Перевод: с английского на все языки

со всех языков на английский

Со всех языков на:
Английский
С английского на:
Все языки
Испанский
Итальянский
Немецкий
Французский

wasn't she a little bit surprised

Толкование Перевод

1 bit

I noun
1) (for horse) Gebiss, das; Gebissstange, die

take the bit between one's teeth — (fig.) aufmüpfig werden (ugs.)

2) (of drill) [Bohr]einsatz, der; Bohrer, der
II noun
1) (piece) Stück, das; (smaller) Stückchen, das

a little bit — ein kleines Stückchen

a bit of cheese/sugar/wood/coal — ein bisschen od. etwas Käse/Zucker/ein Stück Holz/etwas Kohle

a bit of trouble/luck — ein wenig Ärger/Glück

the best bits — die besten Teile

it cost quite a bit — es kostete ziemlich viel

bit by bit — Stück für Stück; (gradually) nach und nach

smashed to bits — in tausend Stücke zersprungen

bits and pieces — Verschiedenes

do one's bit — seinen Teil tun

2)

a bit — (somewhat)

a bit tired/too early — ein bisschen müde/zu früh

a little bit, just a bit — ein klein bisschen

quite a bit — um einiges [besser, stärker, hoffnungsvoller]

3)

a bit of — (rather)

be a bit of a coward/bully — ein ziemlicher Feigling sein/den starken Mann markieren (ugs.)

a bit of a disappointment — eine ganz schöne Enttäuschung

4) (short time)

[for] a bit — eine Weile

wait a bit longer — noch ein Weilchen warten

5) (short distance)

a bit — ein Stückchen

a bit closer — ein bisschen näher

6) (Amer.)

two/four/six bits — 25/50/75 Cent
III noun
(Computing) Bit, das
IV
see academic.ru/7197/bite">bite 1., 2.

* * *
[bit]
past tense; = bite

* * *

bit¹

[bɪt]

n ( fam)

1. (piece) Stück nt; ( fig: some)

a \bit of advice ein Rat m

a \bit of news eine Neuigkeit f

\bits of glass Glasscherben pl

\bits of paper Papierfetzen pl

little \bits [of metal] [Metall]stückchen pl

to blow sth to \bits etw zerfetzen

to come [or fall] to \bits kaputtgehen fam

to smash sth to \bits etw zerschmettern [o zertrümmern]

to tear sth to \bits etw zerfetzen [o in Stücke reißen

2. (part) Teil m; of a story, film Stelle f

to do one's \bit seinen Teil beitragen, das Seinige tun

\bit by \bit Stück für Stück, nach und nach

I saved up the money \bit by \bit ich habe mir das Geld Groschen für Groschen zusammengespart

we rebuilt the house over years \bit by \bit wir haben das Haus über die Jahre Stein für Stein wieder aufgebaut

3. (a little)

▪ a \bit ein bisschen [o wenig]

to hear a \bit of news about sb/sth Neuigkeiten über jdn/etw erfahren

to have a \bit put away einiges auf der hohen Kante haben

a [little] \bit of cake/affection ein [kleines] bisschen [o ein [klein] wenig] Kuchen/Zuneigung

I'll have to do a \bit of shopping ich muss noch ein paar Kleinigkeiten einkaufen

to be a \bit tired ein bisschen müde sein

just a \bit ein klein bisschen [o wenig

4. (rather)

▪ a \bit ziemlich

he's put on a \bit of weight er hat ziemlich zugenommen

he's a \bit of a bore er ist ein ziemlicher Langweiler

he's a \bit of a poet er ist gar kein so schlechter Dichter

the house is a \bit like a Swiss chalet das Haus sieht ein bisschen wie ein Schweizer Chalet aus

that was a \bit much das war ein starkes Stück

that was a \bit too much of a coincidence das konnte kein Zufall mehr sein

to be a \bit of an artist künstlerisch ziemlich begabt sein

to be a \bit of a nuisance/problem ziemlich lästig/problematisch sein

5.

a [fair] \bit [or [quite] a \bit] (very) ziemlich, ganz schön fam; (a lot) ziemlich [o fam ganz schön] viel

he's a good \bit older than his wife er ist um einiges älter als seine Frau

[quite] a \bit of money/rain/time ziemlich [o fam ganz schön viel] viel Geld/Regen/Zeit

[quite] a \bit late/expensive ziemlich [o fam ganz schön] spät/teuer

6. (while)

▪ a \bit ein Weilchen

I'm just going out for a \bit ich gehe mal kurz raus fam

I'll come along in a \bit ich komme gleich nach

hold on [or wait] a \bit warte mal [kurz]

7. (in negations)

▪ not a \bit kein bisschen

not the least [or slightest] \bit kein bisschen

but not a \bit of it! BRIT aber nicht die Spur! fam

to be not a \bit of help/use kein bisschen helfen/nützen

to be not the slightest [or not a] \bit tired kein bisschen müde sein

8. pl BRIT

\bits and pieces [or BRIT also bobs] (odds and ends) Krimskrams m fam

\bits and pieces (belongings) [Sieben]sachen pl; (affairs) Sachen pl

sewing \bits and pieces Nähutensilien pl

9. (coin)

threepenny/sixpenny \bit BRIT ( hist) Dreipence-/Sixpencestück nt

two \bits AM ( dated) 25 Cents

10.

▶ to be a \bit of all right BRIT ( dated sl) große Klasse sein fam

▶ every \bit as... as... genauso... wie...

to be every \bit as clever as sb/difficult as sth genauso klug wie jd/schwierig wie etw sein

▶ to be every \bit a gentleman/politician durch und durch ein Gentleman/Politiker sein

▶ to be a \bit of fluff [or skirt] [or stuff] BRIT ( dated sl) eine dufte Biene sein veraltend fam

▶ to go to \bits [völlig] zusammenbrechen

▶ she was his \bit on the side for several years BRIT (sl) sie war jahrelang seine heimliche Geliebte

▶ to be thrilled to \bits ganz aus dem Häuschen sein fam

bit²

[bɪt]

vt, vi pt of bite

bit³

[bɪt]

n Trense f; ( fig)

she was chafing at the \bit waiting for the moment when she could visit her boyfriend sie konnte es kaum erwarten, ihren Freund besuchen zu dürfen

▶ to have [or get] [or take] the \bit between one's teeth (start working) sich akk an die Arbeit machen; (become rebellious) aufmüpfig werden; (try hard) sich akk mächtig anstrengen [o SCHWEIZ a. in's Zeug legen] fam

bit⁴

[bɪt]

n (drill) [Bohrer]einsatz m; (chisel) Meißel m

bit⁵

[bɪt]

n COMPUT Bit nt

* * *
I [bɪt]
n

1) (for horse) Gebiss(stange f) nt

to take the bit between one's teeth (fig) — sich ins Zeug legen

See:

→ champ

2) (of drill) (Bohr)einsatz m, Bohrer m; (of plane) (Hobel)messer nt

3) (of key) (Schlüssel)bart m
II
1. n

1) (= piece) Stück nt; (smaller) Stückchen nt; (of glass also) Scherbe f; (= section of book, film, symphony) Teil m; (part or place in book, drama, text, symphony etc) Stelle f

a few bits of furniture — ein paar Möbelstücke

a bit of bread — ein Stück Brot

I gave my bit to my sister — ich habe meiner Schwester meinen Teil gegeben

this is the bit I hate, he said, taking out his wallet — das tue ich gar nicht gern, sagte er und zückte seine Brieftasche

would you like a bit of ice cream? — möchten Sie etwas or ein bisschen Eis?

there's a bit of truth in what he says — daran ist schon etwas Wahres

a bit of advice/luck/news — ein Rat m/ein Glück nt/eine Neuigkeit

we had a bit of trouble/excitement — wir hatten ein wenig Ärger/Aufregung

I only read a bit of the novel — ich habe nur ein bisschen or Stückchen von dem Roman gelesen

don't you feel the slightest bit of remorse? — hast du denn nicht die geringsten Gewissensbisse?

it did me a bit of good — das hat mir geholfen

it might be a bit of help — das könnte eine kleine Hilfe sein

it wasn't a bit of help — das war überhaupt keine Hilfe

I've experienced quite a bit in my life — ich habe in meinem Leben schon ( so) einiges erlebt

there's quite a bit of work left to do/bread left — es ist noch eine ganze Menge Arbeit zu erledigen/Brot da

to do the work in bits and pieces — die Arbeit stückchenweise machen

the bits and pieces — die einzelnen Teile

bring all your bits and pieces —

to pick up the bits and pieces (fig) — retten, was zu retten ist

to come or fall to bits — kaputtgehen, aus dem Leim gehen

to pull or tear sth to bits (lit) — etw in (tausend) Stücke reißen; (fig) keinen guten Faden an etw (dat) lassen

to go to bits (fig inf) — durchdrehen (inf)

See:

→ bob

2)

(with time) a bit — ein Weilchen nt

he's gone out for a bit — er ist ein Weilchen or mal kurz weggegangen

3)

(with cost) a bit — eine ganze Menge

it cost quite a bit — das hat ganz schön (viel) gekostet (inf)

4)

to do one's bit — sein( en) Teil tun

look, you're not doing your bit — hör mal zu, du setzt dich nicht genügend ein

5)

a bit of a crack/bruise etc — ein kleiner Riss/Fleck etc

he's a bit of a rogue/an expert — er ist ein ziemlicher Schlingel/ein Fachmann

he's a bit of a musician — er ist gar kein schlechter Musiker

she's a bit of a connoisseur —

you're a bit of an idiot, aren't you? — du bist ganz schön dumm

he's got a bit of a nerve! — der hat vielleicht Nerven!

it's a bit of a nuisance — das ist schon etwas ärgerlich

now that's a bit of an improvement — das ist schon besser

6)

bit by bit — Stück für Stück

he's every bit a soldier/Frenchman — er ist durch und durch Soldat/Franzose

it/he is every bit as good as... — es/er ist genauso gut, wie...

not a bit of it — keineswegs, keine Spur (inf)

7)

when it comes to the bit — wenn es drauf ankommt

8) (= coin) (Brit) Münze f

2/4/6 bits (US) — 25/50/75 Cent(s)

9) (Brit inf) Tussi f (sl)

2. adv

a bit — ein bisschen, etwas

were you angry? – a bit — haben Sie sich geärgert? – ja, schon etwas or ein bisschen

wasn't she a little bit surprised? — war sie nicht etwas erstaunt?

