English → French
keep /BrE kiːp 
, AmE kip /
A
noun
1 (maintenance) pension f
to pay for one's keep payer une pension
to work for one's keep travailler pour payer sa pension
to earn one's keep [person] gagner de quoi vivre; [factory, branch] être viable
2 Architecture donjon m
B
transitive verb
prét, past participle kept
1 (cause to remain)
to keep sb in hospital/indoors [person] garder qn à l'hôpital/à l'intérieur; [illness] retenir qn à l'hôpital/à l'intérieur
to keep sth/sb clean garder qch/qn propre
to keep sth warm/cool garder qch au chaud/au frais
to keep sb warm/cool protéger qn du froid/de la chaleur
to be kept clean/warm/locked rester propre/au chaud/fermé (à clé)
to keep sb talking/waiting retenir/faire attendre qn
I won't keep you to your promise tu n'es pas obligé de tenir ta promesse
to keep an engine/machine running laisser un moteur/une machine en marche
bronchitis kept him in bed une bronchite l'a obligé à garder le lit
2 (detain) retenir
there's nothing to keep me here (plus) rien ne me retient ici
don't let me keep you! je ne veux pas vous retenir!
what kept you? qu'est-ce qui t'a retenu?
I won't keep you a minute je n'en ai pas pour longtemps
the police are keeping him for questioning la police le garde à vue pour l'interroger
3 (retain) garder, conserver [book, letter, money, receipt]; garder [job]; garder [seat, place] (for pour); garder, mettre [qch] de côté [ticket, bread] (for pour)
we keep these glasses for special occasions nous gardons ces verres pour les grandes occasions
this pullover has kept its colour/shape ce pull-over a gardé sa couleur/forme
4 (have and look after) tenir [shop, restaurant]; avoir [dog, cat]; élever [sheep, chickens]
5 (sustain)
to keep sth going entretenir qch [conversation, fire, tradition]
I'll make you a sandwich to keep you going je te ferai un sandwich pour que tu tiennes le coup
it was only his work that kept him going sans son travail il n'aurait pas tenu le coup
have you got enough work to keep you going? avez-vous assez de travail pour vous occuper?
6 (store) mettre, ranger
I keep my money in a safe je mets mon argent dans un coffre-fort
where do you keep your cups? où rangez-vous vos tasses?
I keep a spare key in the cupboard j'ai un double de la clé dans le placard
7 (have in stock) [shop, shopkeeper] vendre, avoir [brand, product]
8 (support financially) faire vivre, entretenir [husband, wife, family]; entretenir [lover]; avoir [servant]
it'll keep us in beer ça nous permettra de tenir le coup
9 (maintain by writing in) tenir [accounts, list, diary, record]
10 (conceal) to keep sth from sb taire or
11 (prevent) to keep sb from doing empêcher qn de faire
12 (observe) tenir [promise]; garder [secret]; se rendre à, venir à [appointment, date]; célébrer [occasion, festival]; observer [commandments, sabbath, Lent]
13 Music
to keep time or battre la mesure
14 (protect) [God] garder , protéger [person] (from de); [person] défendre [gate, bridge]
15 (maintain) entretenir [car, house]
well/badly kept bien/mal entretenu
C
intransitive verb
prét, past participle kept
1 to keep doing (continue) continuer à or ; (do repeatedly) ne pas arrêter de faire
to keep going continuer
I don't know how she keeps going! je ne sais pas comment elle tient le coup!
keep at it! persévérez!
keep west/straight on continuez vers l'ouest/tout droit
‘keep left/right’ ‘tenez votre gauche/droite’
2 (remain)
to keep indoors rester à l'intérieur
to keep out of the rain se protéger de la pluie
to keep warm/cool se protéger du froid/de la chaleur
to keep calm rester calme
to keep silent or garder le silence
3 (stay in good condition) [food] se conserver, se garder
4 (wait) [news, business, work] attendre
I've got something to tell you, it won't keep j'ai quelque chose à te dire, ça ne peut pas attendre
5 (in health)
‘how are you keeping?’ ‘comment allez-vous?’
