| Subject | English | French |
| gen. | after they were introduced to the attaché | après leur introduction auprès de l'attaché |
| gen. | after they were set free | après leur affranchissement |
| gen. | all eyes were fixed on her | elle était le centre de tous les regards |
| gen. | all eyes were on her | tout le monde avait les yeux fixés sur elle |
| gen. | all her hopes were shattered in an instant | tous ses espoirs ont été détruits en un instant |
| gen. | all her rights were restored | elle a été rétablie dans tous ses droits |
| gen. | all our hopes were dashed | tous nos espoirs se sont anéantis |
| gen. | all the glasses were clinking on the tray | tous les verres tintaient sur le plateau |
| gen. | all the people who were contacted | toutes les personnes pressenties |
| brit. | all the shops were closed | tous les commerçants étaient fermés |
| gen. | as I recall, you were rich at the time | il me revient que tu étais riche à l'époque (soutenu) |
| gen. | at a guess I'd say there were twenty of us | de tête, je dirais que nous étions vingt |
| gen. | at the latest count there were 130 dead | on dénombre 130 morts à ce jour |
| gen. | because there were no hold-ups in the traffic | grâce à la fluidité de la circulation |
| gen. | books were lying around here and there | des livres traînaient par-ci par-là |
| gen. | both bottles were drunk | les deux bouteilles y sont passées |
| gen. | both kidneys were affected by the virus | le virus a affecté les deux reins |
| gen. | bullets were whistling all around us | les balles sifflaient de tous côtés |
| gen. | but, Dad, we were only having fun! | mais, papa, c'était pour s'amuser! |
| gen. | charges against him were dismissed | il a bénéficié d'un non-lieu |
| UN, biol. | cloning havens" where such activities were not prohibited | " paradis du clonage " où de telles activités ne seraient pas interdites |
| gen. | 10, 000 copies of the book were published | le livre a été tiré à 10 000 exemplaires |
| gen. | crowds of tourists were marching along to the beach | des colonies de touristes marchaient vers la plage |
| fin. | date when the dividends were agreed | date de mise en paiement des dividendes |
| gen. | diamonds were trumps | il a joué atout carreau |
| gen. | did you find what you were looking for? | as-tu trouvé ton bonheur? |
| law | director behaving as if the company were personal business | dirigeant se comportant comme si la société était une affaire personnelle |
| gen. | 4 employees were laid off | il y a eu 4 licenciés |
| brit. | 4 employees were made redundant | il y a eu 4 licenciés |
| gen. | 1, 500 euros for that dresser? you were conned! | 1 500 euros pour ce buffet? tu t'es fait avoir! |
| gen. | 1, 500 euros for that dresser? you were done! | 1 500 euros pour ce buffet? tu t'es fait avoir! |
| gen. | 1, 500 euros for that dresser? you were had! | 1 500 euros pour ce buffet? tu t'es fait avoir! |
| gen. | 1, 500 euros were credited to my account | mon compte a été crédité de 1 500 euros |
| law | even if an annulment action were available | même si une action en annulation était possible |
| gen. | even if this were the only means left to us I wouldn't use it | alors même qu'il ne nous resterait que ce moyen, je refuserais de l'utiliser (soutenu) |
| gen. | everybody thought you were a goner | tout le monde a cru que tu allais y passer |
| law | factors derived from natural justice praeter legem were employed to supplement the silence of the law | des éléments tirés de l'équitépraeter legemont été mis en oeuvre pour suppléer au silence de la loi |
| gen. | films were still silent in those days | le cinéma d'alors était encore muet |
| gen. | French settlers in Algeria who were repatriated as a result of Algerian independence in 1962 | les rapatriés d'Algérie |
| gen. | French women whose heads were shaved at the end of World War II for fraternizing with Germans | les tondues |
| gen. | God knows how many soldiers were needed | il a fallu je ne sais combien de soldats |
| gen. | great beads of sweat were rolling off my forehead | je transpirais à grosses gouttes |
| gen. | great drops of sweat were rolling off my forehead | je transpirais à grosses gouttes |
| gen. | half-a-dozen people were waiting | une demi-douzaine de gens attendaient |
| gen. | have you learnt what you were set for tomorrow's lesson? | sais-tu ta leçon pour demain? |
| gen. | he left but those who were in the know kept quiet | il est parti mais les gens au courant n'ont rien dit |
| gen. | he looked as if he were dead | il était comme mort |
| gen. | he refused to see the new arrivals, whoever they were | il a refusé de recevoir les nouveaux arrivants, quels qu'ils fussent |
| gen. | he took advantage of the quarrel the other two were having | il était le troisième larron dans cette affaire |
| fig. | he was so angry that his eyes were popping out | il était tellement en colère que les yeux lui sortaient des orbites (of their sockets) |
| gen. | her calls were swallowed up by the crowd | ses appels se perdirent dans la foule |
| gen. | her clothes were soaked with perfume | elle avait inondé ses vêtements de parfum |
| fig. | her eyes were flashing | ses yeux lançaient des éclairs |
| fig. | her eyes were flashing | ses yeux jetaient des éclairs |
| gen. | her eyes were popping out of her head | elle avait les yeux qui lui sortaient de la tête |
| gen. | her eyes were sparkling with happiness | ses yeux étincelaient de bonheur |
| gen. | her eyes were sparkling with pride | ses yeux étincelaient de fierté |
| gen. | her hands were gloved in black lace | ses mains étaient gantées de dentelle noire |
| gen. | his annoying little habits were getting on my nerves | ses petites manies m'horripilaient |
| gen. | his childish ways were driving me mad | ses gamineries m'exaspéraient |