I'm not a (little) bit surprised — das wundert mich überhaupt nicht or kein bisschen (inf)

he wasn't a bit the wiser for it — danach war er auch nicht viel klüger or schlauer

quite a bit — ziemlich viel

that's quite a bit better — das ist schon besser

he's improved quite a bit — er hat sich ziemlich gebessert
III
n (COMPUT)
Bit nt IV pret See: of bite
* * *

bit¹ [bıt]

A s

1. Gebiss n (am Pferdezaum):

take the bit between ( oder in) one’s teeth

a) durchgehen (Pferd),

b) fig aufsässig werden,

c) fig sich reinknien umg, sich mächtig anstrengen; → chafe B 1, champ¹ B

2. TECH schneidendes oder packendes Werkzeugteil:

a) Bohrer(spitze) m(f), Stich m, Meißel m, Schneide f

b) Hobeleisen n

c) Backe f, Maul n (der Zange etc)

d) (Schlüssel) Bart m

3. Mundstück n (einer Tabakspfeife, Zigarettenspitze etc)

B v/t

1. einem Pferd das Gebiss anlegen

2. fig zügeln

bit² [bıt] s

1. a) Stückchen n:

bits of broken glass Glassplitter;

fall to bits entzweigehen, zerbrechen;

pull ( oder pick, tear) to bits

a) in Stücke reißen,

b) fig eine Äußerung etc zerpflücken;

a bit ein bisschen, ein wenig, etwas;

a bit dull ziemlich langweilig; → thick A 15

c) besonders Br Stück n, Teil m, (eines Films etc) Szene f

2. umg Augenblick m, Moment m:

wait a bit;

after a bit nach einem Weilchen

3. umg (kleine) Münze:

twopenny bit; → two bits

4. auch bit part THEAT etc kleine (Neben)RolleBesondere Redewendungen: a bit of all right bes Br umg

a) schwer in Ordnung, ein prima Kerl, eine prima Sache,

b) ein sexy oder steiler Zahn;

he is a bit of a comedian er hat etwas von einem Komödianten (an sich);

a bit of a coward ziemlich feig(e);

be a bit of a coward about pain ganz schöne Angst vor Schmerzen haben;

a bit of a fool ein bisschen dumm;

it was a bit of a job to do it es war ganz schön anstrengend oder schwierig, das zu tun;

a bit of good luck ein glücklicher Zufall;

a bit of a mystery eine ziemlich rätselhafte Geschichte;

not a bit keine Spur, ganz und gar nicht, nicht im Geringsten, überhaupt nicht;

not a bit! keine Spur!;

a good bit ein tüchtiges Stück;

quite a bit ziemlich viel;

bit by bit

a) Stück für Stück,

b) nach und nach, allmählich;

do one’s bit

a) seine Pflicht (u. Schuldigkeit) tun,

b) seinen Beitrag leisten;

he’s doing the boss bit umg er spielt sich als Boss auf;

you misunderstood every bit of it das hast du ganz und gar missverstanden;

every bit as good ganz genau so gut;

one’s bits and pieces ( oder bobs) umg seine Siebensachen;

have a bit on the side umg einen Freund oder eine Freundin haben, fremdgehen; → crumpet 2 b, fluff A 5, mind A 4, skirt A 2 a, understatement

bit³ [bıt] s IT Bit n (eine Informationseinheit):

bit density Bitdichte f

bit⁴ [bıt] prät und obs pperf von bite

* * *
I noun
1) (for horse) Gebiss, das; Gebissstange, die

take the bit between one's teeth — (fig.) aufmüpfig werden (ugs.)

2) (of drill) [Bohr]einsatz, der; Bohrer, der
II noun
1) (piece) Stück, das; (smaller) Stückchen, das

a little bit — ein kleines Stückchen

a bit of cheese/sugar/wood/coal — ein bisschen od. etwas Käse/Zucker/ein Stück Holz/etwas Kohle

a bit of trouble/luck — ein wenig Ärger/Glück

the best bits — die besten Teile

it cost quite a bit — es kostete ziemlich viel

bit by bit — Stück für Stück; (gradually) nach und nach

smashed to bits — in tausend Stücke zersprungen

bits and pieces — Verschiedenes

do one's bit — seinen Teil tun

2)

a bit — (somewhat)

a bit tired/too early — ein bisschen müde/zu früh

a little bit, just a bit — ein klein bisschen

quite a bit — um einiges [besser, stärker, hoffnungsvoller]

3)

a bit of — (rather)

be a bit of a coward/bully — ein ziemlicher Feigling sein/den starken Mann markieren (ugs.)

a bit of a disappointment — eine ganz schöne Enttäuschung

4) (short time)

[for] a bit — eine Weile

wait a bit longer — noch ein Weilchen warten

5) (short distance)

a bit — ein Stückchen

a bit closer — ein bisschen näher

6) (Amer.)

two/four/six bits — 25/50/75 Cent
III noun
(Computing) Bit, das
IV
see bite 1., 2.

* * *

n.

Bit -s n.

English-german dictionary > bit
2 bit

bit
past tense; = bite

bit¹ n

1. trocito / pedacito

I feel like a bit of cheese me apetece un trocito de queso

2. poco

I have a bit of money left me queda un poco de dinero

we've got a bit of a problem tenemos un pequeño problema

3. parte

the end was the best bit of the film el final fue la mejor parte de la película

4. rato

we played cards for a bit jugamos un rato a las cartas

a bit un poco / algo

it's a bit expensive es un poco caro

it's a bit too big to go in the boot es un poco grande para caber en el maletero

could you turn the volume up a bit? ¿puedes subir un poco el volumen?

bit by bit poco a poco

every bit absolutamente todo

you've eaten every bit of it! ¡te lo has comido absolutamente todo!

bit² vb

Es el pasado de bite

bit sustantivo masculino (pl
◊ bits) (Inf) bit

bit sustantivo masculino Inform bit ' bit' also found in these entries: Spanish: ablandar - abreviar - achatamiento - adelgazar - aguantar - ala - ápice - atravesada - atravesado - baja - bajo - broca - cacho - chispa - chula - chulo - cuatro - cumplir - desmoronada - desmoronado - despistada - despistado - destemplarse - destreza - desvaído - deterioro - engañar - envidiar - estirar - estrafalaria - estrafalario - eufemismo - freno - gagá - gota - grandullón - grandullona - grano - grogui - gustillo - hinchar - hora - ignorar - iterativa - iterativo - jirón - limitada - limitado - maldita - maldito English: acting - along - belly - bit - bite - can - comedown - deaf - do - dodgy - drill - elbow-grease - handyman - odd - off - over - painful - peculiar - peeved - queasy - seedy - shoot - squash - stiff - sting - tipsy - tough - wonky - ambitious - bothered - breezy - far - funny - loner - ropey - rough - rusty - scrap - shake - slight - so - susceptible - swallow - two - up

bit

tr[bɪt]

noun

1 SMALLCOMPUTING/SMALL bit nombre masculino

————————

bit

tr[bɪt]

noun

1 (of bridle) bocado

2 (of drill) broca; (of brace) barrena

3 (of key) paletón nombre masculino

\

SMALLIDIOMATIC EXPRESSION/SMALL

to take the bit between one's teeth coger el toro por los cuernos

————————

bit

tr[bɪt]

noun

1 (small piece) trozo, pedacito

■ a bit of cheese un trozo de queso

2 (small amount) poco

■ they've only got a bit of money sólo tienen un poco de dinero

■ he wants a bit of wine quiere un poco de vino

3 familiar (time) un poco, un ratito

■ wait a bit espera un poco

4 (part of film, play, book) parte nombre femenino

5 (coin) moneda

■ a five-cent bit una moneda de cinco céntimos

adverb a bit

1 familiar (rather) algo, un poco

■ he's a bit tired está un poco cansado

■ I'm a bit older than her soy un poco mayor que ella

■ it's a bit warmer today hoy hace un poco más calor

\

SMALLIDIOMATIC EXPRESSION/SMALL

a bit of algo de

■ he's got a bit of a headache tiene un ligero dolor de cabeza

■ it's a bit of a problem es un problemita bastante peliagudo

■ she's a bit of a painter la pintura le sale bastante bien

■ it's not a bit of use no sirve para nada en absoluto

bit by bit poco a poco

not a bit of it nada de eso

quite a bit / a good bit familiar bastante

■ it's a good bit more expensive es bastante más caro

that's a bit much esto ya es pasarse

to be a bit of all right familiar estar como un tren

to come to bits hacerse pedazos, romperse

to do one's bit aportar su granito de arena

to go to bits figurative use ponerse histérico,-a

to smash something to bits hacer algo añicos

to take something to bits desmontar algo

a bit of advice un consejo

a bit on the side familiar un rollo, amante nombre masulino o femenino

bit of stuff familiar amante nombre masulino o femenino

bit part papel nombre masculino secundario

bits and pieces trastos nombre masculino plural, bártulos nombre masculino plural

————————

bit

tr[bɪt]

past

1→ link=bite bite{

bit ['bɪt] n

1) fragment, piece: pedazo m, trozo m

a bit of luck: un poco de suerte

2) : freno m, bocado m (de una brida)

3) : broca f (de un taladro)

4) : bit m (de información)

bit (Pipe)

n.

• boquilla s.f.

n.

• bit (Informática) s.m.

• bocado s.m.

• broca s.f.

• embocadura s.f.

• fragmento s.m.

• freno s.m.

• miaja s.f.

• miga s.f.

• migaja s.f.

• pedazo s.m.

• pellizco s.m.

• pizca s.f.

• porción s.f.

• trozo s.m.

pret.

(Preterito definido de "to bite")

I bɪt
past of bite I

II

noun

1)

a) (fragment, scrap) pedazo m, trozo m

in tiny bits — en pedacitos or trocitos

to smash something to bits — hacer* pedazos or añicos algo

the critics pulled the book to bits — los críticos destrozaron el libro

bits and pieces — ( assorted items) cosas fpl; ( belongings) cosas fpl, bártulos mpl (fam); ( broken fragments) pedazos mpl

to be thrilled to bits — (BrE colloq) estar* contentísimo, no caber* en sí de alegría

b) ( small piece) (esp BrE) trocito m, pedacito m

a bit of paper — un trocito de papel or un papelito

c) ( component part) (BrE) pieza f

to take something to bits — desarmar algo

2) (section, piece) parte f

to do one's bit — (BrE) aportar or poner* su (or mi etc) granito de arena, hacer* lo suyo (or mío etc)

3) a bit of

a) (some, a little) (+ uncount noun) un poco de

a bit of peace — un poco de paz

we had a bit of difficulty finding a hotel — nos resultó algo difícil encontrar un hotel

it takes a bit of getting used to — cuesta un poco acostumbrarse

they have a fair bit o quite a bit of work to do — tienen bastante trabajo que hacer

whether you come or not won't make a bit of difference — da exactamente lo mismo que vengas o no

b) ( rather) (BrE)

we had a bit of an argument — tuvimos una pequeña discusión

she's a bit of an expert — es casi una experta

was he ashamed? not a bit of it! — (also AmE) ¿que si estaba avergonzado? para nada! or en absoluto! or ni lo más mínimo!

4)

a bit — (as adv)

a) ( somewhat) un poco

a bit faster — un poco más rápido

the town's changed a bit — la ciudad ha cambiado algo or un poco

I drank a bit too much — bebí un poco más de la cuenta or un poco demasiado

that must be worth a bit! — eso debe de valer mucho or lo suyo!

we spent quite a bit — gastamos bastante

were you worried? - not a bit — ¿estabas preocupado? - en absoluto

I wouldn't be a bit surprised — no me sorprendería para nada or en lo más mínimo

she hasn't changed a bit — no ha cambiado (para) nada

b) ( a while) un momento or rato

5) (in adv phrases)

a)

bit by bit — poco a poco, de a poco (AmL)

b)

every bit: I'm every bit as disappointed as you estoy absolutamente tan decepcionado como tú; he looks every bit the young executive — tiene todo el aspecto del joven ejecutivo

6)

a) ( in US)

two bits — veinticinco centavos de dólar

his promise isn't worth two bits — su promesa no vale ni cinco or (Méx) ni un quinto

I don't care o give two bits what she thinks — me importa un bledo or un comino lo que piense (fam)

b) ( coin) (BrE colloq) moneda f

a 50p bit — una moneda de 50 peniques

7) ( Comput) bit m

8) ( of bridle) freno m, bocado m

to champ at the bit: he was champing at the bit lo consumía la impaciencia, estaba que no se podía aguantar; to have the bit between one's teeth: she has the bit between her teeth — está que no la para nadie (fam)

I [bɪt]
1. N

1) (=piece) trozo m, pedazo m

bits of paper — trozos mpl or pedazos mpl de papel

have you got a bit of paper I can write on? — ¿tienes un trozo de papel para escribir?

