Common lookups: again all any are as be before best can Christmas come day do each even first from go good happy have he her in it just know last me merry must my of on over please right some take that up very what would you
French-English Translation service

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1. can Verb

(a) (for past tense, could generally used; for other forms except present, appropriate forms of be able are used) =pouvoir; I ~ do it je peux le faire; ~ I help you? puis-je vous aider?; I couldn't contact him je n'ai pas pu le contacter; (See: could)
(b) (generally omitted with verbs of perception) I ~ see it je le vois; I can't see! je n'y vois rien!; he can't hear you il ne t'entend pas; I can't smell anything je ne sens rien
(c) (have learnt how to) savoir; ~ you swim? tu sais nager?; ~ you speak French? tu parles français?, tu sais parler français?; he can't speak much French il ne sait pas parler très bien le français; children who cannot read or write les enfants qui ne savent lire ni écrire
(d) (in sense of 'dare') oser, pouvoir; how ~ you say such things? comment oses-tu dire de telles choses?
(e) ~ have (in sense of 'conceivably') what ~ I have done with it? qu'est-ce que j'ai bien pu en faire?; ~ he have finished work already? est-ce possible qu'il ait déjà terminé son travail?
(f) (describing a frequent occurrence, propensity) it ~ often rain ça arrive souvent qu'il pleuve, il peut pleuvoir souvent

2. can Noun

(a) (for drink) boîte f; (US: for food) boîte (de conserve); a ~ of coke une boîte de coca; a coke ~ une boîte à coca
(b) (fig) ~ of worms =sac de noeuds; (fig) to open a (new) ~ of worms =donner un coup de pied dans la fourmilière
(c) (larger: for petrol etc) bidon m; (fig) to carry the ~ (for sth) =payer les pots cassés
(d) (US) (garbage) ~ poubelle f, boîte à ordures
(e) (US, Slang) toilettes fp (neutral), chiottes fp

3. can Verb, transitive

(a) mettre en boîte, mettre en conserve; ~ned foods conserves fp; ~ned meat viande en conserve, conserves de viande
(b) (Infml: of TV program etc) annuler (neutral); (of employee) virer

Except where otherwise stated, all dictionary content compiled by Neil Coffey and copyright © Javamex UK 2009. All rights reserved.