| gen. | his clothes were all in rags | ses vêtements tombaient en loques |
| gen. | his clothes were all in tatters | ses vêtements tombaient en loques |
| gen. | his crimes were exposed for all to see | ses crimes furent étalés dans toute leur nudité |
| gen. | his eyelids were beginning to droop | ses paupières s'alourdissaient |
| gen. | his eyelids were getting heavy | ses paupières s'alourdissaient |
| gen. | his eyes were blurred with tears | il avait les yeux brouillés par les larmes |
| gen. | his heart was in his boots before the results were released | il n'en menait pas large avant la publication des résultats |
| gen. | his intentions were good | ça partait d'un bon sentiment |
| gen. | his knees were knocking | ses genoux jouaient des castagnettes |
| fig. | his letters were tinged with bitterness | ses lettres étaient aigres-douces |
| gen. | his remarks were very bitter | ses propos étaient pleins d'aigreur |
| gen. | his sleeves were rolled up to the elbows | ses manches étaient relevées jusqu'au coude |
| gen. | his teeth were chattering | ses dents jouaient des castagnettes |
| gen. | his trousers were all creased around the knee | son pantalon était tout fripé aux genoux |
| gen. | his words were far from reassuring to me | ses paroles n'étaient pas pour me rassurer |
| gen. | history will tell whether we were right | l'histoire dira si nous avons eu raison |
| gen. | horse and rider were as one | il ne faisait qu'un avec sa monture |
| gen. | how fast were you going? | à quelle vitesse rouliez-vous? |
| gen. | how much were you stung for? | tu t'en es sorti pour combien? |
| gen. | I couldn't figure out what they were up to | je ne comprenais rien à leur manège |
| gen. | I got to know him while we were shooting the picture | je l'ai connu au cours du tournage |
| inf. | I had a pair of brand new boots, all my friends were green with envy! | j'avais des bottes neuves, tous les copains en bavaient! |
| gen. | I had the feeling we were going backwards | j'avais la sensation qu'on reculait |
| inf. | I know you as if you were my own | je te connais comme si je t'avais fait! |
| gen. | I still think you were wrong | je persiste à croire que tu avais tort |
| gen. | I would ask him if I were not so shy | je lui demanderais, si ma timidité ne m'en empêchait |
| gen. | I would like to speak to you: it's to do with what we were talking about yesterday | je voudrais vous parler: ça a à voir avec notre discussion d'hier |
| gen. | I wouldn't like it to look as though I were ordering him about | je ne voudrais pas avoir l'air de lui donner des ordres |
| gen. | I wouldn't take a chance on it if I were you | je ne m'y risquerais pas si j'étais toi |
| gen. | ideas were dancing around in his head | les idées tourbillonnaient dans sa tête |
| gen. | ideas were whirling around in his head | les idées tourbillonnaient dans sa tête |
| gen. | if food supplies were to run out | si les vivres venaient à manquer |
| gen. | if I were him... | si j'étais lui... |
| gen. | if I were you, I wouldn't lay too much emphasis on the salary | si j'étais toi, je n'insisterais pas trop sur le salaire |
| gen. | if I were you I'd go | à ta place, j'irais |
| proverb | if ifs and buts were pots and pans, there'd be no trade for tinkers | avec des si, on mettrait Paris en bouteille |
| gen. | if it were only a question of money, the answer would be simple! | s'il ne s'agissait que d'argent, la solution serait simple! |
| gen. | if my legs were still up to it, there'd be no holding me! | tu verrais, si j'avais encore mes jambes! |
| gen. | if my legs were still up to it, there'd be no stopping me! | tu verrais, si j'avais encore mes jambes! |
| gen. | if this examination were to reveal ... | si cet examen révélait ... |
| gen. | if this were really so | s'il en était vraiment ainsi |
| gen. | if this were really the case | s'il en était vraiment ainsi |
| gen. | if you were me, would you ever go and see him again? | si tu étais à ma place, tu retournerais le voir? |
| gen. | if you were the least bit observant | si tu étais un tant soit peu observateur |
| gen. | I'll leave you to imagine how surprised they were | je vous laisse à imaginer s'ils étaient surpris |
| gen. | illness and money worries were her daily lot | la maladie, les soucis d'argent, c'était son pain quotidien |
| gen. | I'm asking you again, where were you yesterday? | je reviens à ma question, où étiez-vous hier? |
| gen. | I'm asking you again, where were you yesterday? | j'en à ma question, où étiez-vous hier? |
| gen. | in the old days, houses were very basic | les maisons d'autrefois n'avaient aucun confort |
| gen. | in the past, houses were very basic | les maisons d'autrefois n'avaient aucun confort |
| met. | in these investigations isolated carbide residues were examined | les auteurs qui ont étudié les phases carburées à partir de résidus extraits |
| gen. | in those days, such speeds were unthinkable | à cette époque-là, de telles vitesses n'étaient pas pensables |
| gen. | it looks like you were wrong | il faut croire que tu avais tort |
| gen. | it was unwise of you were ill-advised not to come | tu as été malavisé de ne pas venir |
| gen. | I've reached the stage where I almost wish he were dead | j'en viendrais presque à souhaiter sa mort |
| insur. | leaders were prohibited from attempting to "lead" on the renewal | apériteur du renouvellement |
| gen. | let me point out to you that you were wrong | je te ferai observer que tu t'es trompé |
| gen. | look at them, you wouldn't think they were rolling in it | à les voir, on ne dirait pas qu'ils roulent sur l'or |
| gen. | lots were drawn and her name came up | on a tiré au sort et c'est tombé sur elle |
| gen. | malignant thoughts were going through her mind | elle nourrissait des pensées vénéneuses |