• he washed off every bit of dirt — se lavó hasta la última mancha de suciedad

• in bits — (=broken) hecho pedazos; (=dismantled) desmontado, desarmado

• who owns this bit of land? — ¿a quién pertenece este trozo or pedazo de tierra?

• bits and pieces — (=items) cosas fpl ; (=possessions) cosas fpl, trastos * mpl ; [of fabric] retales mpl, retazos mpl

• to bits: to blow sth to bits — hacer saltar algo en pedazos, volar algo en pedazos

to come to bits — (=break) hacerse pedazos; (=be dismantled) desmontarse, desarmarse

to smash sth to bits — hacer algo añicos or pedazos

to tear sth to bits — [+ letter, document] romper algo en pedazos

the dogs tear the fox to bits — los perros destrozan al zorro

she tore the argument to bits — hizo pedazos el argumento

- love sb to bits

- the professor pulled his essay to bits

- he was thrilled to bits with the present

2)

a bit of —

a) (=some) un poco de

with a bit of luck — con un poco de suerte

a bit of advice — un consejo

I need a bit of peace and quiet — necesito un poco de paz y tranquilidad

what you say won't make a bit of difference — digas lo que digas no va a cambiar nada

this is a bit of all right! * — ¡esto está muy bien!, ¡esto no está nada mal!

he's a bit of all right * — ese está buenísimo or para comérselo *

b) (=rather)

he's a bit of a liar — es bastante or un poco mentiroso

it was a bit of a shock — fue un golpe bastante duro

I've got a bit of a cold — estoy un poco resfriado

I'm a bit of a socialist — yo tengo algo de socialista

• quite a bit of — bastante

they have quite a bit of money — tienen bastante dinero

I've been seeing quite a bit of her — la he estado viendo bastante

3) (adverbial uses)

• a bit — un poco

a bit bigger/smaller — un poco más grande/pequeño

a bit later — poco después, un poco más tarde

that sounds a bit technical — eso suena un poco técnico

it's a bit awkward just now — ahora no es buen momento

• bit by bit — poco a poco

• our performance was every bit as good as theirs — nuestra actuación fue tan buena como la suya en todos los aspectos

she swept into the room, every bit the actress — entró majestuosamente en la habitación, muy en su papel de actriz

he looked every bit the angelic child — tenía toda la pinta or todo el aspecto de un niño angelical

• a good bit — bastante

it's a good bit further than we thought — queda bastante más lejos de lo que creíamos

a good bit bigger/cheaper — bastante más grande/barato

• would you like a little bit more? — ¿quieres un poquito más?

• that's a bit much! — ¡eso pasa de castaño oscuro!

it's a bit much expecting you to take the blame — es demasiado esperar que tú asumas la culpa

• not a bit, I'm not a bit surprised — no me sorprende lo más mínimo or en absoluto

"wasn't he embarrassed?" - "not a bit of it" — -¿y no le daba vergüenza? -qué va * or -en absoluto

• quite a bit — bastante

they're worth quite a bit — valen bastante

he's quite a bit older than me — es bastante mayor que yo

• I've had a bit too much to eat — me he pasado un poco comiendo, he comido un poco más de la cuenta

4) (=part) parte f

he'd just got to the exciting bit — acababa de llegar a la parte emocionante

to enjoy every bit of sth — disfrutar algo totalmente

5) (Brit)
* (=role)
she's doing the prima donna bit — está haciendo su papel de diva

it's important not to overdo the motherly bit — es importante no ser excesivamente maternal

• to do one's bit — aportar su granito de arena

we must all do our bit to put an end to starvation in the Third World — para erradicar el hambre en el Tercer Mundo todos debemos aportar nuestro granito de arena

he did his bit in the war — durante la guerra cumplió con su deber

I've done my bit — yo he hecho mi parte or lo que me tocaba

6) (=moment) rato m, momento m

• I'll see you in a bit — te veo dentro de un momento or dentro de un ratito

• I waited quite a bit — esperé bastante tiempo or un buen rato

7) (=coin) (Brit) moneda f ; (US) (=12.5 cents) doce centavos y medio

a tuppenny bit — una moneda de dos peniques

two bits — (US) 25 centavos

for two bits I'd throw it all in — por dos duros lo dejaría todo

he was always throwing in his two bits about how he'd put the economy to rights — siempre estaba dando su opinión or echando su cuarto a espadas sobre cómo arreglaría la economía

8) (Comput) bit m

9) (Brit) ** pej (=woman) tía f (Sp) *; side 1., 6)

2.

CPD

bit part N — (Cine, Theat) papel m de poca importancia, papel m pequeño

II

[bɪt]
N
1) [of drill] broca f

2) (for horse) freno m, bocado m

to be champing or chomping at the bit —

I expect you're champing or chomping at the bit — supongo que te devora la impaciencia

they were champing or chomping at the bit to get started — no veían la hora de poner manos a la obra

to get the bit between one's teeth —

once she gets the bit between her teeth, there's no stopping her — una vez que se pone en marcha no hay quien la pare

III

[bɪt]
PT of bite
* * *

I [bɪt]
past of bite I

II

noun

1)

a) (fragment, scrap) pedazo m, trozo m

in tiny bits — en pedacitos or trocitos

to smash something to bits — hacer* pedazos or añicos algo

the critics pulled the book to bits — los críticos destrozaron el libro

bits and pieces — ( assorted items) cosas fpl; ( belongings) cosas fpl, bártulos mpl (fam); ( broken fragments) pedazos mpl

to be thrilled to bits — (BrE colloq) estar* contentísimo, no caber* en sí de alegría

b) ( small piece) (esp BrE) trocito m, pedacito m

a bit of paper — un trocito de papel or un papelito

c) ( component part) (BrE) pieza f

to take something to bits — desarmar algo

2) (section, piece) parte f

to do one's bit — (BrE) aportar or poner* su (or mi etc) granito de arena, hacer* lo suyo (or mío etc)

3) a bit of

a) (some, a little) (+ uncount noun) un poco de

a bit of peace — un poco de paz

we had a bit of difficulty finding a hotel — nos resultó algo difícil encontrar un hotel

it takes a bit of getting used to — cuesta un poco acostumbrarse

they have a fair bit o quite a bit of work to do — tienen bastante trabajo que hacer

whether you come or not won't make a bit of difference — da exactamente lo mismo que vengas o no

b) ( rather) (BrE)

we had a bit of an argument — tuvimos una pequeña discusión

she's a bit of an expert — es casi una experta

was he ashamed? not a bit of it! — (also AmE) ¿que si estaba avergonzado? para nada! or en absoluto! or ni lo más mínimo!

4)

a bit — (as adv)

a) ( somewhat) un poco

a bit faster — un poco más rápido

the town's changed a bit — la ciudad ha cambiado algo or un poco

I drank a bit too much — bebí un poco más de la cuenta or un poco demasiado

that must be worth a bit! — eso debe de valer mucho or lo suyo!

we spent quite a bit — gastamos bastante

were you worried? - not a bit — ¿estabas preocupado? - en absoluto

I wouldn't be a bit surprised — no me sorprendería para nada or en lo más mínimo

she hasn't changed a bit — no ha cambiado (para) nada

b) ( a while) un momento or rato

5) (in adv phrases)

a)

bit by bit — poco a poco, de a poco (AmL)

b)

every bit: I'm every bit as disappointed as you estoy absolutamente tan decepcionado como tú; he looks every bit the young executive — tiene todo el aspecto del joven ejecutivo

6)

a) ( in US)

two bits — veinticinco centavos de dólar

his promise isn't worth two bits — su promesa no vale ni cinco or (Méx) ni un quinto

I don't care o give two bits what she thinks — me importa un bledo or un comino lo que piense (fam)

b) ( coin) (BrE colloq) moneda f

a 50p bit — una moneda de 50 peniques

7) ( Comput) bit m

8) ( of bridle) freno m, bocado m

to champ at the bit: he was champing at the bit lo consumía la impaciencia, estaba que no se podía aguantar; to have the bit between one's teeth: she has the bit between her teeth — está que no la para nadie (fam)

English-spanish dictionary > bit
3 little

I.

little ( comp less ; superl least)

❢ When little is used as a quantifier ( little hope, little damage) it is translated by peu de: peu d'espoir, peu de dégâts. For examples and particular usages see A below. When a little is used as a pronoun ( give me a little) it is translated by un peu: donne-moi un peu. When little is used alone as a pronoun ( there's little I can do) it is very often translated by pas grand-chose: je ne peux pas faire grand-chose. For examples of these and other uses of little as a pronoun ( to do as little as possible etc) see B below. For uses of little and a little as adverbs see the entry below. Note that less and least are treated as separate entries in the dictionary.

A quantif little hope/chance peu d'espoir/de chances ; little damage was done il y avait peu de dégâts ; we've made little progress nous avons fait peu de progrès ; there's so little time il y a si peu de temps ; too little money trop peu or pas assez d'argent ; there's little sense ou point ça n'a pas beaucoup de sens ; he speaks little German il ne parle presque pas allemand ; little or no influence/training presque pas d'influence/de formation ; little or no time/money presque pas de temps/d'argent ; with no little difficulty non sans mal ; I have little time ou sympathy for cheats je ne supporte pas les tricheurs ; I see little of Paul these days je ne vois pas beaucoup Paul en ce moment ; ⇒ chance.

B pron taste a little goûtez-en un peu ; save a little for me gardes-en un peu pour moi ; I only ate a little je n'en ai mangé qu'un peu ; a little of the money un peu de l'argent ; the little I saw wasn't very good le peu que j'ai vu n'était pas très bien ; I did what little I could j'ai fait le peu que j'ai pu ; he remembers very little il ne se souvient pas bien ; little of what he says is true il n'y a pas grand-chose de vrai dans ce qu'il dit ; there's little I can do je ne peux pas faire grand-chose ; she did little to help elle n'a pas fait grand-chose pour aider ; I got little out of the lecture je n'ai pas compris grand-chose au cours ; age has little to do with it l'âge n'a pas grand-chose à voir là-dedans ; to do as little as possible faire le moins possible ; to know little about mechanics ne pas s'y connaître beaucoup en mécanique ; there's little to worry about il n'y a pas tellement de raisons de s'inquiéter ; little of note rien de bien particulier ; it says little for his honesty ça en dit long sur son honnêteté ; it says very little for her ce n'est pas tellement à son honneur ; little or nothing quasiment rien ; ⇒ help.

