how

how: how [haʊ]

adverb

   a. ( = in what way) comment

• how did you come? comment êtes-vous venu ?

• to learn how to do sth apprendre à faire qch

• I know how to do it je sais le faire

• he'll show you how to do it il va vous montrer comment faire

• how do you like your steak? quelle cuisson voulez-vous pour votre bifteck ?

• how did you like the film? comment avez-vous trouvé le film ?

• how was the play? comment avez-vous trouvé la pièce ?

• how is it that ...? comment se fait-il que ... + subj ?

• how could you? comment as-tu pu faire une chose pareille ?

• how could you do/say that? comment as-tu pu faire/dire une chose pareille ?

• how can that be? comment cela ?

• how come? (inf) comment ça se fait ? (inf)

• how come you aren't going out? (inf) pourquoi tu ne sors pas ?

• and how! (inf) et comment ! (inf)

► how about ... > (inf)

how about going for a walk? et si on allait se promener ?

• how about you? et toi ?

   b. how's that? (inf)

( = how possible, in what way) comment ça ? ; ( = what is your opinion) qu'est-ce que tu en penses ? ; ( = agreed) d'accord ?

• how's that for size/height? ça va pour la taille/la hauteur ?

• how's that for luck? quelle veine ! (inf)

   c. (health) how are you? comment allez-vous ?

• tell me how she is dites-moi comment elle va

• how do you do? (on being introduced) enchanté

• how are things? (inf)

comment ça va ?

• how's business? comment vont les affaires ?

• how's life? (inf)

comment ça va ?

   d. (with adjective or adverb) comme

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

► When how is used to ask about degree or quantity, eg how long?, how much?, look up the other word.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

• how nice! comme c'est gentil !

• how he has grown! comme il a grandi !

• I can't tell you how glad I was to leave that place vous ne pouvez pas savoir à quel point j'étais heureux de quitter cet endroit

• how splendid! c'est merveilleux !

• how kind of you! c'est très aimable à vous !

   e. ( = that) que

• she told me how she had seen the child lying on the ground elle m'a raconté qu'elle avait vu l'enfant couché par terre

* * *

Note: When how is used as a question word meaning in what way? or by what means? (how did you get here?, how will you do it?) it is almost always translated by comment: comment es-tu arrivé ici?; comment le feras-tu?

When how is used as a conjunction meaning the way in which it is often translated by comment: I don't know how they did it = je ne sais pas comment ils l'ont fait; tell me how you make a curry = dis-moi comment on fait un curry

When how is used as a conjunction meaning that it is almost always translated by que: he told me how he had stolen the money = il m'a dit qu'il avait volé l'argent; it's amazing how they survived = c'est étonnant qu'ils aient survécu

For more examples and particular usages see below
[haʊ] 1.
adverb, conjunction

1) (in what way, by what means) comment

to know how to do — savoir faire

I learned how to do it — j'ai appris à le faire

how do you feel about it? — qu'en penses-tu?

2) (when enquiring)

how are you? — comment allez-vous?

how's your foot? — comment va ton pied?

how's your brother? — comment va ton frère?

how did you like the party? — la fête t'a plu?

how are things? — comment ça va?

how do you do! — (greeting) enchanté!

3) (in number, quantity etc questions)

how much does this cost? —

how much is this? — combien ça coûte?

how much do you weigh? — combien pèses-tu?

how many times have you been to France? — combien de fois es-tu allé en France?

how many people? — combien de personnes?

how long will it take? — combien de temps cela va-t-il prendre?

how long is the rope? — de quelle longueur est cette corde?

how tall is the tree? — combien mesure l'arbre?

how big is the garden? — de quelle taille est le jardin?

how far is it? — c'est à quelle distance?

how old is she? — quel âge a-t-elle?

4) (in exclamations)

how wonderful! — c'est fantastique!

how nice you look! — que tu es beau/belle!

how clever of you! — comme c'est intelligent de ta part!

how wrong I was! — comme j'ai eu tort!

how it rained! — qu'est-ce qu'il a plu! (colloq)

5) (colloq) (in whichever way) comme

you can decorate it how you like — tu peux le décorer comme tu veux

6) (why)

how could you? — comment as-tu pu faire ça?

7) (that) que

you know how he always arrives late — tu sais qu'il arrive toujours en retard
2.
(colloq) how come adverbial phrase

‘how come?’ — ‘pourquoi?’

how come you always win? — comment ça se fait que tu gagnes toujours?
3.
how's that adverbial phrase

I'll take you home, how's that? — je te ramènerai chez toi, ça te va?

how's that for an honest answer — ça c'est une réponse honnête

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how — W1S1 [hau] adv, conj [: Old English; Origin: hu] 1.) used to ask or talk about the way in which something happens or is done ▪ How do you spell your name? ▪ How can I help you? ▪ I d like to help in some way, but I m not sure how. ▪ He explained… … Dictionary of contemporary English
how — [ hau ] function word *** How can be used in the following ways: as an adverb (introducing a direct or indirect question): How do you spell your last name? I don t know how the system works. (introducing an EXCLAMATION): How I hate the winter!… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
how — how1 [hou] adv. [ME hwu, hu < OE, akin to OHG hweo (Ger wie), Goth hwai wa < IE interrogative base * kwo , *kwe > WHY, WHO, L quo, Sans kā] 1. in what manner or way; by what means 2. in what state or condition 3. for what reason or… … English World dictionary
How — How, adv. [OE. how, hou, hu, hwu, AS. h?, from the same root as hw[=a], hw[ae]t, who, what, pron. interrog.; akin to OS. hw[=o]w, D. hoe, cf. G. wie how, Goth. hw[=e] wherewith, hwaiwa how. [root]182. See {Who}, and cf. {Why}.] 1. In what manner… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
how — ► ADVERB 1) in what way or by what means. 2) in what condition or health. 3) to what extent or degree. 4) the way in which. ● and how! Cf. ↑and how! ● how about? … English terms dictionary
How — may refer to: *How (interrogative), an interrogative word in English grammar *How (greeting), a greeting in some representations by Europeans of Native American speech *How, Cumbria, a settlement in northwest England *William Walsham How (1823… … Wikipedia
how so? — (archaic) How can this be so?, why? • • • Main Entry: ↑how * * * how so?/how’s that?/spoken phrase used for asking someone to explain the reason for the statement they have just made ‘If the dam is built, a lot of people will suffer.’ ‘How so?’… … Useful english dictionary
how-to — how toer, n. /how tooh /, adj., n., pl. how tos. adj. 1. giving or pertaining to basic instructions and directions to the layperson on the methods for doing or making something, esp. as a hobby or for practical use: a how to book on photography.… … Universalium
HOW... — HOW... (ISSN 0886 0483), called HOW Design Ideas at Work on its cover, is a monthly magazine for graphic designers. Launched in 1985, HOW... is edited by Bryn Mooth, with senior editor Megan Lane. HOW... is published by F+W Publications Inc. of… … Wikipedia
how-to — Ⅰ. how to UK US adjective [before noun] ► used to describe something that provides practical advice on a particular activity: »a how to book/guide/article Ⅱ. how to UK US noun [C] (plural how tos) ► a book, DVD, etc. that gives practical advice… … Financial and business terms
how|dy — how|dy1 «HOW dee, HOH », noun, plural dies. Scottish. a midwife. ╂[origin unknown] how|dy2 «HOW dee», interjection, noun, plural dies. Dialect. how do you do … Useful english dictionary

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