donner de la confiture aux cochons
vi.
cast pearls before swine
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donner
[+objet personnel, argent] to give
(=faire don de) to give away
"Tu as toujours ta veste en daim?"- - "Non, je l'ai donnée." "Have you still got your suede jacket?" - - "No, I've given it away."
donner qch à qn [+cadeau, renseignement] to give sb sth, to give sth to sb
Elle m'a donné son adresse. She gave me her address.
[+spectacle] to put on
[+film] to show
[+résultat, effet] to produce
Cela donne un résultat surprenant. It produces a surprising result.
(autres locutions)
donner l'heure à qn to tell sb the time
donner un coup à qn to hit sb
donner faim à qn to make sb feel hungry
Ça m'a donné faim. That made me feel hungry.
(=faire un don) to give
Il donne toujours quand c'est pour Médecins Sans Frontières. He always gives something when it's for Médecins Sans Frontières.
non merci, j'ai déjà donné ironique no thanks, I've had my fair share of that
donner de sa personne
(=se sacrifier) to give of o.s.
→ l'engagement, c'est donner de sa personne pour une cause à laquelle on croit
→ il n'hésite pas à donner de sa personne
[soleil] to shine
Le soleil donnait à fond. The sun was beating down.
[arbre fruitier] to bear fruit
Notre noyer n'a pas donné cette année. Our walnut tree didn't have any nuts this year.
(=laisser croire)
donner à penser que ... to make one think that ...
donner à entendre que ... to give to understand that ...
(=avoir vue)
donner sur
[fenêtre, chambre] to look onto, to overlook
une fenêtre qui donne sur la mer a window that looks onto the sea, a window overlooking the sea
(se laisser prendre)
donner dans [+piège] to fall into
[+genre, style] to slip into
→ là il commence à donner dans le burlesque
(MILITAIRE)
(=charger, attaquer) faire donner l'infanterie to send in the infantry
donner (se)
vpr/réfl
se donner à fond to give one's all
se donner à fond à son travail to give one's all to one's work
se donner du mal to go to a lot of trouble
se donner de la peine to go to a lot of trouble
se donner du mal pour faire qch to go to a lot of trouble to do sth
se donner de la peine pour faire qch to go to a lot of trouble to do sth
se donner en spectacle to make an exhibition of o.s.
→ arrête de te donner en spectacle
s'en donner to have a great time
s'en donner à cœur joie to have the time of one's life
se donner à qn euphémisme to give o.s. to sb
Translation French - English Collins Dictionary  

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