| tech., met. | microsections were wet polished | des échantillons ont été preparés par meulage mécanique à l'eau |
| gen. | most of the audience were tourists | il y avait surtout des touristes dans la salle |
| gen. | motionless, as it were paralysed | immobile, pétrifié en quelque sorte |
| gen. | my answers in the oral exam were rather poor | j'ai répondu assez médiocrement à l'examen oral |
| gen. | 3, 000 new jobs were created in May | il y a eu 3 000 créations d'emplois en mai |
| gen. | numerous démarches were made to governments | de nombreuses démarches furent effectuées auprès de plusieurs gouvernements |
| gen. | on our side the aim has been to see whether any serious problems were likely to arise | notre objectif était de déterminer si de graves difficultés risquaient de se présenter |
| gen. | opinions which were required to be obtained | les avis obligatoirement recueillis |
| gen. | our hearts were beating as one | nos cœurs battaient à l'unisson |
| gen. | our hearts were beating in unison | nos cœurs battaient à l'unisson |
| gen. | our parents never took time off and they were none the worse for it | nos parents ne prenaient pas de congés et ne s'en portaient pas plus mal |
| gen. | our plans were turned upside down | il y a eu un chamboulement complet dans nos projets |
| gen. | our prayers were answered | nos prières ont été entendues |
| gen. | our results were more than encouraging | on a obtenu des résultats plus qu'encourageants |
| gen. | 15 out of 100 candidates were shortlisted | sur 100 candidats, 15 ont été retenus |
| inf. | 60 people were killed — good God! | il y a eu 60 morts — ben dites donc! |
| gen. | people were pushing and shoving to get a look at the President | les gens se poussaient pour voir arriver le Président |
| gen. | people were pushing to get in | on se pressait pour entrer |
| hist. | period after the Second World War during which collaborators were tried and punished | l'Épuration |
| law | period during which the goods disposed of were held | période de détention des biens aliénés |
| gen. | plates were flying all over the kitchen! | les assiettes dinguaient dans la cuisine! |
| gen. | punishments were showering down on the pupils | les punitions pleuvaient sur les élèves |
| gen. | punishments were showering down upon the pupils | les punitions pleuvaient sur les élèves |
| insur., sociol. | recovery of benefits which were not due | récupération de prestations indues |
| gen. | satirical television puppet show in which French political figures were represented as animals | le Bébête Show |
| gen. | sausages and hams were hanging from the ceiling | des cochonnailles pendaient au plafond |
| gen. | searches were conducted over a vast area | des recherches ont été entreprises dans un vaste périmètre |
| gen. | she's his reason for living, as it were | elle est pour ainsi dire sa raison de vivre |
| gen. | she told me she didn't care, those were her exact words | elle m'a dit qu'elle s'en fichait, textuel |
| gen. | she told them straight to their faces that they were incompetent | elle leur jeta à la figure qu'ils étaient des incapables |
| gen. | so, we were saying that... | nous disions donc que... |
| gen. | some cats were making a dreadful noise in the courtyard | on entendait de terribles miaulements dans la cour |
| gen. | some old scores were settled | il y a eu des règlements de comptes |
| gen. | some passages were a little boring | il y avait des longueurs |
| gen. | some underhand deals were struck | il y a eu des tractations en sous-main |
| busin., labor.org. | State where the insolvency proceedings were opened | Etat sur le territoire duquel la procédure a été ouverte |
| amer. | stores were closed | tous les commerçants étaient fermés |
| gen. | suspicions were aroused by the fact that he was so eager to admit his guilt | son empressement à se déclarer coupable éveilla les soupçons |
| gen. | the applications from the Member States were ... geared to these two objectives | les demandes des Etats membres étaient ... axées sur ces deux objectifs |
| gen. | the babies were switched round | il y a eu substitution d'enfant |
| gen. | all the big names in fashion were there | tout le Gotha de la mode était là |
| gen. | the bodies of the victims were repatriated yesterday | les dépouilles des victimes ont été rapatriées hier |
| gen. | the bodies of those executed were piled onto carts | les corps des suppliciés étaient entassés dans des charrettes |
| gen. | the bodies were torn to pieces by the explosion | les corps ont été déchiquetés par l'explosion |
| gen. | the branches were weighed down with fruit | les branches pliaient sous le poids des fruits |
| gen. | the branches were weighed down with snow | les branches pliaient sous le poids de la neige |
| gen. | the burning pains which were knotting his stomach | les brûlures qui lui tordaient l'estomac |
| met., el. | the carbide phases were determined by electrolytic separation | la détermination des phases de carbure a été effectuée par dissolution électrolytique sélective |
| met. | the carburized specimens were cooled | les échantillons cémentés ont été refroidis |
| gen. | the children's voices were ringing out in the stairway | la voix des enfants retentissait dans l'escalier |
| gen. | the children were gleefully capering around the Christmas tree | les enfants gambadaient de joie autour de l'arbre de Noël |
| gen. | the children were left in the custody of their mother | la garde des enfants fut confiée à la mère |
| gen. | the children were running behind their parents | les enfants suivaient leurs parents en courant |
| gen. | the children were tearing down the hill doing somersaults | les enfants dévalaient la colline en faisant des galipettes |