C adv

1 ( rarely) [say, speak, sleep, eat, laugh] peu ; I go there very little j'y vais très peu ; she visits them as little as possible elle leur rend visite le moins souvent possible ; his books are little read on ne le lit plus guère ;

2 (hardly, scarcely) to be little changed ne pas avoir beaucoup changé ; the next results were little better les résultats suivants étaient à peine meilleurs ; little more than an hour ago il y a à peine une heure ; it's little short of madness cela frise la folie ; a little-known novel un roman peu connu ;

3 ( not at all) little did she realize that the watch was stolen elle ne s'est pas du tout rendu compte que la montre était volée ; I little thought ou supposed that he would do it je n'aurais jamais cru qu'il le ferait ; little did they know that ils étaient bien loin de se douter que ; little do you know! si tu savais!

D a little (bit) adv phr ( slightly) un peu ; a little (bit) anxious/surprised un peu inquiet/surpris ; a little less/more un peu moins/plus ; stay a little longer reste encore un peu ; I was not a little surprised/offended j'étais plutôt surpris/vexé ; ‘I'm a genius,’ he said, not a little proudly ‘je suis un génie,’ a-t-il dit, non sans fierté.

E as little as adv phr for as little as 10 dollars a day pour seulement 10 dollars par jour ; it can cost as little as £60 cela coûte seulement 60 livres sterling ; I like Henry as little as you do je n'aime Henry guère plus que toi.

II.

little adj

1 ( small) petit (before n) ; a little house une petite maison ; a little something un petit quelque chose ; poor little thing pauvre petit/-e m/f ; a little old lady une petite vieille dame ; she's a nice little thing elle est adorable ;

2 ( young) [brother, sister, boy, girl] petit (before n) ; when I was little quand j'étais petit ; the baboon and its little ones le babouin et ses petits ; Mrs Carter and all the little Carters Madame Carter et tous ses enfants ;

3 (feeble, weak) [gesture, nod, smile] petit (before n) ; a little voice said… une petite voix dit… ;

4 ( lacking influence) [farmer, businessman] petit (before n) ;

5 (expressing scorn, contempt) he's a little despot c'est un vrai petit tyran ; a poky little flat un petit appartement minable ; a nasty little boy un méchant petit garçon ;

6 ( short) [nap, snooze] petit (before n) ; a little holiday quelques jours de vacances ; a little break une petite pause ; I'll walk with you a little way je ferai un bout de chemin avec toi ; stay a little while reste un moment ; a little while longer encore un peu.

Idioms

little by little petit à petit ; to make little of ( disparage) ne pas faire grand cas de [achievement, victory] ; ( not understand) ne pas comprendre grand-chose à [speech, report] ; ⇒ fancy, learning, too. Pour le comparatif et le superlatif on préférera les formes smaller et smallest à littler and littlest.

Big English-French dictionary > little
4 least

least [li:st]

superlative of little

1. adjective

• the least ( = smallest amount of) le moins de ; ( = smallest) le moindre la moindre

• he has the least money c'est lui qui a le moins d'argent

• the least thing upsets her la moindre chose la contrarie

• with the least possible expenditure avec le moins de dépenses possibles

• that's the least of our worries c'est le cadet de nos soucis

2. pronoun

• the least le moins

• you've given me the least c'est à moi que tu en as donné le moins

• it's the least I can do c'est la moindre des choses

• it's the least one can expect c'est la moindre des choses

• what's the least you are willing to accept? quel prix minimum êtes-vous prêt à accepter ?

► at least (with quantity, comparison) au moins ; (parenthetically) du moins

• it costs $5 at least cela coûte au moins 5 dollars

• there were at least eight books il y avait au moins huit livres

• he's at least as old as you il a au moins votre âge

• he eats at least as much as I do il mange au moins autant que moi

• at least it's not raining au moins il ne pleut pas

• you could at least have told me! tu aurais pu au moins me le dire !

• I can at least try je peux toujours essayer

• he's ill, at least that's what he says il est malade, du moins c'est ce qu'il dit► at the very least du moins

► in the least

• not in the least! pas du tout !

• he was not in the least tired il n'était pas le moins du monde fatigué

• it didn't surprise me in the least ça ne m'a pas étonné du tout

• it doesn't matter in the least cela n'a pas la moindre importance► the least bit

• I wasn't the least bit surprised je n'étais pas le moins du monde étonné► to say the least

• I was annoyed, to say the least j'étais mécontent, c'est le moins qu'on puisse dire

• she was not very careful, to say the least elle était pour le moins imprudente

3. adverb

• the least le moins la moins

• the least expensive le moins cher

• the least expensive car la voiture la moins chère

• when you are least expecting it quand vous vous y attendez le moins

► least of all

• he deserves it least of all c'est lui qui le mérite le moins

• nobody seemed amused, least of all John cela ne semblait amuser personne et surtout pas John► not least

• all countries, not least the USA tous les pays, et en particulier les USA

• not least because... notamment parce que...

* * *

Note: When the least is used as a quantifier followed by a noun to mean the smallest quantity of it is translated by le moins de: to have the least food = avoir le moins de nourriture

But when the least is used as a quantifier to mean the slightest it is translated by le or la moindre: I haven't the least idea = je n'en ai pas la moindre idée

For examples of these and particular usages see I below

For translations of least as a pronoun or adverb see II and III below

The phrase at least is usually translated by au moins

For examples and exceptions see IV below

For the phrase in the least see V below
[liːst] 1.
(superlative of little) quantifier

(the) least — (le) moins de; ( in negative constructions) (le or la) moindre

they have the least food — ce sont eux qui ont le moins de nourriture or le moins à manger

they haven't the least chance of winning — ils n'ont pas la moindre chance de gagner

I haven't the least idea — je n'en ai pas la moindre idée

the least thing annoys him — la moindre chose l'agace

he wasn't the least bit jealous — il n'était pas jaloux du tout
2.
pronoun le moins

we have the least — c'est nous qui en avons le moins

it was the least I could do! — c'est la moindre des choses!

the least he could have done was phone the police — il aurait au moins pu appeler la police

that's the least of our problems! — c'est le cadet de nos soucis!

that's the least of it — ce n'est pas tout

she was surprised, to say the least (of it) — le moins qu'on puisse dire, c'est qu'elle était surprise
3.
adverb

1) ( with adjective or noun)

the least — le/la moins; ( with plural noun) les moins

the least wealthy families — les familles les moins riches

2) ( with verbs) le moins inv

I like that one (the) least — c'est celui-là que j'aime le moins

those least able to cope — ceux qui ont le plus de mal à se débrouiller

nobody liked it, John least of all ou least of all John — personne ne l'aimait, John encore moins que les autres
4.
at least adverbial phrase ( at the minimum) au moins; ( qualifying statement) du moins

at least 50 people — au moins 50 personnes

she's at least 40 — elle a au moins 40 ans

he's at least as qualified as she is — il est au moins aussi qualifié qu'elle

they could at least have phoned! — ils auraient au moins pu téléphoner!

he's gone to bed - at least I think so — il est allé se coucher - du moins, je pense

such people are at the very least guilty of negligence — de telles personnes sont au moins coupables de négligence
5.
in the least adverbial phrase

I'm not worried in the least —

I'm not in the least (bit) worried — je ne suis pas inquiet le moins du monde

I'm not hungry in the least —

I'm not in the least (bit) hungry — je n'ai absolument pas faim

it doesn't matter in the least — ça n'a pas la moindre importance

••

last but not least —

last but by no means least — enfin et surtout

English-French dictionary > least
5 be

'bi: ɡi:
( abbreviation) (Bachelor of Engineering; first degree in Engineering.) licenciatura en Ingeniería

be vb

1. ser

Michael is very tall Michael es muy alto

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal Lisboa es la capital de Portugal

sugar is sweet el azúcar es dulce

Napoleon was Corsican Napoleón era corso

my father is an architect mi padre es arquitecto

my mother is from Bristol mi madre es de Bristol

what time is it? It's 3 o'clock ¿qué hora es? Son las tres

June 17th is Elena's birthday el 17 de junio es el cumpleaños de Elena

who is it? It's me ¿quién es? Soy yo

this exercise is difficult este ejercicio es difícil

the house was built 50 years ago la casa fue construida hace 50 años

he was attacked by a dog le atacó un perro

2. estar

how are you? I'm fine ¿cómo estás? estoy bien

David is very happy David está muy contento

I'm tired estoy cansado

his wife's pregnant su mujer está embarazada

we were worried about you estábamos preocupados por ti

where is Pauline? ¿dónde está Pauline?

the milk is on the table la leche está en la mesa

how far is it? ¿a qué distancia está?

what day is it today? ¿qué día es hoy? / ¿a qué día estamos?

3. tener

how old are you? I'm 16 ¿cuántos años tienes? tengo 16 años

I'm cold tengo frío

she's hungry tiene hambre

you're right tienes razón

4. costar / valer / ser

how much is it? ¿cuánto cuesta? / ¿cuánto vale? / ¿cuánto es?

the tickets are £15 each las entradas valen 15 libras cada una

5. hacer

it's sunny hace sol

it's hot hace calor

it was cold hacía frío

6. haber

there are a lot of people hay mucha gente

how many children are there? ¿cuántos niños hay?

there was an explosion hubo una explosión

El pasado de be es was o were y el participio pasado es been; el gerundio se escribe being

Se usa también para construir el tiempo verbal llamado present continuous que indica una acción que está pasando en estos momentos

what are you doing? ¿qué estás haciendo? / ¿qué haces?

I'm reading a magazine estoy leyendo una revista

look, it's snowing mira, está nevando

be sustantivo femenino: name of the letter b, often called be largaor grande to distinguish it from v 'be' also found in these entries: Spanish: A - abasto - abate - abismo - abotargarse - abreviar - abrirse - absoluta - absoluto - abultar - abundar - aburrir - aburrirse - acabose - acariciar - acaso - acertar - achantarse - acometer - acostada - acostado - acostumbrar - acostumbrada - acostumbrado - acreditar - activa - activo - adelantar - adelantarse - adentro - adivinarse - admirarse - adolecer - aferrarse - afianzarse - aficionada - aficionado - afligirse - agonizar - agotarse - agradecer - agua - ahogarse - ahora - aire - ajo - ala - alarmarse - alcanzar - alegrarse English: aback - abate - about - absent - accordance - account for - accountable - accustom - acquaint - action - addicted - address - adequate - adjust - admit - affiliated - afford - afraid - agenda - agree - agreement - ahead - air - airsick - alert - alive - alone - along - aloof - alphabetically - always - am - ambition - amenable - amusing - anathema - annoyance - anomaly - anxious - apologetic - appal - appall - are - arm - around - arrears - as - ashamed - aspire - assert

be

tr[biː]

intransitive verb (pres 1ª pers am, 2ª pers sing y todas del pl are, 3ª pers sing is; pt 1ª y 3ª pers sing was, 2ª pers sing y todas del pl; pp been)

1 (permanent characteristic) ser

■ she's clever es inteligente

■ he's blind es ciego

■ I'm deaf soy sordo

2 (essential quality) ser

■ diamonds are hard los diamantes son duros

3 (nationality) ser

■ John's English John es inglés

■ they are Japanese son japoneses

4 (occupation) ser

■ he's an engineer es ingeniero

■ we are both teachers los dos somos profesores

5 (origin) ser

■ they are from York son de York

6 (ownership) ser

■ it's my pencil es mi lápiz

7 (authorship) ser

■ this painting is by Botero este cuadro es de Botero

8 (composition) ser

■ this cupboard is oak este armario es de roble

9 (use) ser

■ this product is for tiles este producto es para baldosas

10 (location) estar

■ Whitby is on the coast Whitby está en la costa

11 (temporary state) estar

■ your supper's cold tu cena está fría

■ how are you? ¿cómo estás?

