rock Alternative rock Influences … Wikipedia
using — (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. employing, utilizing, applying, adopting, taking advantage of, accepting, working, practicing, manipuLating, controlling, putting in service, trying out, testing, proving, wearing out … English dictionary for students
using — suing … Anagrams dictionary
using — noun an act that exploits or victimizes someone (treats them unfairly) capitalistic exploitation of the working class paying Blacks less and charging them more is a form of victimization • Syn: ↑exploitation, ↑victimization, ↑victimisation •… … Useful english dictionary

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