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Oxford 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

in the PONS Dictionary

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

float about
circular
float about people
moverse sin rumbo
float about rumour
correr
in the PONS 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
OpenDict entry

float VB

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
in the PONS Dictionary

I. about [ə·ˈbaʊt] 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?

2. about (characteristic of):

that's what I like about him
eso es lo que me gusta de él

3. about (surrounding):

about
alrededor de
the garden about the house
el jardín alrededor de la casa

4. about (in and through):

about
por
to go about a place
andar por un lugar

Phrases:

how about that!
¡vaya!
how about a drink?
¿qué tal si tomamos algo?
what about it? (suggestion)
¿quieres/queréis?
what about it? (so what?)
¿y qué?

II. about [ə·ˈbaʊt] ADV

1. about (approximately):

about
aproximadamente
about my size
más o menos de mi tamaño
about 5 lbs.
cerca de 5 libras
about here
más o menos aquí
about 5 years ago
hace unos cinco años
about twenty
unos veinte
to have had just about enough of sth
estar harto de algo
that's about it for today
eso es todo por hoy

2. about (almost):

about
casi
to be (just) about ready
estar casi listo

3. about (on the point of):

to be about to do sth
estar a punto de hacer algo

4. about (around):

all about
por todas partes
to be somewhere about
estar por aquí
is Paul about?
¿está Paul por ahí?

5. about (willing to):

not to be about to do sth
no estar dispuesto a hacer algo

I. float [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 [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 (suggest):

to float an idea/a plan
sugerir una idea/un plan

III. float [floʊt] N

1. float NAUT:

float
flotador m
float (for people)
salvavidas m inv

2. float (vehicle):

float
carroza f
Present
Ifloat
youfloat
he/she/itfloats
wefloat
youfloat
theyfloat
Past
Ifloated
youfloated
he/she/itfloated
wefloated
youfloated
theyfloated
Present Perfect
Ihavefloated
youhavefloated
he/she/ithasfloated
wehavefloated
youhavefloated
theyhavefloated
Past Perfect
Ihadfloated
youhadfloated
he/she/ithadfloated
wehadfloated
youhadfloated
theyhadfloated
See further verb tables