about
(=approximately) environ, à peu près
It takes about 10 hours. Ça prend environ 10 heures., Ça prend à peu près 10 heures.
about a hundred, How many? - about a hundred. Combien? - environ cent., Combien? - environ une centaine.
about a hundred people environ cent personnes, environ une centaine de personnes
at about 2 o'clock vers 2 heures
to have just about done sth, I've just about finished. J'ai presque fini.
→
just
(referring to place)
çà et là, de-ci de-là
to run about courir çà et là
to walk about se promener, aller et venir
is Paul about? (British) est-ce que Paul est là?
it's about here c'est par ici, c'est dans les parages
to be out and about (after illness)
être de nouveau sur pied
I'm glad he's out and about again. Je suis content qu'il soit de nouveau sur pied.
(visiting lots of places)
He's always out and about these days. En ce moment, il est toujours par monts et par vaux.
to be about to do sth être sur le point de faire qch
I was about to go out. J'étais sur le point de sortir.
I'm not about to do all that for nothing. Je ne vais quand même pas faire tout ça pour rien.
it's the other way about (British) c'est l'inverse
(=relating to) au sujet de, à propos de
I'm phoning you about tomorrow's meeting. Je vous appelle à propos de la réunion de demain.
a book about London un livre sur Londres
what is it about? de quoi s'agit-il?
to talk about something parler de quelque chose
We talked about it. Nous en avons parlé.
do something about it! faites quelque chose!
what about doing this?, how about doing this? et si nous faisions ceci?
How about going to the cinema? Et si nous allions au cinéma?
(referring to place)
dans to walk about the town se promener dans la ville
about-face , about-turn (British)
n
(=U-turn, volte-face) volte-face f
→ The decision was seen as an about-turn for the Government.
to do an about-face faire volte-face
→ Few observers believe the president will do an about-face and start spending more.
(MILITARY) demi-tour m
to do an about-face faire un demi-tour
▲
bandy about
vt
[+statistics, ideas] faire circuler
→ I have heard figures bandied about ranging from $250 million to over $300 million.
[+name]
His name was bandied about in showbiz circles. On parlait de lui à tout bout de champ dans les milieux du showbiz.
▲
bang on about
vt fus (British)
*
(=keep talking about) radoter sur
He has been banging on about education reform for years. Cela fait des années qu'il nous rabâche les oreilles * avec les réformes sur l'éducation., Cela fait des années qu'il radote au sujet des réformes sur l'éducation.
▲
boss about
vt mener à la baguette
→ It's time this government stopped bossing people about
▲
bring about
vt
[+change, disaster] provoquer
The war brought about a change in people's attitudes. La guerre a provoqué un changement dans l'attitude des gens.
→ the only way to bring about political change
[+failure, defeat] entraîner
[+settlement, agreement, reconciliation] amener
→ The Administration helped bring about a peaceful settlement.
▲
bumble about
vi s'agiter sans résultat, s'affairer sans résultat
▲
come about
vi
[situation] se produire, arriver
▲
dance about
vi se secouer dans tous les sens
→ dancing about all over the boat
→ Amy danced about out of his reach.
→ they flung their arms above their heads and danced about ecstatically
▲
ferret about
vi fureter
to ferret about for sth fouiller à la recherche de qch
→ She was ferreting about for the children's shoes ...
gad about
vi
* se balader
→ Don't think you'll keep me here while you gad about.
▲
get about
vi
▲
go about
(=go around) aller çà et là
vt fus
[+task, work] s'affairer à
→ they went about their work like men on a mission.
→ the irrepressible way in which he went about his task
→ the inspectors went about their work in a fair and professional way
How do I go about this? Comment dois-je m'y prendre ?
to go about one's business vaquer à ses occupations
▲
hang about , hang around
vi (aimlessly)
traîner
→ He got sick of hanging around waiting for you and went home.
→ hanging around the streets with nothing to do
On Saturdays we hang around in the park. Le samedi nous traînons dans le parc.
▲
jig about
vi se trémousser
→ You didn't just jig about by yourself, you danced properly.
▲
jump about
vi sautiller
▲
knock about
*
(=hit)
[+person] taper sur
He did not like to think she might be knocked about. Il n'aimait pas penser qu'on puisse taper sur elle., Il n'aimait pas penser qu'on puisse lui taper dessus.
