Anglais

man

gb/mˈæn/ us/mˈæn/
A1 Anglais
~ 200
Sens
0 sens
Nom A1 entity
1

Adult human male

A grown-up boy; an adult male person.

Schéma d’usage : [a/an] man
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'man' with 'men' (plural form).
Synonymes
male (More general term for the sex; can refer to animals or humans.) | gentleman (Politer or more formal term, often implying good manners.)
Antonymes
woman (Refers to an adult human female.)
Collocations
young man |old man |tall man |married man |business man
Thèmes
people |daily life |body |core_vocabulary
Exemples
  • The man sitting by the window is my uncle.
  • A man in a blue suit walked into the room.
  • She married a kind and generous man.
  • The police are looking for a man in his thirties.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • The man is tall.
  • I see a man in the park.
  • That man is my teacher.
  • A man is in the car.
Nom B1 entity
2

Human being (general)

A person; any human being, not just male.

Erreur fréquente :
Learners may think 'man' always means male; context matters when it means humans in general.
Synonymes
human (Neutral term for any member of the species Homo sapiens.) | person (Everyday neutral term for an individual human.)
Antonymes
animal (Non-human living creature.)
Collocations
mankind |early man |modern man
Thèmes
people |society |core_vocabulary
Exemples
  • Man has always sought to explore new places.
  • Early man lived in small groups.
  • The discovery changed how man understood the universe.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • Man needs water to live.
  • Early man made tools from stone.
  • Man can travel to the moon.
Verbe B2 action
3

Operate or staff a position

To work at or be in control of something, like a machine or station.

Schéma d’usage : to man [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse this with 'manage'; 'man' here is about staffing or operating, not overseeing tasks broadly.
Synonymes
staff (Focuses on providing people to operate or manage something.) | operate (Focuses on controlling or running machinery or systems.)
Antonymes
vacate (Leave a position or place unstaffed.)
Collocations
man the station |man the controls |man the desk
Thèmes
work |military |technology |law
Exemples
  • Soldiers were ordered to man the watchtower.
  • She manned the front desk during the night shift.
  • Volunteers manned the information booth at the festival.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • He will man the desk today.
  • They man the boat during the race.
  • We man the shop on weekends.
exclamation informal B1 action
4

Exclamation of surprise/emphasis

A word you say to show strong feelings like surprise or excitement.

Synonymes
wow (Expresses surprise or admiration; more neutral.) | gee (Milder exclamation, often old-fashioned.)
Thèmes
emotions |communication |core_vocabulary
Exemples
  • Man, that was an incredible game!
  • Man, I can't believe we missed the bus.
  • Man, you look tired today.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • Man, that is big!
  • Man, I am hungry!
  • Man, this is hard!
Grammaire
Forme canonique
man
API
GB/mˈæn/
US/mˈæn/
Syllabes et accentuation
man (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (man)
Formes du mot
Noun
  • Base: man
  • Plural: men
Verb
  • Base: man
  • 3rd Person Singular: mans
  • Present Participle: manning
  • Past: manned
Famille de mots
Forms
men noun mans verb manning verb manned verb
Core family
man-made adjective B1 mankind noun B1
Related words
gentleman noun A2 manly adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
woman noun A1 unmanned adjective B2
Advanced or less common
manhood noun B2 manpower noun B2
Points clés
  • Irregular present participle: manning Verb
  • Irregular past: manned Verb
Expressions

man up

1
/mˈæn ˈʌp/
phrasal verb informal

Be brave and responsible

To be brave and do what you must, even if it is hard or scary.

Exemples
  • You need to man up and tell her the truth.
  • He finally manned up and apologized for his mistake.

man's best friend

1
/mˈænz bˈɛst fɹˈɛnd/
idiom

Domestic dog as a companion

A dog; called this because dogs are loyal and friendly to people.

Exemples
  • Dogs are often called man's best friend because they are so loyal.
  • For many people, a dog really is man's best friend.

man-to-man talk

1
/mˈæn tə mˈæn tˈɔk/
fixed phrase

Direct talk between two men

A serious and honest talk between two men about something important.

Exemples
  • They had a man-to-man talk about his future plans.
  • I think it's time we had a man-to-man talk.

the man of the house

1
/ðə mˈæn əv ðə hˈaʊs/
fixed phrase

Adult male head of household

The adult male who is seen as leading or responsible for the family at home.

Exemples
  • When his father died, John became the man of the house.
  • He likes to think he's the man of the house.

Bon retour parmi nous !

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