she's keeping well elle va bien
D to keep oneself
reflexive verb
subvenir à ses propres besoins
to keep oneself warm/cool se protéger du froid/de la chaleur
to keep oneself healthy rester en forme
to keep oneself from doing s'empêcher de faire
E for keeps
adverb phrase
pour de bon, pour toujours
Idioms
to keep in with sb
rester en bons termes avec qn
to keep oneself to oneself
ne pas être sociable
to try to keep up with the Joneses
rivaliser avec ses voisins
Phrasal verbs
■ keep after:
keep after [sb]
1 (pursue) pourchasser
2 (chivvy) harceler
■ keep at:
keep at [sb]
US harceler, casser les pieds à [person]; keep at it
persévérer■ keep away:
keep away
ne pas s'approcher (from de); keep [sth/sb] away
empêcher [qch/qn] de s'approcher, tenir [qch/qn] à distance to keep sb away from (prevent from getting close to) empêcher qn de s'approcher de, tenir qn à distance de [person, fire]; (cause to be absent from) tenir qn éloigné de [family]
to keep sb away from his work empêcher qn de travailler
■ keep back:
keep back
rester en arrière, ne pas s'approcher keep back! ne vous approchez pas!, n'avancez pas!
to keep back from sth ne pas s'approcher de qch
; keep [sth/sb] back,
keep back [sth/sb]
1 (prevent from advancing) empêcher [qn] de s'approcher [person, crowd] (from de); faire redoubler [pupil, student]; [barrier, dam] retenir [water]
he kept his hair back with an elastic band il avait les cheveux retenus en arrière par un élastique
2 (retain) garder [money]; conserver [food, objects]
3 (conceal) cacher [information, fact, detail] (from à)
4 (prevent from doing) retenir [person]
■ keep down:
keep down
rester allongé keep down! ne bougez pas!
; keep [sth] down,
keep down [sth]
1 (cause to remain at a low level) limiter [number, speed, costs, expenditure, inflation]; limiter l'augmentation de [prices, costs, wages, unemployment]; maîtriser, juguler [inflation]
to keep one's weight down surveiller son poids
keep your voice down! baisse la voix!
keep the noise down! faites moins de bruit!
2 (retain in stomach) garder [food]
; keep [sb] down
1 British School (cause to repeat a year) faire redoubler [pupil]
2 (repress) opprimer [people]; réprimer [revolt]
■ keep in:
keep in
[car, cyclist, driver etc] British tenir sa gauche; (elsewhere) tenir sa droite; keep [sb/sth] in
1 (cause to remain inside) empêcher [qn/qch] de sortir [person, animal]; garder [dentures, contact lenses]
they're keeping her in (in hospital) ils la gardent
2 (restrain) rentrer [stomach, elbows]; réprimer [emotions, anger, impatience]
3 School (cause to stay at school) garder [qn] en retenue, coller [pupil]
■ keep off:
keep off
1 (stay at a distance)
keep off! n'avancez pas!
2 (not start)
; I hope the rain/storm keeps off j'espère qu'il ne pleuvra pas/que l'orage n'éclatera pas
keep off [sth]
1 (stay away from) ne pas marcher sur
‘Please keep off the grass’ ‘Défense de marcher sur la pelouse’
2 (refrain from) s'abstenir de consommer, éviter [fatty food, alcohol]; s'abstenir de parler de [subject]
; to keep off cigarettes ne pas fumer
keep [sth] off,
keep off [sth]
1 (prevent from touching) éloigner [animals, insects]
this plastic sheet will keep the rain/ dust off cette housse en plastique protège contre la pluie/la poussière
2 (continue not to wear) ne pas remettre [shoes, hat]
; keep sb off [sth]
(cause to refrain from) éviter de donner [qch] à qn [food, alcohol]; empêcher qn de parler de [subject]■ keep on:
keep on doing
(not stop) continuer à faire; (do repeatedly) ne pas cesser de faire to keep on with sth poursuivre qch
to keep on about sth ne pas arrêter de parler de qch
to keep on at sb harceler qn (to do pour qu'il fasse); casser les pieds à qn (to do pour qu'il fasse)
; keep [sb/sth] on
garder [employee, flat, hat, shoes]■ keep out:
keep out of [sth]
1 (not enter) ne pas entrer dans [area, house]
‘keep out!’ (on notice) ‘défense d'entrer’
2 (avoid being exposed to) rester à l'abri de [sun, rain, danger]
3 (avoid getting involved in) ne pas se mêler de [argument]
; keep out of this! ne t'en mêle pas!