■ you're a bit deaf today estás un poco sordo hoy

■ prawns are cheap today las gambas están bien de precio hoy

12 (age) tener

■ Philip is 22 Philip tiene 22 años

13 (price) costar, valer

■ a single ticket is £9.50 un billete de ida cuesta £9.50

14 tener

■ he's hot/cold tiene calor/frío

■ we're hungry/thirsty tenemos hambre/sed

■ she's in a hurry tiene prisa

■ he's right tiene razón

auxiliar be + pres part

1 (action in progress or near future) estar

■ it is raining está lloviendo

■ he's working está trabajando

■ the train is coming viene el tren

■ I am going on Thursday iré el jueves

■ she's meeting Mr Broddle tomorrow se reunirá con el señor Broddle mañana

auxiliar to be + past participle

1 (passive) ser

■ she was arrested at the border fue detenida en la frontera, la detuvieron en la frontera

■ he's hated by everybody es odiado por todos, todos lo odian

■ he was discharged fue dado de alta, lo dieron de alta

■ the house has been sold la casa ha sido vendida, la casa se ha vendido, han vendido la casa

■ he was given a clock le dieron un reloj

■ thirty children were injured treinta niños fueron heridos, treinta niños resultaron heridos

■ the two areas of the town are divided by a wall las dos zonas de la ciudad están divididas por un muro

auxiliar be + to + inf

1 (obligation) deber, tener que

■ you are not to come here again no debes volver aquí

■ you are to do as I say tienes que hacer lo que yo te diga

1 (future)

■ the King is to visit Egypt el Rey visitará Egipto

phrase there is / there are

1 hay

■ there's some wine in the bottle hay algo de vino en la botella

■ there are two policemen following us hay dos policías que nos siguen

■ is there much traffic ¿hay mucho tráfico?

1 había

■ there was no money no había dinero

■ there were twenty five candles on the cake había veinticinco velas en la tarta

■ were there many people? ¿había mucha gente?

phrase there will be

1 habrá

■ there will be snow in the mountains habrá nieve en las montañas

phrase there would be

1 habría

■ there would be time to see the castle habría tiempo para ver el castillo

■ if Mike came, there would be ten of us si viniera Mike, seríamos diez

\

SMALLIDIOMATIC EXPRESSION/SMALL

to be about to «+ inf» estar para + inf, estar a punto de + inf

■ the train is about to arrive el tren está a punto de llegar

to be or not to be ser o no ser

be ['bi:] v, was ['wəz, 'wɑz] ; were ['wər] ; been ['bɪn] ; being ; am ['æm] ; is ['ɪz] ; are ['ɑr] vi

1) (expressing equality) : ser

José is a doctor: José es doctor

I'm Ana's sister: soy la hermana de Ana

2) (expressing quality) : ser

the tree is tall: el árbol es alto

you're silly!: ¡eres tonto!

3) (expressing origin or possession) : ser

she's from Managua: es de Managua

it's mine: es mío

4) (expressing location) : estar

my mother is at home: mi madre está en casa

the cups are on the table: las tazas están en la mesa

5) (expressing existence) : ser, existir

to be or not to be: ser, o no ser

I think, therefore I am: pienso, luego existo

6) (expressing a state of being) : estar, tener

how are you?: ¿cómo estás?

I'm cold: tengo frío

she's 10 years old: tiene 10 años

they're both sick: están enfermos los dos

be v impers

1) (indicating time) : ser

it's eight o'clock: son las ocho

it's Friday: hoy es viernes

2) (indicating a condition) : hacer, estar

it's sunny: hace sol

it's very dark outside: está bien oscuro afuera

be v aux

1) (expressing progression) : estar

what are you doing? -I'm working: ¿qué haces? -estoy trabajando

2) (expressing occurrence) : ser

it was finished yesterday: fue acabado ayer, se acabó ayer

it was cooked in the oven: se cocinó en el horno

3) (expressing possibility) : poderse

can she be trusted?: ¿se puede confiar en ella?

4) (expressing obligation) : deber

you are to stay here: debes quedarte aquí

he was to come yesterday: se esperaba que viniese ayer

be

v.

(§ p.,p.p.: was, were, been) = estar v.

(§pres: estoy, estás...) pret: estuv-•)

• ser v.

(§pres: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son) subj: se-

imp: er-

pret

fu-•)

biːˌ weak form bi
1.

1) (pres am, are, is; past was, were; past p been) intransitive verb [See notes at ser and estar]

Sense I

2)

a) (followed by an adjective)

she's French/intelligent — es francesa/inteligente

he's worried/furious — está preocupado/furioso

he's blind — es or (Esp tb) está ciego

he's short and fat — es bajo y gordo

he's so fat he can't get into his clothes any more — está tan gordo que ya no le cabe la ropa

these shoes are new — estos zapatos son nuevos

have you never had gazpacho? it's delicious! — ¿nunca has comido gazpacho? es delicioso!

the gazpacho is delicious, did you make it yourself? — el gazpacho está delicioso ¿lo hiciste tú?

she was very rude to me — estuvo or fue muy grosera conmigo

she's very rude — es muy grosera

be good — sé bueno

don't be silly! — no seas tonto!

b) ( talking about marital status)

Tony is married/divorced/single — Tony está or (esp AmL) es casado/divorciado/soltero

to be married to somebody — estar* casado con alguien

we've been married for eight years — llevamos ocho años casados

3)

a) (followed by a noun) ser*

she's a lawyer — es abogada

he's a Catholic — es católico

she was Prime Minister for 11 years — fue Primera Ministra durante 11 años

who was Prime Minister at the time? — ¿quién era Primer Ministro en ese momento?

it's me/Daniel — soy yo/es Daniel

if I were you, I'd stay — yo que tú or yo en tu lugar me quedaría

b) ( play the role of) hacer* de

I was Juliet in the school play — hice de Julieta en la obra del colegio

4)

a) ( talking about mental and physical states)

how are you? — ¿cómo estás?

I'm much better — estoy or me encuentro mucho mejor

she's pregnant/tired — está embarazada/cansada

I'm cold/hot/hungry/thirsty/sleepy — tengo frío/calor/hambre/sed/sueño

she has been ill — ha estado enferma

he's dead — está muerto

b) ( talking about age) tener*

how old are you? — ¿cuántos años tienes?

I'm 31 — tengo 31 años

Paul was four last Monday — Paul cumplió cuatro años el lunes pasado

he's a lot older/younger — es mucho mayor/menor

our house is over 100 years old — nuestra casa tiene más de 100 años

c) (giving cost, measurement, weight)

how much is that? - that'll be $15, please — ¿cuánto es? - (son) 15 dólares, por favor

they are $15 each — cuestan or valen 15 dólares cada una

two plus two is four — dos más dos son cuatro

how tall/heavy is he? — ¿cuánto mide/pesa?

Jim's over six feet (tall) — Jim mide más de seis pies

Sense II

5)

a) (exist, live)

I think, therefore I am — pienso, luego existo

to be or not to be — ser o no ser

to let something/somebody be — dejar tranquilo or en paz algo/a alguien

her husband-to-be — su futuro marido

b) ( in expressions of time)

don't be too long — no tardes mucho, no (te) demores mucho (esp AmL)

I'm drying my hair, I won't be long — me estoy secando el pelo, enseguida estoy

how long will dinner be? — ¿cuánto falta para la cena?

c) ( take place) ser*

the party is tomorrow — la fiesta es mañana

6) (be situated, present) estar*

where is the library? — ¿dónde está or queda la biblioteca?

where are you? — ¿dónde estás?

what's in that box? — ¿qué hay en esa caja?

who's in the movie? — ¿quién actúa or trabaja en la película?

he's here for two weeks — va a estar aquí dos semanas

how long are you in Chicago (for)? — (colloq) ¿cuánto (tiempo) te vas a quedar en Chicago ?

7) (only in perfect tenses) ( visit) estar*

I've never been to India — nunca he estado en la India

have you been to the exhibition yet? — ¿ya has estado en or has ido a la exposición?

2.

v impers

1)

a) (talking about physical conditions, circumstances)

it's sunny/cold/hot — hace sol/frío/calor

it's cloudy — está nublado

it was three degrees below zero — hacía tres grados bajo cero

it's so noisy/quiet in here! — qué ruido/silencio hay aquí!

I have enough problems as it is, without you... — yo ya tengo suficientes problemas sin que tú encima...

b) ( in expressions of time) ser*

it's three o'clock — son las tres

it's one o'clock — es la una

it was still very early — todavía era muy temprano

it's Wednesday today — hoy es miércoles

hi, Joe, it's been a long time — qué tal, Joe, tanto tiempo (sin verte)

c) ( talking about distance) estar*

it's 500 miles from here to Detroit — Detroit queda or está a 500 millas de aquí

2)

a) (introducing person, object) ser*

it was me who told them — fui yo quien se lo dije or dijo, fui yo el que se lo dije or dijo

b) (in conditional use) ser*

if it hadn't been o had it not been for Juan, we would have been killed — si no hubiera sido por Juan or de no ser por Juan, nos habríamos matado

3.

v aux

1) to be -ing

a) ( used to describe action in progress) estar* + ger

what was I saying? — ¿qué estaba diciendo?

she was leaving when... — se iba cuando...

how long have you been waiting? — ¿cuánto (tiempo) hace que esperas?, ¿cuánto (tiempo) llevas esperando?

b) ( with future reference)

he is o will be arriving tomorrow — llega mañana

when are you seeing her? — ¿cuándo la vas a ver or la verás?

she'll be staying at the Plaza — se va a alojar en el Plaza

2) (in the passive voice) ser* [The passive voice, however, is less common in Spanish than it is in English]

it was built in 1903 — fue construido en 1903, se construyó en 1903, lo construyeron en 1903

she was told that... — le dijeron or se le dijo que...

it is known that... — se sabe que...

3) to be to + inf

a) ( with future reference)

I'm to be met at the airport by Joe — Joe me irá a buscar al aeropuerto

the dessert is (still) to come — todavía falta el postre

if a solution is to be found... — si se quiere encontrar or si se ha de encontrar una solución...

b) ( expressing possibility)

what are we to do? — ¿qué podemos hacer?

he wasn't to know — no tenía cómo saberlo

it was nowhere to be found — no se lo pudo encontrar por ninguna parte

c) ( expressing obligation) deber* + inf, tener* que + inf, haber* de + inf

tell her she's to stay here — dile que debe quedarse or tiene que quedarse aquí, dile que se quede aquí

you are not to tell Carol! — no debes decírselo a Carol!

am I to understand that... ? — ¿debo entender que... ?

I'm not to be disturbed! — que nadie me moleste!

4) ( in hypotheses)

what would happen if she were o was to die? — ¿qué pasaría si ella muriera?

