Penggunaan 'About'

About 

Tentang, sekitar, kira-kira                                               

BrE = British English.

AmE = American Enlglish.

About sebagai kata keterangan (Adverb)

1. Kira-kira, Kurang lebih (approximately)

   contoh : - It costs about $20.

                 - They waited (for) about an hour.

                 - He arrived (at) about ten.

2. Hampir saja (nearly, very close to)

   contoh : - I am just about ready.

                 - This is about the best we can hope for.

3. (BrE) Berserakan, bertebaran (in no particular order, in various places)

    contoh : - Her books were lying about the floor.

 4. (BrE) Di segala arah, sana sini (in many directions, here and there)

    contoh : - The children were rushing about the garden.

5. (BrE) Tanpa melakukan apa-apa, bermalas-malasan (doing nothing in particular)

   contoh : - People were standing about the road.

6. (BrE) Ada disekitar, dapat ditemukan di suatu tempat ( able to be found in a place)

    contoh : - There was nobody about.

                  - She's somewhere about.

7. (Formal) Menghadap ke arah yang berlawanan.

   contoh : - He brought the ship about.

Idiom

1. that's about all / that's about it.

   Digunakan untuk mengatakan bahwa kamu sudah selesai bicara dan tidak ada lagi yang perlu diucapkan. 

  contoh: - Anything else?  No, That's about it for now.

About sebagai kata Preposisi (Preposition)

1. Tentang, mengenai, berhubungan dengan (on the subject of, in connection with)

   contoh : - a book about flowers.

                 - Tell me all about it!

                 - What's she so angry about?

                 - I don't know what you're on about. (= talking about)

2. Digunakan untuk melukiskan tentang tujuan dari sesuatu (decribe about the purpose of something)

   contoh : - Movies are all about making money these days.

                 - What was all that about? (= What was the reason for what has just happened)

3. Sibuk dengan sesuatu, sedang mengerjakan sesuatu (busy with something, doing something)

    contoh : - Everywhere people were going about their daily business.

                  - And while you are about it ........  (while you are doingthat)

4. (BrE) Kesegala arah, sana sini (in many directions. here and there)

    contoh : - We wandered about the town for an hour or so.

                  - He looked about the room.

5. (BrE) Di berbagai bagian pada suatu tempat, sana sini ( in verious parts of a place)

    contoh : - The papers were strewn about the room.

6. (BrE) Di dekat suatu tempat atau orang. di tempat yang dibicarakan. next to a place or person, in the area mentioned.

    contoh : She's somewhere about the office.

7. (Literatur) Sekeliling sesorang atau sesuatu. (sounding somebody/something)

    contoh : She wore a shawl about her shoulder.

Idiom

What about / How about?

 1. Digunakan untuk menanyakan informasi tentang sesorang atau sesuatu.

  contoh : - How about your new friend? have you heard from him?

                - I am having some money, what about you?

2. Digunakan untuk membuat keputusan (making suggestion)

    contoh ; - How about going for a walk?

                  - What about a break?

About sebagai kata sifat (Adjective)

Idiom

Be about to do something.

- Hampir saja mau, mau segera (to be close to doing something)

contoh : - I was just about to ask you the same thing.

Not be about to do something

 - Tidak mau / iklas melakukan sesuatu, tidak ada tujuan/keinginan melakukan sesuatu.

contoh : - I've never done any cooking and I am not about to start now.