| gen. | the children were trying to outdo each other in answering | les enfants répondaient à qui mieux mieux |
| gen. | the children were trying to sneak up to the front | les enfants essayaient de se faufiler au premier rang |
| gen. | the children were writing in the sand with a stick | les enfants écrivaient dans le sable avec un bâton |
| gen. | the circuit breakers were activated by the programmer | les disjoncteurs ont été mis en jeu par le programmateur |
| gen. | the circumstances were in my favour | les circonstances m'ont beaucoup servi |
| met. | the creep rupture tests were carried out at 500 C until fracture occurred | les essais de fluage ont été effectués à 500 C jusqu'à l'apparition de la rupture |
| gen. | the cyclists were knocked down by a lorry | les cyclistes ont été fauchés par un camion |
| gen. | the demonstrators were flocking to the cathedral | les manifestants affluaient vers la cathédrale |
| gen. | the demonstrators were manhandled by the police | la police a molesté les manifestants |
| gen. | the eggs were laid yesterday | les œufs sont d'hier |
| gen. | the exams were conducted in accordance with the rules | les épreuves se sont déroulées conformément au règlement |
| gen. | the fact is we were late | le fait est que nous étions en retard |
| gen. | the facts were detailed in the papers | les faits ont été relatés dans la presse |
| gen. | the facts were reported in the papers | les faits ont été relatés dans la presse |
| gen. | the foals were running around panic-stricken | les poulains étaient affolés |
| gen. | the front pages of the newspapers were full of news about the accident | l'accident a rempli les premières pages des journaux |
| gen. | the gates were closed at noon | la fermeture des grilles avait lieu à midi |
| gen. | the group were given a 10-minute standing ovation | le groupe s'est fait ovationner pendant 10 minutes |
| met. | the hardening precipitates of CU were not found | les précipités durcissants de CU n'étaient pas visibles |
| gen. | the hens and chickens were extremely agitated | toute la basse-cour était en émoi |
| gen. | the journalists were in and out of the ministry all day | les journalistes ont défilé au ministère toute la journée |
| gen. | the kidnappers were spotted near the hospital | les ravisseurs se sont fait repérer près de l'hôpital |
| gen. | the lights were going out one after the other | une à une, les lumières s'éteignaient |
| gen. | the lights were going out one by one | une à une, les lumières s'éteignaient |
| law | the liquidators were entitled to give Mr X a power of attorney to bring the present action | les liquidateurs avaient pouvoir pour donner mandat au sieur X de faire introduire le présent recours |
| gen. | the members of the rescue party were wading about in the mud | les sauveteurs pataugeaient dans la boue |
| gen. | the models were parading up and down the catwalk | les mannequins défilaient |
| gen. | the most deserving pupils were given a reward | les élèves les plus méritants ont été récompensés |
| gen. | the mountains were silhouetted in the distance | les montagnes au loin profilaient leur silhouette |
| gen. | the mountain-tops were covered in snow | la neige coiffait les sommets |
| gen. | the negotiations were conducted with skill | les négociations ont été habilement menées |
| gen. | the neighbours' lights were out | c'était éteint chez les voisins |
| gen. | the night during which feudal privileges were abolished by the 'Assemblée Constituante' | la nuit du 4 août 1789 (considered to be one of the starting points of the French Revolution) |
| gen. | the overexcited children were squealing | les enfants surexcités poussaient des glapissements |
| gen. | the pages were all scribbled over in black pencil | les pages étaient toutes griffonnées au crayon noir |
| gen. | the patients were in a state of total neglect | les patients étaient dans un état de délabrement total |
| gen. | the planes were grounded today | aujourd'hui, les avions ne sont pas sortis |
| gen. | the police were soon unable to contain the demonstrators | le service d'ordre fut rapidement submergé par les manifestants |
| gen. | the president's most recent statements were not very reassuring | le président n'a pas été très rassurant dans ses dernières déclarations |
| gen. | the previous tenants were much nicer | les locataires d'avant étaient plus sympathiques |
| fin. | the price rose to a premium when the securities were introduced on the secondary market | l'emprunt a été introduit en bourse au-dessus du pair |
| gen. | the prisoners were walking round and round the yard | les prisonniers tournaient dans la cour |
| gen. | the products have not, since they were consigned for exhibition, been used for any purpose other than demonstration at the exhibition | depuis le moment où ils ont été expédiés en vue de l'exposition, les produits n'ont pas été utilisés à des fins autres que la présentation à cette exposition |
| fin. | the profits which it might be expected to make if it were a distinct and separate enterprise | les bénéfices qu'il aurait pu réaliser s'il avait constitué une entreprise distincte |
| gen. | the right-wing candidates were eliminated in the first round | les candidats de droite sont tombés au premier tour |
| environ. | the samples were taken with a dust collection apparatus | les prélèvements ont été effectués à l'aide d'un dispositif collecteur de poussières |
| gen. | the scents of various flowers were mingling in the air | des fleurs variées mêlaient leurs parfums |
| gen. | the soldiers were billeted with the local population | les soldats logeaient chez l'habitant |
| gen. | the soldiers were quartered with the local population | les soldats logeaient chez l'habitant |
| gen. | the storm broke when we were still a long way from the house | l'orage éclata alors que nous étions encore loin de la maison |
