about
about — preposition
1. used to show what a book, talk, idea, or feeling has as its subject — the thing
used to show what a book, talk, idea, or feeling has as its subject — the thing it deals with or is linked to.
Una wrote a long letter about her summer in Kyoto.
about + noun naming the topic
Lior and his sister argued about who should wash the dishes.
about + wh-clause for the disputed point
The new book is about a young pilot who flies mail across the desert.
Dr. Noa gave a short talk about how bees find their way home.
about + how-clause for explanatory subject matter
Emma feels guilty about lying to her grandmother last weekend.
feel/be + adjective + about + noun/-ing for emotional subject
- a book about
- a film about
- a story about
- talk about
- argue about
- complain about
- worry about
- think about
- hear about
- ask about
- regarding
more formal; common in business letters and reports.
- concerning
formal; preferred in legal or official writing.
- on
used with talks, books, articles; a book on history sounds more academic than a book about history.
Grammar Patterns
about + noun
about + wh-clause
about + -ing
Usage Note
Subject of this sense is usually a thing that carries content — a book, film, story, talk, question, complaint, joke — or a feeling that is directed at something. Distinguish from sense 2 (taking action) and sense 4 (physical position).
Common Mistakes
2. used after verbs like do, see, or know to point to a problem that someone needs
used after verbs like do, see, or know to point to a problem that someone needs to deal with or fix.
The mayor promised to do something about the broken streetlights on Fifth Avenue.
do something + about + problem
Hana has no idea what to do about the leak under the kitchen sink.
what to do + about + noun
We need to see about the rats in the basement before they spread.
see about for arranging a solution
Nobody seems to care about how loud the construction is at night.
What are you going to do about your missing passport, Ilya?
- do something about
- do nothing about
- see about
- what to do about
- regarding
more neutral; loses the 'fix the problem' nuance.
Grammar Patterns
do something + about + noun
what + to + do + about
Usage Note
Object after about is almost always a problem, complaint, or unwanted situation — never a neutral fact. Distinguish from sense 1: in sense 1 you can talk about anything; here you must act on something that has gone wrong.
Common Mistakes
3. spread across various spots within one location with no fixed pattern — typical
spread across various spots within one location with no fixed pattern — typical when toys, papers, or clothes are left lying in different corners.
Toys were scattered about the living room after the twins finished playing.
passive: be scattered about + place
Old letters lay about the attic in dusty piles.
Mira left her shoes about the hallway again, blocking the front door.
Books and magazines were spread about the table after the long meeting.
spread about for messy distribution across a surface
- scatter about
- lie about
- leave about
- spread about
- around
preferred in American English with the same meaning.
- throughout
more formal; suggests fuller coverage of every part.
Grammar Patterns
scatter/lie/leave + objects + about + place
Usage Note
More common in British English; American writers usually pick around in the same context. Subject is usually a plural noun (toys, papers, shoes) — single-object versions sound odd. Distinguish from sense 4 (one location, near a place) by the messy, multi-spot feel here.
Common Mistakes
4. in a particular area or close to a person — for example, the streets near a town
in a particular area or close to a person — for example, the streets near a town centre or the things a traveller carries on their body.
There are several good cafes about the old market square.
about + named place for nearby area
Lior always keeps a small knife about his person when hiking alone.
fixed phrase: about + one's person
Tall stone walls stood about the castle, hiding the gardens inside.
about for surrounding position
Una lives somewhere about the train station, but I forget the exact street.
- about the place
- about one's person
- stand about
- wait about
Grammar Patterns
verb of position/movement + about + place/person
Usage Note
Stronger in British English; Americans usually say around or near. The fixed phrase 'about one's person' is used in police and travel contexts to mean carried on someone's body. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense names ONE general area; sense 3 spreads things across many spots.
Common Mistakes
how/what about…?
idiomUsed to ask for information or to make a suggestion.
How about we meet at the park tomorrow afternoon?
I finished my homework. What about you, Maya?
about — adverb
1. near to a number, time, or amount, but not exactly that figure — used when the s
near to a number, time, or amount, but not exactly that figure — used when the speaker is giving a fair guess.
The walk to the lighthouse takes about twenty minutes from the car park.
about + duration
There were about fifty children at Ilya's birthday party last Saturday.
about + count + plural noun
The old farmhouse is about a hundred years old, maybe a bit more.
Hana arrives at the office about eight every morning.
about + clock time for an approximate hour
The recipe needs about two cups of flour and a pinch of salt.
- about an hour
- about ten minutes
- about half
- about a third
- about a hundred
- around
almost interchangeable; slightly more common in American English.
- roughly
more formal; common in reports and presentations.
- approximately
formal; preferred in academic and technical writing.
- exactly
marks a precise figure, not an estimate.
Grammar Patterns
about + number/amount
about + time
Usage Note
Sits directly in front of the number, time, or amount. Common spoken alternatives are around (slightly more American) and roughly (more formal). Distinguish from sense 2 (almost) by the meaning: this sense allows the figure to be a little higher OR lower; sense 2 is only just short of the target.
Common Mistakes
2. very nearly at a state or finishing point, but not quite there yet — for example
very nearly at a state or finishing point, but not quite there yet — for example, when someone is one step away from being ready or done.
Dinner is about ready, so please call the children to the table.
about + ready/finished/done for nearly-completed states
Lior was about finished with his homework when the lights went out.
