float about in the Oxford Spanish Dictionary

Translations for float about in the English»Spanish Dictionary

I.about [Am əˈbaʊt, Brit əˈbaʊt] ADV about often appears as the second element of certain verb structures in English (fool about, knock about, move about, etc). For translations, see the relevant verb entry (fool, knock, move, etc)

1. about (approximately):

about

más o menos

about

aproximadamente

he's about my age

tiene más o menos mi edad

she must be about 60

debe (de) tener alrededor de or unos 60 años

she must be about 60

debe (de) andar por los 60 inf

at about six o'clock

alrededor de or a eso de las seis

at about six o'clock

sobre las seis Spain

there were about 12 of us

éramos unos 12

there were about 12 of us

éramos como 12

they should be arriving about now

deben (de) estar a punto de llegar

in about three hours

en unas tres horas

about a month ago

hace cosa de un mes

about a month ago

hará un mes

the soup must be about ready by now

la sopa tiene que estar ya casi lista

that's about it for today

eso es todo por hoy

about time too!

¡ya era hora!

2. about:

to be about to + infin I'm sorry, you were about to say something

perdón, ibas a decir algo

we were just about to start eating

estábamos a punto de empezar a comer

we were just about to start eating

justo estábamos por empezar a comer LatAm

I'm not about to mention it to her

no tengo la más mínima intención de mencionárselo

3.1. about (from one place to another):

the dog followed him about

el perro lo seguía a todas partes

she travels about a lot

viaja mucho

he knows his way about

conoce la ciudad (or la zona etc.)

she's very old and can't get about very easily

es muy mayor y le cuesta desplazarse

3.2. about (in various directions):

he was waving a knife about

blandía un cuchillo

she rummaged about in her bag

revolvió en el bolso

he glanced about nervously

miraba nervioso a su alrededor

4.1. about (in the vicinity, in circulation) esp Brit :

is Teresa about?

¿Teresa anda por aquí?

there's not much traffic about today

hoy no hay mucho tráfico

she's about somewhere, she's somewhere about

anda por aquí

I'm not usually about that early

no suelo estar allí/aquí tan temprano

there's a lot of flu about

hay mucha gente con gripe

he's very mean — there's a lot of it about

es muy tacaño — eso es algo que abunda

4.2. about (on all sides):

about esp Brit liter

por todas partes

II.about [Am əˈbaʊt, Brit əˈbaʊt] PREP

1.1. about (concerning):

about

sobre

about

acerca de

a book about Greece

un libro acerca de or sobre Grecia

what's the play about?

¿de qué se trata la obra?

he wants to see you — what about?

quiere verte — ¿acerca de qué?

she said nothing about that

no dijo nada acerca de or (con) respecto a or sobre eso

about tonight: are you coming?

(con) respecto a lo de esta noche ¿vas a venir?

what was all that shouting about?

¿a qué venían todos esos gritos?

what about Helen? isn't she coming?

¿y Helen? ¿no viene?

and Helen? — what about Helen?

¿y Helen? — ¿qué pasa con Helen?

that's what it's all about

de eso se trata

politics is all about persuading people

en política de lo que se trata es de convencer a la gente

I don't know what to buy her — what about a record?

no sé qué comprarle — ¿qué te parece or qué tal un disco?

she won — how about that!

ganó — ¡pues qué te parece! or ¡pues mira tú!

what he is/they are about I hope you know what you're about

espero que sepas lo que haces

I don't understand what he's about

no entiendo qué es lo que pretende

1.2. about (pertaining to):

there's something about him that I don't like

tiene algo que no me acaba de gustar

what's so unusual about that?

¿qué tiene eso de raro?

the place has a certain charm about it

el lugar tiene cierto encanto

2. about (engaged in):

while you're about it, could you fetch my book?

¿me traes el libro de paso?

while you're about it, could you fetch my book?

ya que estás ¿me traes el libro?

why did you take so long about it?

¿por qué tardaste tanto (en hacerlo)?

why did you take so long about it?

¿por qué demoraste tanto (en hacerlo)? LatAm

3.1. about (in, on, through) esp Brit :

they were playing about the house

estaban jugando en la casa

he wandered about the empty streets

recorrió las calles vacías

3.2. about (encircling):

about liter

alrededor de

3.3. about (on one's person) Brit:

do you have a pencil about you?

¿tienes un lápiz?

I.float [Am floʊt, Brit fləʊt] VB intr

1.1. float (on water):

float

flotar

oil floats on water

el aceite flota en el agua

debris had floated up (to the surface) from the wreck

habían salido a flote restos del naufragio

the logs floated downstream

los maderos bajaban flotando por el río

he taught me to float (on my back)

me enseñó a hacer la plancha

the canoe floated away on the tide

la marea se llevó la canoa

1.2. float cloud/smoke:

float

flotar en el aire

a feather floated past on the breeze

una pluma pasó flotando en la brisa

1.3. float (move lightly):

float idea/image:

vagar

I felt I was floating on air

me sentí en el séptimo cielo or (como flotando) en las nubes

2. float FIN:

float currency:

flotar

II.float [Am floʊt, Brit fləʊt] VB trans

1.1. float ship/boat:

float

poner a flote

float

sacar a flote

1.2. float raft/logs:

float

llevar

float

arrastrar

the waves floated the seaweed ashore

las olas llevaron or arrastraron las algas hasta la orilla

2.1. float FIN (establish):