| gen. | the storm broke while we were still a long way from the house | l'orage éclata alors que nous étions encore loin de la maison |
| gen. | the surrounding streets were evacuated | les quartiers avoisinants ont été évacués |
| gen. | the takings were good | on a fait une bonne recette |
| gen. | the takings were poor | on a fait une mauvaise recette |
| gen. | the terrorists were escorted back to the border by the police | les terroristes ont été reconduits à la frontière sous bonne escorte |
| gen. | the terrorists were taken back to the border under police escort | les terroristes ont été reconduits à la frontière sous bonne escorte |
| gen. | the tips of my fingers were numb with cold | j'avais l'onglée |
| gen. | the travellers were jammed tight in the train | les voyageurs étaient comprimés dans le train |
| gen. | the travellers were packed tight in the train | les voyageurs étaient comprimés dans le train |
| gen. | the trees were rustling in the wind | le vent faisait bruire les arbres |
| ironic. | the two drivers were swapping insults | les deux conducteurs échangeaient des douceurs |
| econ. | the value before they were repaired of the re-imported repaired goods | valeur avant réparation des biens réparés réimportés |
| gen. | the veins on his neck were bulging with the strain | l'effort faisait saillir les veines de son cou |
| gen. | the veins on his neck were swelling with the strain | l'effort faisait saillir les veines de son cou |
| gen. | the village we were heading for | le village vers lequel nous nous dirigions |
| gen. | the votes were transferred to the Communist candidate | les votes ont été reportés sur le candidat communiste |
| gen. | the walls were oozing with damp | les murs ruisselaient d'humidité |
| gen. | the walls were streaming with damp | les murs ruisselaient d'humidité |
| gen. | the willows were mirrored in the lake | les saules se miraient dans le lac |
| coal. | the workings were classified as of dustiness category I or II | les chantiers ont été rangés dans les classes d'empoussiérages I et II |
| gen. | the wounded were carried behind the lines | les blessés ont été transportés à l'arrière |
| environ. | the X-rays were semihomogeneous in a broad horizontal band | les rayons X étaient semi-homogènes dans une bande horizontale large |
| gen. | their hopes were revived | leurs espoirs se ranimèrent |
| gen. | their testimonies were at variance with each other | ils ont présenté des témoignages discordants |
| gen. | there is no firm evidence as yet that terrorists were involved | rien ne permet encore d' affirmer qu'il s'agit d'un acte terroriste |
| gen. | there was a tree and the children were running round it | il y avait un arbre et les enfants couraient tout autour |
| gen. | there was fierce controversy when the models were first presented | la présentation des modèles a d'abord provoqué une vive controverse |
| gen. | there was fierce controversy when the models were first unveiled | la présentation des modèles a d'abord provoqué une vive controverse |
| gen. | there were a few fine rallies | il y a eu quelques beaux échanges |
| gen. | there were a few good rallies | il y a eu quelques beaux échanges |
| gen. | there were a heck of a lot of them | ils étaient rudement nombreux |
| gen. | there were crowds of people in the street | il y avait plein de gens dans la rue |
| gen. | there were fewer of us | nous leur étions inférieurs en nombre (than of them) |
| gen. | there were five of us in the room | nous étions cinq dans la pièce |
| gen. | there were five or six of them | ils étaient cinq ou six |
| gen. | there were freshly cut flowers on the table | il y avait des fleurs fraîches sur la table |
| gen. | there were great festivities to celebrate this reunion | ces retrouvailles furent l'occasion de grandes réjouissances |
| gen. | there were gusts of wind | le vent soufflait en bourrasques |
| gen. | there were gusts of wind | le vent soufflait en rafales |
| gen. | there were his parents, his brothers and also his cousins | il y avait ses parents, ses frères et puis aussi ses cousins |
| gen. | there were ice creams galore | il y avait des glaces en veux-tu en voilà |
| brit. | there were 4 layoffs | il y a eu 4 licenciés |
| gen. | there were many converts to the idea | l'idée a fait de nombreux prosélytes |
| gen. | there were many job losses in the area | il y a eu beaucoup de suppressions d'emploi dans la région |
| gen. | there were masses of people in the street | il y avait plein de gens dans la rue |
| gen. | there were more soldiers as we approached the border | aux approches de la frontière, il y avait davantage de soldats |
| gen. | there were more soldiers as we neared the border | aux approches de la frontière, il y avait davantage de soldats |
| gen. | there were no witnesses to the accident | l'accident s'est passé sans témoin |
| gen. | there were 150, 000 of them, taking all disciplines together | ils étaient 150 000, toutes disciplines confondues |
| gen. | there were 150, 000 of them, taking all races together | ils étaient 150 000, toutes races confondues |
| gen. | there were only minor injuries | il n'y a eu que des blessés légers |
| gen. | there were only three warring parties | les belligérants n'étaient que trois |
| gen. | there were petits fours, champagne, the whole works! | il y avait des petits fours, du champagne, tout le tralala! |
| brit. | there were 4 redundancies | il y a eu 4 licenciés |
| gen. | there were some noisy hecklers in the audience | il y avait de bruyants contradicteurs dans l'auditoire |
| gen. | there were three of them for every one of us | ils nous sont tombés dessus à trois contre un |
| gen. | there were too many of us | nous étions en surnombre |