5)

a) (in tag questions)

she's right, isn't she? — tiene razón, ¿no? or ¿verdad? or ¿no es cierto?

so that's what you think, is it? — de manera que eso es lo que piensas

b) (in elliptical uses)

are you disappointed? - yes, I am/no, I'm not — ¿estás desilusionado? - sí (, lo estoy)/no (, no lo estoy)

she was told the news, and so was he/but I wasn't — a ella le dieron la noticia, y también a él/pero a mí no

I'm surprised, are/aren't you? — estoy sorprendido, ¿y tú?/¿tú no?

[biː] (present am, is or are pt was or were pp been)
1. INTRANSITIVE VERB

1) (linking nouns, noun phrases, pronouns) ser

he's a pianist — es pianista

he wants to be a doctor — quiere ser médico

Monday's a holiday — el lunes es fiesta

two and two are four — dos y dos son cuatro

it's me! — ¡soy yo!

it was me — fui yo

who wants to be Hamlet? — ¿quién quiere hacer de or ser Hamlet?

you be the patient and I'll be the doctor — tú eres el enfermo y yo seré el médico

if I were you... — yo en tu lugar..., yo que tú... *

2) (possession) ser

she's his sister — es su hermana

it's mine — es mío

3) (characteristics seen as inherent) ser

the sky is blue — el cielo es azul

it's (made of) plastic — es de plástico

they're English — son ingleses

he's tall — es alto

it's round/enormous — es redondo/enorme

she is boring — es aburrida

I used to be poor but now I'm rich — antes era pobre pero ahora soy rico

if I were rich — si fuera rico

I'm from the south — soy del sur

the book is in French — el libro es en francés
Use [estar] with past participles used as adjectives describing the results of an action or process:
it's broken — está roto

he's dead — está muerto

4) (changeable or temporary state) estar

it's dirty — está sucio

she's bored/ill — está aburrida/enferma

how are you? — ¿cómo estás?, ¿qué tal estás?

how are you now? — ¿qué tal te encuentras ahora?

I'm very well, thanks — estoy muy bien, gracias
In certain expressions where English uses [be] + adjective to describe feelings ([be cold]/[hot]/[hungry]/[thirsty]), Spanish uses [tener] with a noun:
I'm cold/hot — tengo frío/calor

my feet are cold — tengo los pies fríos

I'm hungry/thirsty — tengo hambre/sed

be good! — ¡pórtate bien!

you're late — llegas tarde
afraid, sleepy, right
5) (age)

"how old is she?" - "she's nine" — -¿cuántos años tiene? -tiene nueve años

she will be two tomorrow — mañana cumple dos años

when I'm old — cuando sea viejo

when I was young — cuando era joven

6) (=take place) ser

the meeting's today — la reunión es hoy

the service will be at St Ninian's Church — el oficio será en la iglesia de San Ninian

7) (=be situated) estar

Edinburgh is in Scotland — Edimburgo está en Escocia

it's on the table — está sobre or en la mesa

where is the Town Hall? — ¿dónde está or queda el ayuntamiento?

it's 5 km to the village — el pueblo está or queda a 5 kilómetros

he won't be here tomorrow — mañana no estará aquí

we've been here for ages — hace mucho tiempo que estamos aquí, llevamos aquí mucho tiempo, estamos aquí desde hace mucho tiempo

• here you are(, take it) — aquí tienes(, tómalo)

• there's the church — ahí está la iglesia

8) (impersonal use)

a) (referring to weather) hacer

it's hot/cold — hace calor/frío

it's too hot — hace demasiado calor

it's fine — hace buen tiempo

b) (referring to time, date etc) ser

it's eight o'clock — son las ocho

it's morning in New York now — en Nueva York ahora es por la mañana

wake up, it's morning — despierta, es de día

what's the date (today)? — ¿qué fecha es hoy?

it's 3 May or the 3rd of May — es 3 de mayo

it's Thursday today — hoy es jueves
But note the following alternatives with [estar]:
it's 3 May or the 3rd of May — estamos a 3 de mayo

it's Thursday today — hoy estamos a jueves

c) (asking and giving opinion) ser

is it certain that...? — ¿es verdad or cierto que...?

it is easy to make a mistake — es fácil cometer un fallo

is it fair that she should be punished while...? — ¿es justo que se la castigue mientras que...?

it is possible that he'll come — es posible que venga, puede (ser) que venga

it is impossible to study all the time — es imposible estar siempre estudiando

it is unbelievable that... — es increíble que...

it's not clear whether... — no está claro si...

it would be wrong for us to do that — no estaría bien que nosotros hiciésemos eso

d) (emphatic) ser

it's me who does all the work — soy yo quien hace todo el trabajo

it was Peter who phoned — fue Peter quien llamó

why is it that she's so successful? — ¿cómo es que tiene tanto éxito?, ¿por qué tiene tanto éxito?

it was then that... — fue entonces cuando...

9) (=exist) haber

there is/are — hay

what is (there) in that room? — ¿qué hay en esa habitación?

there is nothing more beautiful — no hay nada más bello

is there anyone at home? — ¿hay alguien en casa?

there were six road accidents here last year — el año pasado hubo seis accidentes de tráfico aquí

there must be an explanation — debe de haber una explicación

there being no alternative solution... — al no haber or no habiendo otra solución...

let there be light! — ¡hágase la luz!

there are three of us — somos tres

there were three of them — eran tres

after the shop there's the bus station — después de la tienda está la estación de autobuses

See:

THERE IS, THERE ARE in there

10) (=cost)

how much was it? — ¿cuánto costó?

the book is £20 — el libro vale or cuesta 20 libras

how much is it? — ¿cuánto es?; (when paying) ¿qué le debo? frm

11) (=visit)

has the postman been? — ¿ha venido el cartero?

he has been and gone — vino y se fue

I have been to see my aunt — he ido a ver a mi tía

have you ever been to Glasgow? — ¿has estado en Glasgow alguna vez?

I've been to China — he estado en China

12) (in noun compounds) futuro

• mother to be — futura madre or mamá f

• my wife to be — mi futura esposa

13) (in set expressions)

to be or not to be — ser o no ser

• been and * —

you've been and done it now! — ¡buena la has hecho! *

that dog of yours has been and dug up my flowers! — ¡tu perro ha ido y me ha destrozado las flores!

• you're busy enough as it is — estás bastante ocupado ya con lo que tienes, ya tienes suficiente trabajo

as things are — tal como están las cosas

be that as it may — sea como fuere

• if it hadn't been for..., if it hadn't been for you or frm had it not been for you, we would have lost — si no hubiera sido por ti or de no haber sido por ti, habríamos perdido

• let me be! — ¡déjame en paz!

• if that's what you want to do, then so be it — si eso es lo que quieres hacer, adelante

• what is it to you? * — ¿a ti qué te importa?

• what's it to be? — (in bar etc) ¿qué va a ser?, ¿qué vas a tomar?

2. AUXILIARY VERB

1) (forming passive) ser

the house was destroyed by an earthquake — la casa fue destruida por un terremoto
The passive is not used as often in Spanish as in English, active and reflexive constructions often being preferred:
the box had been opened — habían abierto la caja

these cars are produced in Spain — estos coches se fabrican en España

it is said that... — dicen que..., se dice que...

he was killed by a terrorist — lo mató un terrorista

she was killed in a car crash — murió en un accidente de coche, resultó muerta en un accidente de coche frm

what's to be done? — ¿qué hay que hacer?

• it's a film not to be missed — es una película que no hay que perderse

• we searched everywhere for him, but he was nowhere to be seen — lo buscamos por todas partes pero no lo encontramos en ningún sitio

2) (forming continuous) estar

it's raining — está lloviendo

what are you doing? — ¿qué estás haciendo?, ¿qué haces?

don't distract me when I'm driving — no me distraigas cuando estoy conduciendo

he's always grumbling — siempre está quejándose

he was studying until the early hours — estuvo estudiando hasta la madrugada
Use the present simple to talk about planned future events and the construction to talk about intention:
they're coming tomorrow — vienen mañana

"it's a pity you aren't coming with us" - "but I am coming!" — -¡qué pena que no vengas con nosotros! -¡sí que voy!

will you be seeing her tomorrow? — ¿la verás or la vas a ver mañana?

will you be needing more? — ¿vas a necesitar más?

I shall be seeing him — voy a verlo

I'll be seeing you — hasta luego, nos vemos (esp LAm)
The imperfect tense can be used for continuous action in the past:
he was driving too fast — conducía demasiado rápido
for, since
3) (verb substitute)

a)

he's older than you are — es mayor que tú

he isn't as happy as he was — no está tan contento como antes

"he's going to complain about you" - "oh, is he?" — -va a quejarse de ti -¿ah, sí?

"I'm worried" - "so am I" — -estoy preocupado -yo también

"I'm not ready" - "neither am I" — -no estoy listo -yo tampoco

"you're tired" - "no, I'm not" — -estás cansado -no, ¡qué va!

"you're not eating enough" - "yes I am" — -no comes lo suficiente -que sí

"they're getting married" - "oh, are they?" — (showing surprise) -se casan -¿ah, sí? or -¡no me digas!

"he isn't very happy" - "oh, isn't he?" — -no está muy contento -¿ah, no?

"he's always late, isn't he?" - "yes, he is" — -siempre llega tarde, ¿verdad? -(pues) sí

"is it what you expected?" - "no, it isn't" — -¿es esto lo que esperabas? -(pues) no

"she's pretty" - "no, she isn't" — -es guapa -¡qué va!

b) (in question tags)

he's handsome, isn't he? — es guapo, ¿verdad?, es guapo, ¿no?, es guapo, ¿no es cierto?

it was fun, wasn't it? — fue divertido, ¿verdad?, fue divertido, ¿no?

she wasn't happy, was she? — no era feliz, ¿verdad?

so he's back again, is he? — así que ha vuelto, ¿eh?

you're not ill, are you? — ¿no estarás enfermo?