to keep out of sb's way, to keep out of the way of sb (not hinder) ne pas encombrer qn; (avoid seeing) éviter qn
try to keep out of trouble! essaie de bien te conduire!
keep [sb/sth] out,
keep out [sb/sth]
(not allow to enter) ne pas laisser entrer [person, animal] to keep the rain out empêcher la pluie d'entrer
I wore an extra pullover to keep out the cold j'ai mis un pull-over de plus pour me protéger du froid
to keep sb out of sth (not allow to get involved in) ne pas vouloir mêler qn à qch; (not allow to enter) ne pas laisser entrer qn dans qch
to keep sb out of trouble empêcher qn de faire des bêtises
to keep sb/sth out of sb's way faire en sorte que qn/qch ne soit pas sur le chemin de qn
■ keep to:
keep to [sth]
(stick to) ne pas s'écarter de, rester sur [road, path]; respecter, s'en tenir à [timetable, facts, plan]; respecter [law, rules] ‘keep to the left/right’ ‘tenez votre gauche/droite’
to keep to one's bed garder le lit
to keep to one's home rester chez soi
; keep sb to [sth]
(cause to remain on) empêcher qn de s'écarter de [route]; forcer qn à tenir [promise]; keep [sth] to
(restrict) limiter [qch] à [weight, number] to keep sth to oneself garder qch pour soi [secret , information, opinion]
he can't keep his hands to himself il a les mains baladeuses
keep your hands to yourself! bas les pattes!
■ keep under:
keep [sb] under
1 (dominate) assujettir, soumettre [race, slaves, inhabitants]
2 (cause to remain unconscious) maintenir [qn] inconscient
■ keep up:
keep up
1 (progress at same speed) (all contexts) [car, runner, person] suivre; [business rivals, competitors] rester à la hauteur
2 (continue) [price] se maintenir
; if the rain keeps up I'm not going s'il continue à pleuvoir je n'y vais pas
keep [sth] up,
keep up [sth]
1 (cause to remain in position) tenir [trousers]
‘keep your hands up!’ (by gunman) ‘gardez les mains en l'air!’
2 (continue) continuer [attack, bombardment, studies]; entretenir [correspondence, friendship]; maintenir [membership, tradition]; garder [pace]
; to keep up the pressure continuer à faire pression (for pour obtenir, on sur)
he kept up his German by going to evening classes il a entretenu son allemand en suivant des cours du soir
to keep up one's strength/spirits garder ses forces/le moral
keep it up!, keep up the good work! continuez comme ça!
keep [sb] up
(maintain awake) faire veiller [child, person]; [noise, illness] empêcher [qn] de dormir I hope I'm not keeping you up (politely) j'espère que je ne vous oblige pas à veiller; (ironically) j'espère que je ne vous empêche pas de dormir
■ keep up with: ▶ end, pecker
keep up with [sb/sth]
1 (progress at same speed as) (physically) aller aussi vite que [person, group]; (mentally) suivre [class, work, lecture]; [company, country] se maintenir à la hauteur de [competitors]; Economics [wages, pensions] suivre [prices, inflation, cost of living]; faire face à [demand]
2 (be informed about) suivre [fashion, developments, news]
3 (remain in contact with) garder le contact avec [schoolfriends, colleagues]