[+place] traîner ses bottes dans *
vi
(=go around) traîner ses bottes *
→ reporters who knock about in troubled parts of the world
knock about with sb traîner avec qn
→ He's knocking about with kids from the village.
▲
know about
vt
[+news, arrangement, situation, event] être au courant de
Do you know about the meeting this afternoon? Tu es au courant de la réunion de cet après-midi?, Tu es au courant pour la réunion de cet après-midi?
He knew about the killing. Il était au courant du meurtre., Il avait eu vent du meurtre.
I don't know about that
(=don't agree) je n'en suis pas si sûr
→ "He should quite simply resign." "I don't know about that."
(=have expertise in)
[+subject] s'y connaître en
He knows about cars. Il s'y connaît en voitures.
to know a lot about sth bien s'y connaître en qch
I don't know much about computers. Je ne m'y connais pas bien en informatique.
to know nothing about sth ne rien connaître à qch
She knew nothing about music. Elle ne connaissait rien à la musique.
She didn't know anything about music. Elle ne connaissait rien à la musique.
▲
lark about
vi faire l'idiot
▲
lie about , lie around
vi
[things] traîner
→ My dad had a couple of Bob Dylan and Beatles song-books lying around in the house.
to leave sth lying about laisser traîner qch
→ an old boot which some fool had left lying about
[person]
(=laze about) paresser
▲
loaf about , loaf around
vi fainéanter, traîner
→ We had been at Cambridge together, she studying medicine and me loafing around.
▲
loiter about
vi rôder alentour
→ People loitered about, including a group of five skinheads
▲
lounge about
▲
mess about (British)
(=play around) faire l'imbécile or faire les imbéciles
Stop messing about and do some work. Arrête de faire l'imbécile et mets-toi au travail.
→ We were just messing about playing with paint.
(=interfere)
to mess about with sth tripoter qch
Stop messing about with my computer! Arrête de tripoter mon ordinateur!
→ I'd like to know who's been messing about with the computer.
Don't mess about with my things! Ne touche pas à mes affaires!
to be messing about
(=joking) déconner *
→ I thought she was messing about when she said it was nine o'clock.
vt sep
to mess sb about
(=treat badly) faire tourner qn en bourrique
→ He pulled out of the deal because they had messed him about.
I think they've been messed about far too much already. Je trouve qu'on les a déjà fait bien trop tourner en bourrique.
▲
mope about , mope around
vi broyer du noir, se morfondre
→ Stop moping around!
vt fus
[+place]
He moped around the office for a while, feeling bored. Il a traîné son ennui au bureau pendant un moment.
▲
move about
vi
(from town to town)
voyager, se déplacer
→ I was born in Fort Worth but we moved about a lot.
(in room, house)
se déplacer
as he moved about tandis qu'il se déplaçait
→ As he moved about a large tattoo peeped out from beneath his right sleeve
He thought he heard Sue moving about upstairs. Il lui sembla entendre Sue marcher à l'étage., Il lui sembla entendre Sue se déplacer à l'étage.
▲
muck about , muck around
(=behave stupidly) faire l'imbécile
→ We do not want people of his age mucking around risking people's lives ...
(=tinker) bricoler
to muck about with sth [+car, machine] bricoler qch
→ you started to muck about with cars
(=interfere with) se mêler de qch
→ The president's wife doesn't muck around with policy or sit in on Cabinet meetings.
(=potter) s'amuser
→ He'd spent his boyhood summers mucking about in a boat.
vt sep
(=treat badly)
[+person] faire perdre son temps à
→ I wish he wouldn't keep changing his mind and mucking me about.
▲
nose about , nose around
vi fouiner (partout), fureter (partout)
→ Security people were nosing around.
vt fus fouiner dans, fureter dans
▲
order about
vt sep donner des ordres à
She was fed up with being ordered about. Elle en avait marre qu'on lui donne des ordres.
out and about , out and around (US)
adv
to be out and about être de sortie
→ if you are out and about during the festive period
to get out and about sortir
→ You have to get out and about and meet people
to be out and about again (after illness)
être de nouveau sur pied
▲
play about
vi
▲
play about with
vt fus
(=toy with) jouer avec
→ Look at what so-and-so sent me today, he says, playing about with his mouse.
(=reorganize)
[+layout, graphics] jouer avec
(=explore possibilities of)
[+computers, ideas, methods] jouer avec
→ I have some interest in playing about with computers
→ Some of the Ideas I've Been Playing About With
(=tamper with) jouer avec
→ We are playing about with genetic structures that existed for millions of years
▲
poke about
(in place)
fouiner
→ He poked about in the undergrowth.
