4 ms·

I have noticed Indians using that phrase quite a lot: "I have a doubt." I think it may just be a quirk of Indian English and should probably not be considered i

I have noticed Indians using that phrase quite a lot: "I have a doubt." I think it may just be a quirk of Indian English and should probably not be considered incorrect, the same way British English quirks are not incorrect.

res0nat0r 5y ago
Likely in the same vein as "please do the needful", just a common translation / usage quirk.
angry_octet 5y ago
Not incorrect when the speaker or millieu is Indian, but it would grate a little to claim it is more correct than "I have a question." Saying "I have a doubt" is almost le Carré, a spymaster weighing fragments of deception. Regional dialects and quaint idioms are absolutely English though. How else to add tone and shading to our communication? It's the sand the forces the oyster to make pearls.
crazygringo 5y ago
In my case it was Brazilians simply naively translating their native "Tenho uma dúvida". Everyone was learning American or British English. No one was trying to learn Indian English ;)