3. MODAL VERB
(with infinitive construction)
1) (=must, have to)

you're to put on your shoes — tienes que ponerte los zapatos

he's not to open it — no debe abrirlo, que no lo abra

I am to do it — he de hacerlo yo, soy yo el que debe hacerlo

I am not to speak to him — no tengo permiso para hablar con él

I wasn't to tell you his name — no podía or debía decirte su nombre

2) (=should) deber

he is to be congratulated on his work — debemos felicitarlo por su trabajo

am I to understand that...? — ¿debo entender que...?

she wrote "My Life", not to be confused with Bernstein's book of the same name — escribió "Mi Vida", que no debe confundirse con la obra de Bernstein que lleva el mismo título

he was to have come yesterday — tenía que or debía haber venido ayer

he is to be pitied — es digno de lástima

3) (=will)

the talks are to start tomorrow — las conversaciones darán comienzo mañana

her house is to be sold — su casa se pondrá a la venta

they are to be married in the summer — se casarán en el verano

4) (=can)

these birds are to be found all over the world — estos pájaros se encuentran por todo el mundo

little traffic was to be seen — había poco tráfico

you weren't to know — no tenías por qué saberlo

5) (expressing destiny)

this was to have serious repercussions — esto iba a tener serias repercusiones

they were never to return — jamás regresaron

it was not to be — no quiso el destino que así fuera

6) (in conditional sentences)

you must work harder if you are to succeed — debes esforzarte más si quieres triunfar

if it was or were to snow... — si nevase or nevara...

if I were to leave the job, would you replace me? — si yo dejara el puesto, ¿me sustituirías?
BE
"Ser" or "estar"?
You can use "ser": ► when defining or identifying by linking two nouns or noun phrases:
Paris is the capital of France París es la capital de Francia
He was the most hated man in the village Era el hombre más odiado del pueblo ► to describe essential or inherent characteristics (e.g. colour, material, nationality, race, shape, size {etc}):
His mother is German Su madre es alemana
She was blonde Era rubia ► with most impersonal expressions not involving past participles:
It is important to be on time Es importante llegar a tiempo
Está claro que is an exception:
It is obvious you don't understand Está claro que no lo entiendes ► when telling the time or talking about time or age:
It is ten o'clock Son las diez
It's very late. Let's go home Es muy tarde. Vamos a casa
He lived in the country when he was young Vivió en el campo cuando era joven ► to indicate possession or duty:
It's mine Es mío
This is your responsibility Este asunto es responsabilidad tuya ► with events in the sense of "take place":
The 1992 Olympic Games were in Barcelona Los Juegos Olímpicos de 1992 fueron en Barcelona
"Where is the exam?" - "It's in Room 1" "¿Dónde es el examen?" - "Es en el Aula Número 1" NOTE: Compare this usage with that of estar (see below) to talk about location of places, objects and people.
You can use "estar": ► to talk about location of places, objects and people:
"Where is Zaragoza?" - "It's in Spain" "¿Dónde está Zaragoza?" - "Está en España"
Your glasses are on the bedside table Tus gafas están en la mesilla de noche NOTE: But use ser with events in the sense of "take place" (see above)}. ► to talk about changeable state, condition or mood:
The teacher is ill La profesora está enferma
The coffee's cold El café está frío
How happy I am! ¡Qué contento estoy! NOTE: Feliz, however, which is seen as more permanent than contento, is used mainly with ser. ► to form progressive tenses:
We're having lunch. Is it ok if I call you later? Estamos comiendo. Te llamaré luego, ¿vale?
Both "ser" and "estar" can be used with past participles ► Use ser in {passive} constructions:
This play was written by Lorca Esta obra fue escrita por Lorca
He was shot dead (by a terrorist group) Fue asesinado a tiros (por un grupo terrorista) NOTE: The passive is not used as often in Spanish as it is in English. ► Use estar with past participles to describe the {results} of a previous action or event:
We threw them away because they were broken Los tiramos a la basura porque estaban rotos
He's dead Está muerto ► Compare the use of ser + ((past participle)) which describes {action} and estar + ((past participle)) which describes {result} in the following:
The window was broken by the firemen La ventana fue rota por los bomberos
The window was broken La ventana estaba rota
It was painted around 1925 Fue pintado hacia 1925
The floor is painted a dark colour El suelo está pintado de color oscuro ► Ser and estar are both used in impersonal expressions with past participles. As above, the use of ser implies {action} while the use of estar implies {result}:
It is understood that the work was never finished Es sabido que el trabajo nunca se llegó a terminar
It is a proven fact that vaccinations save many lives Está demostrado que las vacunas salvan muchas vidas
"Ser" and "estar" with adjectives ► Some adjectives can be used with both ser and estar but the meaning changes completely depending on the verb:
He's clever Es listo
Are you ready? ¿Estás listo?
Chemistry is boring La química es aburrida
I'm bored Estoy aburrido ► Other adjectives can also be used with both verbs but the use of ser describes a {characteristic} while the use of estar implies a {change}:
He's very handsome Es muy guapo
You look great in that dress! Estás muy guapa con ese vestido
He's slim Es delgado
You're (looking) very slim ¡Estás muy delgada! For further uses and examples, see main entry
* * *
[biːˌ] weak form [bi]
1.

1) (pres am, are, is; past was, were; past p been) intransitive verb [See notes at ser and estar]

Sense I

2)

a) (followed by an adjective)

she's French/intelligent — es francesa/inteligente

he's worried/furious — está preocupado/furioso

he's blind — es or (Esp tb) está ciego

he's short and fat — es bajo y gordo

he's so fat he can't get into his clothes any more — está tan gordo que ya no le cabe la ropa

these shoes are new — estos zapatos son nuevos

have you never had gazpacho? it's delicious! — ¿nunca has comido gazpacho? es delicioso!

the gazpacho is delicious, did you make it yourself? — el gazpacho está delicioso ¿lo hiciste tú?

she was very rude to me — estuvo or fue muy grosera conmigo

she's very rude — es muy grosera

be good — sé bueno

don't be silly! — no seas tonto!

b) ( talking about marital status)

Tony is married/divorced/single — Tony está or (esp AmL) es casado/divorciado/soltero

to be married to somebody — estar* casado con alguien

we've been married for eight years — llevamos ocho años casados

3)

a) (followed by a noun) ser*

she's a lawyer — es abogada

he's a Catholic — es católico

she was Prime Minister for 11 years — fue Primera Ministra durante 11 años

who was Prime Minister at the time? — ¿quién era Primer Ministro en ese momento?

it's me/Daniel — soy yo/es Daniel

if I were you, I'd stay — yo que tú or yo en tu lugar me quedaría

b) ( play the role of) hacer* de

I was Juliet in the school play — hice de Julieta en la obra del colegio

4)

a) ( talking about mental and physical states)

how are you? — ¿cómo estás?

I'm much better — estoy or me encuentro mucho mejor

she's pregnant/tired — está embarazada/cansada

I'm cold/hot/hungry/thirsty/sleepy — tengo frío/calor/hambre/sed/sueño

she has been ill — ha estado enferma

he's dead — está muerto

b) ( talking about age) tener*

how old are you? — ¿cuántos años tienes?

I'm 31 — tengo 31 años

Paul was four last Monday — Paul cumplió cuatro años el lunes pasado

he's a lot older/younger — es mucho mayor/menor

our house is over 100 years old — nuestra casa tiene más de 100 años

c) (giving cost, measurement, weight)

how much is that? - that'll be $15, please — ¿cuánto es? - (son) 15 dólares, por favor

they are $15 each — cuestan or valen 15 dólares cada una

two plus two is four — dos más dos son cuatro

how tall/heavy is he? — ¿cuánto mide/pesa?

Jim's over six feet (tall) — Jim mide más de seis pies

Sense II

5)

a) (exist, live)

I think, therefore I am — pienso, luego existo

to be or not to be — ser o no ser

to let something/somebody be — dejar tranquilo or en paz algo/a alguien

her husband-to-be — su futuro marido

b) ( in expressions of time)

don't be too long — no tardes mucho, no (te) demores mucho (esp AmL)

I'm drying my hair, I won't be long — me estoy secando el pelo, enseguida estoy

how long will dinner be? — ¿cuánto falta para la cena?

c) ( take place) ser*

the party is tomorrow — la fiesta es mañana

6) (be situated, present) estar*

where is the library? — ¿dónde está or queda la biblioteca?

where are you? — ¿dónde estás?

what's in that box? — ¿qué hay en esa caja?

who's in the movie? — ¿quién actúa or trabaja en la película?

he's here for two weeks — va a estar aquí dos semanas

how long are you in Chicago (for)? — (colloq) ¿cuánto (tiempo) te vas a quedar en Chicago ?

7) (only in perfect tenses) ( visit) estar*

I've never been to India — nunca he estado en la India

have you been to the exhibition yet? — ¿ya has estado en or has ido a la exposición?

2.

v impers

1)

a) (talking about physical conditions, circumstances)

it's sunny/cold/hot — hace sol/frío/calor

it's cloudy — está nublado

it was three degrees below zero — hacía tres grados bajo cero

it's so noisy/quiet in here! — qué ruido/silencio hay aquí!

I have enough problems as it is, without you... — yo ya tengo suficientes problemas sin que tú encima...

b) ( in expressions of time) ser*

it's three o'clock — son las tres

it's one o'clock — es la una

it was still very early — todavía era muy temprano

it's Wednesday today — hoy es miércoles

hi, Joe, it's been a long time — qué tal, Joe, tanto tiempo (sin verte)

c) ( talking about distance) estar*

it's 500 miles from here to Detroit — Detroit queda or está a 500 millas de aquí

2)

a) (introducing person, object) ser*

it was me who told them — fui yo quien se lo dije or dijo, fui yo el que se lo dije or dijo

b) (in conditional use) ser*

if it hadn't been o had it not been for Juan, we would have been killed — si no hubiera sido por Juan or de no ser por Juan, nos habríamos matado

3.

v aux

1) to be -ing

a) ( used to describe action in progress) estar* + ger

what was I saying? — ¿qué estaba diciendo?

she was leaving when... — se iba cuando...

how long have you been waiting? — ¿cuánto (tiempo) hace que esperas?, ¿cuánto (tiempo) llevas esperando?

b) ( with future reference)

he is o will be arriving tomorrow — llega mañana

when are you seeing her? — ¿cuándo la vas a ver or la verás?

she'll be staying at the Plaza — se va a alojar en el Plaza

2) (in the passive voice) ser* [The passive voice, however, is less common in Spanish than it is in English]

it was built in 1903 — fue construido en 1903, se construyó en 1903, lo construyeron en 1903

she was told that... — le dijeron or se le dijo que...

it is known that... — se sabe que...

3) to be to + inf

a) ( with future reference)

I'm to be met at the airport by Joe — Joe me irá a buscar al aeropuerto

the dessert is (still) to come — todavía falta el postre

if a solution is to be found... — si se quiere encontrar or si se ha de encontrar una solución...

b) ( expressing possibility)

what are we to do? — ¿qué podemos hacer?

he wasn't to know — no tenía cómo saberlo

it was nowhere to be found — no se lo pudo encontrar por ninguna parte

c) ( expressing obligation) deber* + inf, tener* que + inf, haber* de + inf

tell her she's to stay here — dile que debe quedarse or tiene que quedarse aquí, dile que se quede aquí

you are not to tell Carol! — no debes decírselo a Carol!

am I to understand that... ? — ¿debo entender que... ?

I'm not to be disturbed! — que nadie me moleste!

4) ( in hypotheses)

what would happen if she were o was to die? — ¿qué pasaría si ella muriera?

5)

a) (in tag questions)

she's right, isn't she? — tiene razón, ¿no? or ¿verdad? or ¿no es cierto?

so that's what you think, is it? — de manera que eso es lo que piensas

b) (in elliptical uses)

are you disappointed? - yes, I am/no, I'm not — ¿estás desilusionado? - sí (, lo estoy)/no (, no lo estoy)

she was told the news, and so was he/but I wasn't — a ella le dieron la noticia, y también a él/pero a mí no

I'm surprised, are/aren't you? — estoy sorprendido, ¿y tú?/¿tú no?

