4 ms·

>* Topic/subject languages, like Japanese, where previously defined context can radically alter meaning. "Watashi wa hamburger desu" can mean "I'm a hamburger",

by tjpnz 5y ago

>* Topic/subject languages, like Japanese, where previously defined context can radically alter meaning. "Watashi wa hamburger desu" can mean "I'm a hamburger", "I'll have a hamburger", "If you ask me, it's a hamburger", etc. It also works for "I have" as in "Watashi wa korona da" or "I have Covid 19".

lhorie 5y ago
"be" and "have" can be quite quirky from language to language. For example, in portuguese, "I am healthy" can be translated to "eu sou saudavel" (meaning, the person lives a healthy lifestyle) or "eu estou saudavel" (meaning, the person is currently temporarily healthy). "I am 20 years old" translates to "eu tenho vinte anos" (or "I have 20 years of age")
- schoen 5y ago
  Similarly, in Portuguese you can "have" or "be with" various nouns reflecting physical, mental, or emotional states which would be expressed with adjectives in English, like "I have hunger", "I have fear", "I'm with fear", "I'm with jealousy", "I'm with yearning for him". I know German also uses "have" this way quite a lot (at least for hunger, thirst, fear, and desire, probably for many other things).
- glandium 5y ago
  Same in French and Spanish. It's probably similar in all Romance languages.
  - mattkrause 5y ago
    Wait really? I thought French mostly just had être (and occasionally avoir) for “to be”, and you’d need context to determine if “Elle est heureuse” means she is happy now or generally.
    - glandium 5y ago
      Translating the GP example literally in French: Je suis en bonne santé vs. J'ai une bonne santé. Funnily enough, Google Translate gives the former for both portuguese versions. I guess it is still translating through English.
ilammy 5y ago
That's more about contextuality. You can articulate "watashi wa korona wo kakatteimasu" or might even be fine with "watashi korona" when speaking with suitable intonation.

by tjpnz 5y ago

lhorie 5y ago

"be" and "have" can be quite quirky from language to language. For example, in portuguese, "I am healthy" can be translated to "eu sou saudavel" (meaning, the person lives a healthy lifestyle) or "eu estou saudavel" (meaning, the person is currently temporarily healthy). "I am 20 years old" translates to "eu tenho vinte anos" (or "I have 20 years of age")

schoen 5y ago
Similarly, in Portuguese you can "have" or "be with" various nouns reflecting physical, mental, or emotional states which would be expressed with adjectives in English, like "I have hunger", "I have fear", "I'm with fear", "I'm with jealousy", "I'm with yearning for him". I know German also uses "have" this way quite a lot (at least for hunger, thirst, fear, and desire, probably for many other things).
glandium 5y ago
Same in French and Spanish. It's probably similar in all Romance languages.
- mattkrause 5y ago
  Wait really? I thought French mostly just had être (and occasionally avoir) for “to be”, and you’d need context to determine if “Elle est heureuse” means she is happy now or generally.
  - glandium 5y ago
    Translating the GP example literally in French: Je suis en bonne santé vs. J'ai une bonne santé. Funnily enough, Google Translate gives the former for both portuguese versions. I guess it is still translating through English.

ilammy 5y ago

That's more about contextuality. You can articulate "watashi wa korona wo kakatteimasu" or might even be fine with "watashi korona" when speaking with suitable intonation.