| gen. | there were twelve starters | douze coureurs ont pris le départ (de la course) |
| gen. | there were twelve starters | douze voitures ont pris le départ (de la course) |
| gen. | there were twelve starters | douze chevaux ont pris le départ (de la course) |
| gen. | these measures were drastic but extremely efficient | ces mesures étaient sévères mais combien efficaces |
| gen. | these miscarriages of justice were the impetus for the bill | ces erreurs judiciaires ont été à l'origine du projet de loi |
| gen. | these photos were unposed | ces photos ont été prises sur le vif |
| gen. | these were his dying words | ce furent ses dernières paroles |
| gen. | these were his last words | ce furent ses dernières paroles |
| gen. | they claimed they were married but they're nothing of the sort | ils se disaient mariés, en fait il n'en est rien |
| gen. | they shared the chocolates that were left | ils se sont partagé les chocolats restants |
| gen. | they were a touching sight | ils formaient un tableau touchant |
| gen. | they were able to empty the safes without being disturbed | ils ont vidé les coffres sans être inquiétés |
| gen. | they were able to empty the safes without being interrupted | ils ont vidé les coffres sans être inquiétés |
| gen. | they were able to make contact through an intermediary | ils ont pu se contacter par personne interposée |
| gen. | they were all admiring the new-born baby | tous s'exclamaient sur le nouveau-né |
| gen. | they were all after him | il les avait tous à dos |
| gen. | they were all eyes and ears | ils étaient tout yeux et tout oreilles |
| gen. | they were all impressed by how young the government ministers were | tous furent impressionnés par la jeunesse de l'équipe gouvernementale |
| gen. | they were all pressing up against the window | ils s'agglutinaient à la fenêtre |
| gen. | they were ankle-deep in mud, the mud came up to their ankles | ils avaient de la boue jusqu'aux chevilles, la boue leur arrivait aux chevilles |
| gen. | they were at each other's throats | ils allaient s'étriper |
| gen. | they were bold enough to attack our right flank | ils ont eu l'audace de nous attaquer par le flanc droit |
| gen. | they were born within two months of each other | ils sont nés à deux mois de distance |
| gen. | they were bound to find each other again | il était écrit qu'ils se retrouveraient |
| gen. | they were bustling in and out | ils entraient et sortaient d'un air affairé |
| gen. | they were calling each other liars | ils se traitaient de menteurs |
| gen. | they were caught out by nightfall | ils se sont laissé surprendre par la nuit |
| gen. | they were dancing to the sound of rock music | ils dansaient de la musique rock |
| gen. | they were dancing to the sound of rock music | ils dansaient sur une musique rock |
| gen. | they were devastated by his death | ils ont été profondément choqués par sa mort |
| gen. | they were discharged | on les a renvoyés chez eux |
| gen. | they were driven back at the border | ils se sont fait refouler à la frontière |
| gen. | they were engaged in blackmail | ils se livraient au chantage |
| gen. | they were exchanging insults | elles se lançaient des injures |
| gen. | they were eyeing each other up | ils s'examinaient avec méfiance |
| gen. | they were fated to find each other again | il était écrit qu'ils se retrouveraient |
| gen. | they were given a beautiful poem to learn | on leur a fait apprendre une belle récitation (by heart) |
| gen. | they were given an advantage over the foreign students | ils ont été avantagés par rapport aux étudiants étrangers |
| gen. | they were having a lively discussion about biology | elles discutaient de biologie avec animation |
| gen. | they were having a row | ils se bringuaient |
| gen. | they were having a whale of a time | ils s'amusaient tout ce qu'ils savaient |
| gen. | they were held at the police station | on les a gardés au commissariat |
| gen. | they were helped, but they put a lot of effort into it | ils ont été aidés, mais ils y ont mis beaucoup du leur (themselves) |
| gen. | they were hurling insults back and forth | elles se lançaient des injures |
| gen. | they were imprisoned without trial for three months | ils ont fait trois mois de préventive |
| gen. | they were in fancy dress, some as Pierrots, others as shepherdesses | ils étaient déguisés, qui en Pierrot, qui en bergère |
| gen. | they were in it together | ils étaient de mèche |
| gen. | they were in the same class | ils étaient camarades de promotion |
| gen. | they were in the same year | ils étaient camarades de promotion |
| gen. | they were killing themselves laughing | ils étaient écroulés |
| gen. | they were kitted out with ropes and ice axes for the climb | ils s'étaient harnachés de cordes et de piolets pour l'ascension |
| gen. | they were lingering over their coffee | elles s'attardaient à boire leur café |
| gen. | they were locked in a tender embrace | ils étaient tendrement enlacés |
| gen. | they were made to leave | on les a fait sortir de force |
| gen. | they were married in the strictest privacy | ils se sont mariés dans la plus stricte intimité |
| gen. | they were not on the same wavelength at all | entre eux, c'était un véritable dialogue de sourds |
| gen. | they were rather pleased to be home again | ils n'étaient pas fâchés de se retrouver chez eux |
| gen. | they were rushing towards the village from all directions | ils accouraient de toutes parts vers le village |
| gen. | they were sent back home | on les a renvoyés chez eux |
| gen. | they were silhouetted against the sunset | leurs silhouettes se détachaient sur le soleil couchant |
| gen. | they were staring at us as if we'd come from Mars | ils nous regardaient comme des bêtes curieuses |
| gen. | they were stunned by their father's anger | la fureur de leur père les avait tétanisés |