English-spanish dictionary > be
6 least

[liːst] 1.
(superl. di little) quantisostantivo femminile

(the) least — (il) meno; (in negative constructions) (il) minimo

they had the least food — hanno ricevuto meno cibo di tutti o la minor quantità di cibo

I haven't the least idea — non ne ho la minima idea

the least thing annoys him — si secca per un nonnulla

he wasn't the least bit jealous — non era minimamente geloso
2.
pronome il meno, il minimo

we have the least — noi abbiamo meno di tutti

it was the least I could do — era il minimo che potessi fare

the least he could have done was phone the police — avrebbe almeno potuto chiamare la polizia

that's the least of our problems! — è l'ultimo dei nostri problemi!

that's the least of it — questo è il meno

he was surprised, to say the least (of it) — era sorpreso, a dir poco
3.
avverbio

1) (with adjective or noun)

the least — (il) meno

the least wealthy families — le famiglie meno ricche

2) (with verbs) meno

I like that one (the) least — quello mi piace meno di tutti

those least able to cope — coloro che sono meno in grado di cavarsela

nobody knew it, Tom least of all o least of all Tom — nessuno lo sapeva, Tom meno di tutti o meno di tutti Tom

3) at least almeno, perlomeno

he's at least 40 — ha almeno quarant'anni

you could at least have told me! — perlomeno avresti potuto dirmelo!

he's gone to bed - at least I think so — è andato a letto - almeno credo

such people are at the very least guilty of negligence — tali persone sono come minimo colpevoli di negligenza

4)

in the least — minimamente

I'm not worried in the least I'm not in the least (bit) worried non sono minimamente preoccupato, non sono preoccupato neanche un po'; it doesn't bother me in the least — non mi disturba affatto

••

last but not least last but by no means least — ultimo, ma non meno importante
••
Note:

When the least is used as a quantifier followed by a noun to mean the smallest quantity of, it is translated by (il) meno, (il) più piccolo, (il) minore: they had the least food = hanno ricevuto meno cibo di tutti / la minor quantità di cibo. - But when the least is used as a quantifier to mean the slightest, it is translated by il minimo or la minima: I haven't the least idea about it = non ne ho la minima idea. For examples of these and particular usages, see below. - For translations of least as a pronoun or adverb see II and III below. - The phrase at least is usually translated by almeno. For examples and exceptions, see III 3 below. - For the phrase in the least, see III 4 below

* * *
[li:st] 1. adjective, pronoun
((something) which is the smallest or the smallest amount that exists, is possible etc: I think the least you can do is apologize!; She wanted to know how to do it with the least amount of bother.) minimo
2. adverb
((somethimes with the) to the smallest or lowest degree: I like her (the) least of all the girls; That is the least important of our problems.) meno

- at least
- not in the least
* * *
[liːst] 1.
(superl. di little) quantisostantivo femminile

(the) least — (il) meno; (in negative constructions) (il) minimo

they had the least food — hanno ricevuto meno cibo di tutti o la minor quantità di cibo

I haven't the least idea — non ne ho la minima idea

the least thing annoys him — si secca per un nonnulla

he wasn't the least bit jealous — non era minimamente geloso
2.
pronome il meno, il minimo

we have the least — noi abbiamo meno di tutti

it was the least I could do — era il minimo che potessi fare

the least he could have done was phone the police — avrebbe almeno potuto chiamare la polizia

that's the least of our problems! — è l'ultimo dei nostri problemi!

that's the least of it — questo è il meno

he was surprised, to say the least (of it) — era sorpreso, a dir poco
3.
avverbio

1) (with adjective or noun)

the least — (il) meno

the least wealthy families — le famiglie meno ricche

2) (with verbs) meno

I like that one (the) least — quello mi piace meno di tutti

those least able to cope — coloro che sono meno in grado di cavarsela

nobody knew it, Tom least of all o least of all Tom — nessuno lo sapeva, Tom meno di tutti o meno di tutti Tom

3) at least almeno, perlomeno

he's at least 40 — ha almeno quarant'anni

you could at least have told me! — perlomeno avresti potuto dirmelo!

he's gone to bed - at least I think so — è andato a letto - almeno credo

such people are at the very least guilty of negligence — tali persone sono come minimo colpevoli di negligenza

4)

in the least — minimamente

I'm not worried in the least I'm not in the least (bit) worried non sono minimamente preoccupato, non sono preoccupato neanche un po'; it doesn't bother me in the least — non mi disturba affatto

••

last but not least last but by no means least — ultimo, ma non meno importante
••
Note:

When the least is used as a quantifier followed by a noun to mean the smallest quantity of, it is translated by (il) meno, (il) più piccolo, (il) minore: they had the least food = hanno ricevuto meno cibo di tutti / la minor quantità di cibo. - But when the least is used as a quantifier to mean the slightest, it is translated by il minimo or la minima: I haven't the least idea about it = non ne ho la minima idea. For examples of these and particular usages, see below. - For translations of least as a pronoun or adverb see II and III below. - The phrase at least is usually translated by almeno. For examples and exceptions, see III 3 below. - For the phrase in the least, see III 4 below

English-Italian dictionary > least
7 least

least ( superlative of little)

❢ When the least is used as a quantifier followed by a noun to mean the smallest quantity of it is translated by le moins de: to have the least food = avoir le moins de nourriture.

But when the least is used as a quantifier to mean the slightest it is translated by le or la moindre: I haven't the least idea = je n'en ai pas la moindre idée. For examples of these and particular usages see A below. For translations of least as a pronoun or adverb see B and C below. The phrase at least is usually translated by au moins. For examples and exceptions see D below. For the phrase in the least see E below.

A quantif (the) least (le) moins de ; ( in negative constructions) (le or la) moindre ; they have the least food ce sont eux qui ont le moins de nourriture or le moins à manger ; they have the least chance of winning ce sont eux qui ont le moins de chance de gagner ; they haven't the least chance of winning ils n'ont pas la moindre chance de gagner ; I haven't the least idea je n'en ai pas la moindre idée ; he didn't have the least difficulty in believing her il n'a pas eu la moindre difficulté à la croire ; the least thing annoys him la moindre chose l'agace ; he wasn't the least bit jealous/worried il n'était pas jaloux/inquiet le moins du monde or du tout ; ‘were you frightened?’-‘not the least bit!’ ‘est-ce que tu avais peur?’-‘pas le moins du monde!’

B pron le moins ; nobody has very much but we have the least personne n'en a beaucoup mais c'est nous qui en avons le moins ; buy the one that costs the least achète le moins cher (or la moins chère) ; it was the least I could do c'était la moindre des choses! ; the least he could have done was phone the police il aurait au moins pu appeler la police ; that's the least of our problems! c'est le cadet de nos soucis! ; that's the least of it ce n'est pas tout ; she was surprised, to say the least (of it) le moins qu'on puisse dire, c'est qu'elle était surprise.

C adv

1 ( with adjective or noun) the least le/la moins ; ( with plural noun) les moins ; she was the least satisfied of all c'était elle la moins satisfaite de tous ; the least wealthy/powerful families les familles les moins riches/puissantes ;

2 ( with verbs) le moins inv ; I like that one (the) least c'est celui-là que j'aime le moins ; they are the ones who need it (the) least ce sont eux qui en ont le moins besoin ; just when we least expected it juste quand on s'y attendait le moins ; those least able to afford to pay ceux qui peuvent le moins se permettre de payer ; those least able to cope ceux qui ont le plus de mal à se débrouiller ; nobody was very enthusiastic about this idea, the president least of all ou least of all the president personne n'a accueilli cette idée avec enthousiasme, le président encore moins que les autres ; not least because entre autres parce que, à commencer parce que.

D at least adv phr ( stating minimum quantity or advantage) au moins ; ( qualifying statement) du moins ; there were at least 50 people in the room il y avait au moins 50 personnes dans la pièce ; it must have cost at least £1,000 cela a dû coûter au moins 1 000 livres sterling ; she's at least 40 elle a au moins 40 ans ; he's at least as qualified as she is il est au moins aussi qualifié qu'elle ; they could at least have phoned! ils auraient au moins pu téléphoner! ; you could at least have told me! tu aurais pu au moins me le dire! ; at least she didn't suffer au moins elle n'a pas souffert ; he's gone to bed-at least I think so il est allé se coucher-du moins, je pense ; he has never been there-at least, that's what he says il n'y a jamais été-du moins, c'est ce qu'il dit ; such people are at the very least guilty of negligence de telles personnes sont au moins coupables de négligence ; candidates should, at the very least, be proficient in two foreign languages les candidats devront maîtriser au moins deux langues étrangères.

E in the least adv phr I'm not worried in the least, I'm not in the least (bit) worried je ne suis pas inquiet le moins du monde ; I'm not hungry in the least, I'm not in the least (bit) hungry je n'ai absolument pas faim ; it doesn't bother me in the least ça ne me dérange pas le moins du monde ; it doesn't matter in the least ça n'a pas la moindre importance ; not in the least! pas du tout!, pas le moins du monde!

Idioms

last but not least, last but by no means least enfin et surtout.

Big English-French dictionary > least

См. также в других словарях:

List of Pretty Little Liars characters — The main characters of Pretty Little Liars. (From left) Troian Bellisario as Spencer Hastings, Lucy Hale as Aria Montgomery, Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields, and Ashley Benson as Hanna Marin The following is a list of characters from the ABC Family … Wikipedia
a bit — {n., informal} A small amount; some. * /There s no sugar in the sugar bowl, but you may find a bit in the bag./ * /If the ball had hit the window a bit harder, it would have broken it./ Often used like an adverb. * /This sweater scratches a bit./ … Dictionary of American idioms
a bit — {n., informal} A small amount; some. * /There s no sugar in the sugar bowl, but you may find a bit in the bag./ * /If the ball had hit the window a bit harder, it would have broken it./ Often used like an adverb. * /This sweater scratches a bit./ … Dictionary of American idioms
a\ bit — n informal A small amount; some. There s no sugar in the sugar bowl, but you may find a bit in the bag. If the ball had hit the window a bit harder, it would have broken it. Often used like an adverb. This sweater scratches a bit. Also used like… … Словарь американских идиом
one\ bit — n informal A small amount; some. There s no sugar in the sugar bowl, but you may find a bit in the bag. If the ball had hit the window a bit harder, it would have broken it. Often used like an adverb. This sweater scratches a bit. Also used like… … Словарь американских идиом
List of Little Britain characters — This is a list of characters for the British television and radio sketch show Little Britain (and its American spin off, Little Britain USA). Contents: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T … Wikipedia
My Little Pony: Meet the Ponies — Directed by John Grusd Starring Anna Cummer Janyse Jaud Chantal Strand Andrea Libman Kelly Sheridan Erin Mathews Tabitha St. Germain … Wikipedia
Wikipedia:Featured article candidates — Here, we determine which articles are to be featured articles (FAs). FAs exemplify Wikipedia s very best work and satisfy the FA criteria. All editors are welcome to review nominations; please see the review FAQ. Before nominating an article,… … Wikipedia
List of The Bill characters (M-P) — This is a list of characters from the police drama The Bill ordered alphabetically by character surname. For a full list of characters ordered by rank, see list of The Bill characters. The characters are all police officers or civilian staff at… … Wikipedia
List of EastEnders characters (1998) — The following is a list of minor characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 1998, by order of first appearance. Contents 1 Lola Christie 1.1 Storylines 2 Beppe di Marco … Wikipedia
Claire Bennet — Heroes character Hayden Panettiere as Claire Bennet. First appearance Genesis … Wikipedia

Словари и энциклопедии на Академике

Перевод: с английского на все языки

wasn't she a little bit surprised

См. также в других словарях:

Поделиться ссылкой на выделенное

Словари и энциклопедии на Академике

Перевод: с английского на все языки

wasn't she a little bit surprised

См. также в других словарях:

Поделиться ссылкой на выделенное

Прямая ссылка: