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environ

about, approximately

adverb ahn-vee-ROHN Less Common

Usage Note

Environ is used before numbers to signal an approximation, much like English 'about' or 'around'. It can also function as a noun in the plural: les environs means the surroundings or outskirts of a place (e.g. les environs de Paris). It is invariable as an adverb.

Examples

"Il y a environ cent personnes dans la salle."

Natural Translation

There are about a hundred people in the room.

Literal Translation

There is about a hundred people in the room

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