The old radio is about as loud as it can go without breaking.
about + as + adjective + as for upper-limit comparisons
I've had about enough of your jokes for one evening, thank you.
fixed phrase: have about had enough
The kitchen floor is about dry now, so the children can come back inside.
about + adjective for a nearly reached state
- about ready
- about finished
- about done
- about right
- about time
Grammar Patterns
about + adjective
about + ready/finished/done
Usage Note
Often pairs with ready, finished, done, enough, right, time. More casual than almost; written texts usually pick almost or nearly. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense modifies an adjective or state of completion, not a number.
Common Mistakes
3. moving toward many points without one fixed path — for example, glancing left an
moving toward many points without one fixed path — for example, glancing left and right, or wandering through different streets.
Ilya looked about nervously, hoping to spot a familiar face in the crowd.
look + about for scanning a place
The lost puppy ran about, sniffing every corner of the park.
Tourists wandered about, taking photos of the colourful market stalls.
wander/move + about for unplanned movement
Hana turned about and walked back the way he had come.
turn about for changing direction
- look about
- run about
- wander about
- move about
- turn about
- around
preferred in American English with the same direction-shifting meaning.
Grammar Patterns
verb of motion + about
look + about
Usage Note
More common in British English; American speakers use around in the same slot. Distinguish from sense 4 (no order): this sense focuses on the act of moving in many directions; sense 4 focuses on objects placed at scattered spots.
Common Mistakes
4. in many spots across a single area, usually after things have been dropped, left
in many spots across a single area, usually after things have been dropped, left, or arranged in no clear pattern.
Toys lay about, and the twins refused to put any of them away.
lie about with no following place noun
Lior left his books about and could not find them the next morning.
leave + objects + about for messy spreading
Pieces of broken glass were scattered about after the small earthquake.
passive: be scattered about
Old photographs lay about on the kitchen table and chairs.
- lie about
- scatter about
- leave about
- strew about
- around
more common in American English for scattered objects.
- all over the place
informal; stronger emphasis on disorder.
Grammar Patterns
scatter/lie/leave + about (no object)
Usage Note
Almost always paired with verbs like lie, leave, scatter, strew, kick. Differs from sense 3 in that the subject is usually still (the toys are not moving) — the scattering shows the result of past movement. Used with no object after about: 'toys lay about', not 'toys lay about the toys'.
Common Mistakes
5. in the area where the speaker is, or close enough to be reached easily — typical
in the area where the speaker is, or close enough to be reached easily — typical when checking who is around right now.
Is the manager about? I need to ask her a quick question before lunch.
be + about for asking if someone is nearby
There were not many tourists about that early in the morning.
Lior waited about for almost an hour, hoping his friend would arrive.
wait + about for staying nearby
Police officers were about in every corner of the train station last night.
- be about
- wait about
- hang about
- anyone about
- away
marks the opposite — not in the area.
Grammar Patterns
be + about (no object)
wait/hang + about
Usage Note
Common in British English in questions and short statements like 'Is anyone about?'. Distinguish from sense 4: this sense locates a person in the speaker's nearby area; sense 4 describes scattered objects with no movement.
Common Mistakes
about — adjective
1. ready to start an action in the next few seconds or minutes — for example, when
ready to start an action in the next few seconds or minutes — for example, when a train is one moment away from leaving, or a person has the door half-open before going out.
The train was about to leave when Una jumped through the closing doors.
be + about + to-infinitive for an imminent action
Hana was just about to call you when your message arrived.
just + about + to + verb intensifies the closeness
The tired baby is about to fall asleep on her father's shoulder.
Lior was about to sign the contract when his lawyer phoned with a warning.
I'm not about to share my secret recipe with anyone, even my own sister.
negative: not + about + to for refusing to do something
- about to leave
- about to start
- about to begin
- just about to
- not about to
- on the verge of
more formal; followed by a noun or -ing form, not a to-infinitive.
- ready to
broader; can mean willing, not just imminent.
Grammar Patterns
be + about + to-infinitive
be + (just) + about + to + verb
Usage Note
Always followed by to + base verb, never by an -ing form. The negative 'not about to + verb' has a special meaning: a firm refusal, not just timing. Common time markers nearby: just, almost, finally.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- about-facenounC1
- roundaboutadjectiveB2
- roundaboutnounB2
- hereaboutsadverbC1
- thereaboutsadverbC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: preposition/1
All four mark the topic of a book, talk, or message, but they pull in different directions. About is the everyday choice — neutral and easy in spoken English: 'a book about dogs', 'we talked about Una'. On feels more weighty and academic, often with formal or in-depth treatment: 'a study on bees', 'a lecture on Roman history'. Compared with about, on hints that the writer covers the subject seriously, not just mentions it. Regarding and concerning belong to formal writing — business letters, official notices, legal documents. 'Regarding your application' or 'concerning the recent complaint' would sound stiff in casual chat, where about would do. A useful rule of thumb: if you can imagine a friend saying it over coffee, pick about; if it appears at the top of an email from your bank, expect regarding or concerning.
Common collocations
Nouns
- a book about
- a film about
- a story about
- a question about
- an argument about
Adverbs
- just about
- only about
- roughly about
Phrases
- what about
- how about
- do something about
- be about to
- about time
Etymology
About comes from Old English onbutan, made of on ('on') plus butan ('outside, around'). The earliest meaning was spatial — 'on the outside of' or 'around' — which still lives on in the senses about wandering, scattered objects, and surrounding position. From that 'all around the topic' image, English speakers slowly stretched the word to cover the abstract sense 'concerning, on the subject of', which became the most common modern use. The 'almost' and 'approximately' senses grew out of the same circling idea — close to a number without landing on it. The 'about to' adjective use is much later and reflects the spatial picture too: a person standing right at the edge of an action, ready to step into it.