| gen. | they were supposed to come on saturday, at least that's what they told us | ils devaient venir samedi, c'est du moins ce qu'ils nous avaient dit |
| gen. | they were three to one against us | ils nous sont tombés dessus à trois contre un |
| gen. | they were thrilled with the new baby | cette naissance les a ravis |
| gen. | they were trying to drive the demonstrators towards the square | ils essayaient de pousser les manifestants vers la place |
| gen. | they were trying to push the demonstrators towards the square | ils essayaient de pousser les manifestants vers la place |
| amer. | they were unable to stop spectators from invading the field | ils n'ont pas pu empêcher l'irruption des spectateurs sur le terrain |
| brit. | they were unable to stop spectators from invading the pitch | ils n'ont pas pu empêcher l'irruption des spectateurs sur le terrain |
| amer. | they were unable to stop spectators from storming the field | ils n'ont pas pu empêcher l'irruption des spectateurs sur le terrain |
| brit. | they were unable to stop spectators from storming the pitch | ils n'ont pas pu empêcher l'irruption des spectateurs sur le terrain |
| gen. | they were united in matrimony | ils se sont pris pour époux |
| gen. | they were waiting for the runners to go by | ils attendaient le passage des coureurs |
| gen. | they were walking hand in hand | ils marchaient en se tenant la main |
| gen. | they were walking one behind the other | ils marchaient l'un derrière l'autre |
| gen. | they were walking side by side | ils marchaient l'un à côté de l'autre |
| gen. | they were weaker in the scrums | ils se sont fait dominer en mêlée |
| gen. | they'd got to the stage where they were arguing almost every day | leurs disputes étaient devenues presque quotidiennes |
| gen. | things were becoming farcical | la situation tournait à la farce |
| gen. | things were decided very quickly | les choses se sont décidées très vite |
| gen. | this year her efforts were finally rewarded | cette année a vu le couronnement de ses efforts |
| gen. | those were heady days | ce furent des moments enivrants |
| gen. | those were her very words | ce furent ses propres termes |
| gen. | those were her very words | c'est ce qu'elle a dit, mot pour mot |
| gen. | three men were needed to keep him down | il a fallu trois hommes pour le maintenir allongé |
| gen. | tongues of fire were licking the wall | des langues de feu léchaient le mur |
| gen. | tonnages in respect of which licences were issued | tonnages pour lesquels des licences ont été délivrées |
| gen. | toys that were left behind | quelques jouets oubliés |
| gen. | traces of mud were discovered on his shoes | on a relevé des traces de boue sur ses chaussures |
| gen. | traces of mud were found on his shoes | on a relevé des traces de boue sur ses chaussures |
| environ. | trading rights that were improperly generated | vente de permis émis sans contrepartie |
| gen. | trees were uprooted during the storm | des arbres ont été déterrés par la tempête |
| inf. | true, we were a bit unlucky | c'est vrai qu'on n'a pas eu de chance |
| gen. | two people were struck by lightning yesterday during the thunderstorm | deux personnes ont été foudroyées hier pendant l'orage |
| gen. | wads of banknotes were sticking out of his wallet | des liasses de billets dépassaient de son portefeuille |
| gen. | wads of notes were sticking out of his wallet | des liasses de billets dépassaient de son portefeuille |
| gen. | we are treated as though we were not wanted | on nous traite comme des indésirables |
| gen. | we were a happy lot | on formait une joyeuse équipe |
| gen. | we were about to leave | nous étions près de partir |
| gen. | we were about to leave when the door bell rang | nous allions partir lorsqu'on a sonné |
| gen. | we were as one | nous ne formions qu'un seul être |
| gen. | we were at loggerheads for a long time | on est longtemps restés en bisbille |
| gen. | we were attracted to each other straight away | l'attirance entre nous deux a été immédiate |
| gen. | we were badly frightened | on a eu très peur |
| inf. | we were bitten to death by mosquitoes | on s'est fait manger par les moustiques |
| gen. | we were bumper to bumper | nous étions pare-chocs contre pare-chocs |
| gen. | we were chatting away nicely chatting away when... | on discutait gentiment quand... |
| gen. | we were chatting away quietly chatting away when... | on discutait gentiment quand... |
| gen. | we were cut off | la communication a été coupée |
| gen. | we were dazzled by her talent | nous avons été éblouis par son talent |
| gen. | we were deluged with telephone calls after last night's programme | l'émission d'hier soir nous a valu une avalanche de coups de téléphone |
| gen. | we were dumbfounded | nous sommes tombés des nues |
| gen. | we were duped | on s'est fait berner |
| gen. | we were each given 100 euros | on nous a remis 100 euros à chacun |
| gen. | we were engaged in idle chatter | nous parlions de choses insignifiantes |
| gen. | we were five kilometres away from the border | cinq kilomètres nous séparaient de la frontière |
| gen. | we were flabbergasted | nous sommes tombés des nues |
| gen. | we were freezing cold | on était morts de froid |
| gen. | we were given a right royal welcome | nous avons été accueillis princièrement |
| inf. | we were going at full speed | on roulait à pleins gaz |
| inf. | we were going flat out | on roulait à pleins gaz |
| inf. | we were having a whale of a time | on s'amusait comme des petits fous |
| gen. | we were in absolute fits | on ne se tenait plus de rire (of laughter) |
| gen. | we were in one hell of a mess after he left | on s'est retrouvé dans un beau merdier après son départ |
| gen. | we were in the front row | on était au premier rang |
