Word
about
US/əˈbaʊt/
UK/ɐbˈaʊt/
Definitions
01concerning a topic
A1 · Beginner
prep. on the subject of someone or something.
prep. concerning or relating to a particular subject, person, or event.
日本語:～について、約※
“We sat in the café and talked about our plans for the summer.”
“The documentary raised several challenging questions about the long-term environmental impact of deep-sea mining operations.”
Usage
Commonly follows verbs of communication like 'talk', 'write', or 'think'.
Pitfall
We discussed about the problem.
We discussed the problem.
The verb 'discuss' is transitive and does not take the preposition 'about'.
Synonyms
02on one's person
B2 · Upper Intermediate British English · Formal
prep. carried with you or near you.
prep. carried on one's person or located in the immediate vicinity.
“I don't have any cash about me at the moment.”
“The witness claimed the suspect had no identification about him when the police arrived at the scene.”
Usage
Often used with personal pronouns like 'me', 'him', or 'her'.
03approximately
A1 · Beginner
adv. used to show that a number or time is not exact.
adv. indicating an approximate amount, degree, or time; nearly.
“The journey to the airport takes about forty minutes by train.”
“The restoration project is expected to cost about five million dollars, though the final figure depends on material availability.”
Usage
Placed immediately before the number or measurement it modifies.
Synonyms
04here and there
B1 · Intermediate British English
adv. in various places or in no particular direction.
adv. in or to various places; scattered in different directions within an area.
Español:alrededor
“They spent the afternoon wandering about the old town.”
“Papers were strewn about the office, suggesting that the staff had left in a significant hurry.”
Teaching tip
In American English, 'around' is much more common for this spatial sense.
Synonyms
05active or nearby
B2 · Upper Intermediate British English · Informal
adj. out of bed and moving around; or simply present nearby.
adj. in motion or out of bed; present in the vicinity.
“Is the manager about? I need to ask her a quick question.”
“Despite the early hour, there were already several fishermen about on the pier preparing their nets.”
Usage
Usually functions as a predicative adjective after the verb 'to be'.
Antonyms
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *ana- Proto-West Germanic *ana- Old English on-? Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bi Proto-West Germanic *bī Proto-West Germanic *bi- Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-West Germanic *ūtō Proto-West Germanic *ūtan Proto-West Germanic *biūtan Old English būtan Old English onbūtan Middle English aboute English about Preposition and adverb from Middle English aboute, abouten, from Old English abūtan, onbūtan, from on (“in, on”) + būtan (“outside of”), itself from be (“by”) + ūtan (“outside”). Cognate with Old Frisian abûta (“outside; except”). Adjective from Middle English about (adverb).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Grammar
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/about
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0