to float a company

introducir una compañía en Bolsa

to float a company

lanzar una compañía a Bolsa

a week after the company had been floated …

una semana después de que la compañía se cotizara por primera vez en bolsa …

a week after the company had been floated …

una semana después de que la compañía fuera lanzada a bolsa …

2.2. float FIN (offer for sale):

float shares/stock/bonds

emitir

2.3. float FIN (allow to fluctuate):

float currency

dejar flotar

3. float (circulate):

float rumor

hacer correr

float idea/proposal

presentar

a figure of $3m was floated

se sugirió una cifra de 3 millones de dólares

III.float [Am floʊt, Brit fləʊt] N

1.1. float (for fishing):

float

flotador m

1.2. float (in cistern, carburetor):

float

flotador m

float

boya f

1.3. float (raft, platform):

float

plataforma f (flotante)

1.4. float (for buoyancy):

float

flotador m

2.1. float (in parade):

float

carroza f

float

carro m alegórico CSur Mex

2.2. float Brit:

milk float

furgoneta f (del reparto de leche)

3. float:

float (ready cash)

caja f chica

float COMM, FIN

fondo m fijo

(to provide change) a float of £20

20 libras en cambio or en monedas

4. float Am:

float

refresco o batido con helado

5. float (for plastering):

float

llana f

float

fratás m

float

fratacho m RioPl

float about in the PONS Dictionary

Translations for float about in the English»Spanish Dictionary

float about VB intr, float around VB intr inf (circulate)

float about

circular

float about people

moverse sin rumbo

float about rumour

correr

Translations for float about in the English»Spanish Dictionary

I.about [əˈbaʊt] PREP

1. about (on subject of):

about

sobre

about

acerca de

a book about football

un libro sobre fútbol

what is the film about?

¿de qué trata la película?

to talk about cinema

hablar sobre cine

while he is about it Brit inf

mientras esté haciendo eso

2. about (surrounding):

about

alrededor de

the garden about the house

el jardín alrededor de la casa

3. about (in and through):

about

por

to go about a place

andar por un lugar

4. about (characteristic of):

that's what I like about him

eso es lo que me gusta de él

5. about Brit (with):

I have no money about me

no llevo dinero encima

Phrases:

how about that!

¡vaya!

what about it? (suggestion)

¿quieres/queréis?

what about it? (so what?)

¿y qué?

what about a drink?

¿qué tal si tomamos algo?

II.about [əˈbaʊt] ADV

1. about (around):

all about

por todas partes

to leave things lying about somewhere

dejar cosas tiradas por un sitio

to be the other way about

ser exactamente al revés

is Paul about?

¿está Paul por ahí?

2. about (approximately):

about

aproximadamente

about my size

más o menos de mi tamaño

round about 5 km

cerca de 5 kilómetros

about here

más o menos aquí

about 5 years ago

hace unos cinco años

about twenty

unos veinte

to be somewhere about

estar por aquí

to have had just about enough of sth

estar harto de algo

that's about it for today

eso es todo por hoy

3. about (almost):

about

casi

to be (just) about ready

estar casi listo

4. about (willing to):

not to be about to do sth

no estar dispuesto a hacer algo

5. about (on the point of):

to be about to do sth

estar a punto de hacer algo

I.float [fləʊt, Am floʊt] VB intr

1. float in liquid, air:

float

flotar

float

boyar LatAm

to float to the surface

salir a la superficie

2. float (move aimlessly):

float

moverse sin rumbo

3. float ECON:

float

fluctuar

II.float [fləʊt, Am floʊt] VB trans

1. float (keep afloat):

float

poner a flote

2. float ECON, FIN:

to float a business/company

lanzar una empresa/compañía a bolsa

3. float (air):

to float an idea/a plan

sugerir una idea/un plan

III.float [fləʊt, Am floʊt] N

1. float NAUT:

float

flotador m

float (for people)

salvavidas m inv

2. float (vehicle):

float

carroza f

3. float Aus, Brit (cash):

float

fondo m

float VB

User Entry

to float sb's boat (to interest) inf coll

molarle a alguien sl

romantic movies don't float my boat ex

las pelis románticas no son lo mío

to float sb's boat (to arouse sexually) inf coll

ponerle a alguien inf

that doesn't float my boat at all ex

(a mí) eso no me pone nada

whatever floats your boat inf coll

lo que más te guste / apetezca

Monolingual examples (not verified by PONS Editors)

English

It does not wallow or float about the place like a drunk, as so many of these things do and responds well to steering inputs.

www.irishexaminer.com

We are born into language and float about in it all our lives.

www.thestar.com

There it is literally in the foreground all evening, while the physical bodies float about behind, almost subliminally, in the background.

www.theglobeandmail.com

And there's a nifty head-up display that projects key information onto the windscreen so that it appears to float about 2.5 metres ahead.

www.joe.ie

All she did was float about carrying a lamp.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The captions are projected onto the glasses and appear to float about 10 feet in front of the user.

www.npr.org

When a toy balloon becomes partially deflated, it will often become neutrally buoyant and can float about the house a meter or two off the floor.

en.wikipedia.org

You never have to crouch down to get through doorways and can easily float about in small spaces like, say, microscopic city apartments.

www.thefrisky.com

Construction usually begins on a float about three to six months prior to the parade.

www.nhl.com

Breaking this down, they have hooves, fan-like wings, a carapace and eyes that float about on what look like stalks of coral.

www.thestar.com