| gen. | we were in the same year | on était de la même volée |
| gen. | we were knee-deep in snow | on était dans la neige à mi-jambe |
| gen. | we were knee-deep in snow | on était dans la neige jusqu'aux genoux |
| gen. | we were late handing in our tests | nous avons rendu nos épreuves en retard |
| gen. | we were led to believe that these facts were true | ces faits nous ont été donnés comme vrais |
| gen. | we were left stranded | on est restés en rade |
| gen. | we were low on water | nous étions presque à court d'eau |
| gen. | we were meant for each other | nous étions destinés l'un à l'autre |
| gen. | we were not warned about the danger | nous n'avons pas été avertis du danger |
| gen. | we were promised help | on nous a promis de l'aide |
| gen. | we were rather hard up at the time | on n'était pas très argentés à l'époque |
| gen. | we were regaled with his war memories as usual! | on a encore eu droit à ses souvenirs de guerre! |
| gen. | we were running short of water | nous étions presque à court d'eau |
| gen. | we were seated in the first row | nous étions assis au premier rang |
| gen. | we were slowly making our way home when... | nous nous en revenions tranquillement lorsque... |
| gen. | we were stunned by the news | la nouvelle nous avait abasourdis |
| gen. | we were taken in | on s'est fait berner |
| gen. | we were talking about love in general | on parlait de l'amour en général |
| gen. | we were totally bewildered | on nageait dans le mystère |
| gen. | we were treated to a lecture on politeness | on a eu droit à une dissertation sur la politesse |
| gen. | we were two hours away from the border | deux heures nous séparaient de la frontière |
| gen. | we were up to our knees in snow | on était dans la neige jusqu'aux genoux |
| gen. | we were very disappointed | on était très déçus |
| gen. | we were waiting to go out | nous attendions de sortir |
| gen. | we were walking next to one another | nous marchions de front |
| gen. | we were well and truly taken for a ride! | on a été roulés dans les grandes largeurs! |
| gen. | weapons were used | les armes ont parlé |
| gen. | weeds were taking over the abandoned garden | les mauvaises herbes pullulaient dans le jardin abandonné |
| gen. | were you there? | est-ce que tu y étais? |
| gen. | were you thinking of buying shares? | avais-tu dans l'idée d'acheter des actions? |
| gen. | were your investigations fruitful? | vos recherches ont-elles été fructueuses? |
| gen. | were your investigations successful? | vos recherches ont-elles été fructueuses? |
| gen. | we've known each other since we were babies | on se connaît depuis le berceau |
| gen. | what if you were found out? | et si l'on vous découvrait? |
| gen. | what if you were wrong? | et si tu te trompais? |
| gen. | what speed were you doing? | à quelle vitesse rouliez-vous? |
| gen. | what speed were you travelling at? | à quelle vitesse rouliez-vous? |
| gen. | what were you saying? — it doesn't matter | que disais-tu? — c'est sans intérêt |
| gen. | what were you saying? — it's not important | que disais-tu? — c'est sans intérêt |
| gen. | when the facts were stated | à l'énoncé des faits |
| fig. | when the Stock Exchange crashed, the banks were stormed by small shareholders | à la chute de la Bourse, les banques ont été prises d'assaut par les petits porteurs |
| gen. | when we got there we were surprised to find that the weather was good | à notre grande surprise, nous avons trouvé le beau temps en arrivant |
| gen. | when you were born | quand tu es né |
| gen. | when you were born | à ta naissance |
| gen. | where did you buy the book you were talking about? | et où as-tu acheté ce fameux bouquin? |
| gen. | while the witnesses were being heard | pendant l'audition des témoins |
| gen. | while you were working in Boston | au cours de votre mission à Boston |
| environ. | worked specimens that were acquired more than 50 years previously | spécimens travaillés acquis plus de cinquante ans auparavant |
| insur. | year in which the provisions were created | année de constitution des provisions |
| gen. | you could almost imagine that you were at the seaside | un peu plus et on se serait cru au bord de la mer |
| gen. | you should have made sure you were better equipped | vous auriez dû mieux vous outiller |
| avunc. | you were a bitch <-> to me | tu as été salope avec moi |
| gen. | you were a fool to refuse | tu as fait une bêtise en refusant |
| gen. | you were a great help to me | tu m'as bien rendu service |
| gen. | you were asked | c'est à toi qu'on l'a demandé |
| gen. | you were damn lucky! | t'as eu une sacrée veine! |
| avunc. | you were damned lucky | tu as eu une foutue chance |
| gen. | you were magnificent | tu as été sublime |
| gen. | you were misdirected | on vous a mal dirigé |
| gen. | you were mistaken, that's all | tu t'es trompé, ni plus ni moins |
| gen. | you were not entitled to claim benefit before last February | l'ouverture de vos droits ne date que de février dernier |
| gen. | you were pleased, don't deny it | tu étais content, ne me dis pas le contraire! |
| gen. | you were pleased, don't tell me you weren't! | tu étais content, ne me dis pas le contraire! |
| gen. | you were quite right to be suspicious | tu n'avais pas tort de te méfier |
| gen. | you were right, once again | encore une fois, tu as vu juste |
| gen. | you were supposed to be out! | tu étais soi-disant absent! |
| gen. | you were the one who was asked | c'est à toi qu'on l'a demandé |
| gen. | you were useless! | vous avez été lamentables! |
| brit. | you were well away last night! | tu étais bien parti hier soir! |
| amer. | you were well gone last night! | tu étais bien parti hier soir! |
| gen. | your sister told me how you were getting on | j'ai eu de tes nouvelles par ta sœur |