(in engine, sb's mouth)
fourrager
→ When dentists poke about in your mouth they check for signs of oral cancer
(in cupboard)
fouiner, fourrager
vt fus
[+place] fouiner dans
→ she and Ann-Sharon and Bim poked about the ruins
▲
potter about , potter around
(British)
vi faire des menus travaux
→ cabin cruisers eminently suitable for fishing or a pleasant few hours just pottering about
→ I was perfectly happy just pottering around doing up my flat.
→ We spent a lazy day just pottering around.
vt fus
to potter about the garden faire des menus travaux dans le jardin
→ At weekends he would potter around the garden.
▲
prance about
vi se pavaner
→ he was horrified at the thought of his son prancing about on a stage in tights
▲
prattle on about
vt fus parler à tort et à travers de
→ Lou prattled on about various trivialities till I wanted to scream
▲
prowl about , prowl around
vt fus
to prowl around the room, to prowl about the room tourner en rond dans la pièce
→ He prowled around the room, not sure what he was looking for.
She prowled anxiously about the room waiting for Anne to return. Elle tournait anxieusement en rond dans la pièce attendant le retour d'Anne.
▲
pull about
vt sep (British)
(=handle roughly)
[+person] malmener
▲
put about
vt sep
[+rumour] faire courir
→ The King had been putting about lurid rumours for months.
to put it about that ... faire courir le bruit que ...
She had been putting it about that Melanie was having an affair with the boss. Elle avait fait courir le bruit que Melanie avait une liaison avec le patron.
vi (NAUTICAL, NAVAL)
[ship] virer de bord
▲
roll about , roll around
vi rouler çà et là
[person] se rouler par terre
→ Next moment they were rolling about on the floor ...
▲
root about
vi fouiller
→ She rooted about in the cupboard, looking for a tinopener.
▲
rove about , rove around
vt fus
[+place]
[person] sillonner
→ He roved about the world like a vagabond.
→ Actors in 17th century costume rove around the castle grounds
[eyes] parcourir
→ His eyes roved restlessly about the room.
▲
rummage about , rummage around
vi farfouiller
to rummage around in sth, to rummage about in sth farfouiller dans qch
→ He rummaged around in his drawer ...
▲
run about
vi
[children] courir çà et là
▲
scrabble about , scrabble around
vi
(=grope) fourrager
She scrabbled around in her backpack. Elle fourragea dans son sac à dos.
to scrabble about for sth, to scrabble around for sth chercher qch à tâtons
▲
see about
vt fus
(=deal with) s'occuper de
→ Rudolph went into the station to see about Thomas's ticket ...
to see about doing sth s'occuper de faire qch
I must see about selling the house. Je dois m'occuper de vendre la maison.
▲
set about
vt fus
[+task] entreprendre
to set about doing sth entreprendre de faire qch
→ The next morning they awoke and set about cleaning the house.
▲
sit about , (British) sit around
vi (doing nothing)
rester assis (e) à ne rien faire
→ We were tired of sitting about waiting for something to happen.
▲
slouch about , slouch around
vi traîner à ne rien faire
→ She slouched about in slacks.
▲
think about
vt fus
(=have in one's thoughts) penser à
→ He thought about how happy he had once been.
What are you thinking about? À quoi penses-tu?
(=give thought to)
[+offer, proposal, suggestion] réfléchir à
I'll think about it. Je vais y réfléchir.
→ "Are you going to ask her?" -- "I'll think about it."
when you think about it ... quand on y pense ...
thinking about it ... quand on y pense ...
(=contemplate)
to think about doing sth penser à faire qch, envisager de faire qch
→ They're thinking about getting the kitchen redecorated
→ Whatever your budget, you shouldn't even think about buying a sofa until you've sat on it.
→ "We really ought to think about getting Saturday jobs," Rosie said
→ The thing is, don't just think about making a fresh start - do it.
(=show consideration for) penser à
Do you ever think about other people? Est-ce que tu penses parfois aux autres?
(=have opinion about) penser de
What do you think about the death penalty? Que pensez-vous de la peine de mort?
▲
thrash about
vi se débattre
→ Jimmy collapsed on the floor, thrashing about.
▲
throw about
▲
turn about
vi faire demi-tour