might as well

autant le faire

Accepter ou proposer une action parce qu’il y a peu de raisons de ne pas la faire.

En anglais simple : You accept or suggest an action because there is little reason not to do it.

• We might as well stay here.
• Since you are awake, you might as well help me.
• There is nothing else to do, so I might as well read.

Comment l'utiliser : might as well + verb (We might as well walk while we wait.)

Synonymes : may as well

Expressions courantes : might as well stay, might as well try

revenir au même

Une action aurait presque le même effet qu’une autre, souvent plus extrême.

En anglais simple : One action would have much the same effect as another, often more extreme action.

• You might as well talk to a wall.
• With those fees, we might as well throw our money away.
• If nobody listens, I might as well stay silent.

Comment l'utiliser : might as well + verb (Asking him for help? You might as well ask a stone.)

Expressions courantes : might as well shout, might as well quit

autant le faire

Faire quelque chose est acceptable ou raisonnable puisqu’il n’y a aucune raison de s’en abstenir.

En anglais simple : Doing something is acceptable or sensible because there is no reason not to do it.

• You might as well come with us.
• The meeting is over, so we might as well go home.
• There is a spare seat; you might as well sit down.

Comment l'utiliser : might as well + verb (Your work is finished, so you might as well leave.)

Synonymes : may as well

Expressions courantes : might as well leave, might as well join

être pratiquement comme

Une situation n’est pas réellement une autre, mais elle produit presque le même effet.

En anglais simple : Something is not actually true, but the real situation has almost the same effect.

• This tiny room might as well be a cupboard.
• He ignored us so completely that we might as well have been invisible.
• Without a signal, my phone might as well be a brick.

Comment l'utiliser : might as well be something (With no visitors, the museum might as well be closed.); might as well have been something (The road was so wet it might as well have been a river.)

Expressions courantes : might as well be, might as well have