I believe the complaint was about the very fact of "stripping away genders", not so much about the pronouncing?
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The complaint about hän seems rather strange. All the synthetic feminist supposedly gener neutral terms all are much closer to 'she' then 'he'. Hän is far to close to 'him' to make a radical feminist happy.
- Proper adjectives
It's quite simple actually. Just use your own language, mix some English in and if it's not good and people don't understand you you arrogantly say: hey you go do some effort to speak my language!This is both venting thread for those who are not native english speakers and place to ask for grammar advices. I can google most of the grammar stuff, but sometimes I just don't get it if someone doesn't explain it.
Sooo, here comes my points:
1) I am frustrated, symphatize me please. What's in my head doesn't come out in my typing, it feels like being a bit handicapped.
Now, that's off my chest, the actual technical questions:
2) If I want to talk about someone whos gender is unknown or can be either, how am I supposed to express it? Having to say "he or she" feels like a lot of work to type everytime. In my language there are no he or she, it's just "hän". This is sometimes confusing for me. What's the best way to talk about someone who's gender is not relevant to the topic and can be either?
3) This is not relative to CF communication really but another thing I don't understand is when people say "How are you?" or some similar question, is it just a greeting like "hello" or are you actually supposed to answer it? In my language, if I ask it, it's actual question but english speakers seem to sometimes use it as a greeting. But because it's also sometimes used as an actual question and the other party answers, I have no way of telling when I'm supposed to answer it.
It's quite simple actually. Just use your own language, mix some English in and if it's not good and people don't understand you you arrogantly say: hey you go do some effort to speak my language!
This is both venting thread for those who are not native english speakers and place to ask for grammar advices. I can google most of the grammar stuff, but sometimes I just don't get it if someone doesn't explain it.
Sooo, here comes my points:
1) I am frustrated, symphatize me please. What's in my head doesn't come out in my typing, it feels like being a bit handicapped.
Now, that's off my chest, the actual technical questions:
2) If I want to talk about someone whos gender is unknown or can be either, how am I supposed to express it? Having to say "he or she" feels like a lot of work to type everytime. In my language there are no he or she, it's just "hän". This is sometimes confusing for me. What's the best way to talk about someone who's gender is not relevant to the topic and can be either?
3) This is not relative to CF communication really but another thing I don't understand is when people say "How are you?" or some similar question, is it just a greeting like "hello" or are you actually supposed to answer it? In my language, if I ask it, it's actual question but english speakers seem to sometimes use it as a greeting. But because it's also sometimes used as an actual question and the other party answers, I have no way of telling when I'm supposed to answer it.
Actually, I don't think english is very difficult language. Also, it's very close to many european languages, like germany, or especially swedish. Swedish and english are so close that I can imagine that it's easyish to learn english for a swede and other way around.
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3) This is not relative to CF communication really but another thing I don't understand is when people say "How are you?" or some similar question, is it just a greeting like "hello" or are you actually supposed to answer it? In my language, if I ask it, it's actual question but english speakers seem to sometimes use it as a greeting. But because it's also sometimes used as an actual question and the other party answers, I have no way of telling when I'm supposed to answer it.
It's because they come from the same root just like Spanish French and Italian are similar they come from the same root
This is both venting thread for those who are not native english speakers and place to ask for grammar advices. I can google most of the grammar stuff, but sometimes I just don't get it if someone doesn't explain it.
Sooo, here comes my points:
1) I am frustrated, symphatize me please. What's in my head doesn't come out in my typing, it feels like being a bit handicapped.
Now, that's off my chest, the actual technical questions:
2) If I want to talk about someone whos gender is unknown or can be either, how am I supposed to express it? Having to say "he or she" feels like a lot of work to type everytime. In my language there are no he or she, it's just "hän". This is sometimes confusing for me. What's the best way to talk about someone who's gender is not relevant to the topic and can be either?
3) This is not relative to CF communication really but another thing I don't understand is when people say "How are you?" or some similar question, is it just a greeting like "hello" or are you actually supposed to answer it? In my language, if I ask it, it's actual question but english speakers seem to sometimes use it as a greeting. But because it's also sometimes used as an actual question and the other party answers, I have no way of telling when I'm supposed to answer it.
#2 they
#3 Most just say good or I am fine. Its just a greeting like "Hello" but a little more long winded. It is also a conversation starter. Where "hello" is something you say as you pass somebody "How are you" is more of a conversation starter. Another way to start a conversation would be to ask about the weather or "How bout them Yankees".
Isn't "they" a plural? Does it work when I talk about single person?
It is plural but in informal communication English speakers use it all the time when they want to talk about "he or she." It's not really considered proper usage yet, but it's not really improper in informal communication either.
As for #3, I always thought of it as a question but apparently it depends on where you are at and the situation. Good luck with that!
There also seem to be different rules for using capital letters in english, than in finnish. This is really no biggie, but I bet I'm never going to get it right. It seems to me that in english, you're supposed to use capital letters more often than in finnish. For example, Christian is not written with capital letter in my language.
Everybody I know that speaks a foreign language says that learning English is very hard but yet just about anywhere you go in this world you will find somebody who speaks it.
My brother who was in the U.S. Navy for many years told me that no mater were you go you will find somebody who speaks English. He said that they know English speaking people usually have money and if you want their money you better speak their language.
Depends on if it's a named, specific person or more in the general sense.
Yes, and "they" is technically grammatically incorrect. Lots of people still use it in informal speech anyway.
Often, it's not a completely literal question. I do hear that American culture is an aberration when that question is asked, that it is meant literally just about everywhere else.
There is an idea, first I'm going to lobby corrupt politicians around the globe to push for adopting "hän" in english language with the scandic letter in it, then I'm going to sell scandic keyboards to all 400 million native english speakers and accuse everyone who doesn't buy one of being politically incorrect chauvinist! I'll be rich!
Yes, it's the most spoken non-native language in the world. Thanks to british empire and american leading role in developing computers.
The basics of English are fairly straightforward because of the lack of inflection.
That is because we think faster than we type. Unless we type very, very fast ...
When typing informally I sometimes say s/he. That saves time. In formal communication the correct form is 'he or she'. In informal communication you can get away with 'they', but it is a bit awkward because then the verb won't be right. If in doubt, use the formal version.
The formal version of this in British English is to say, 'How do you do?'. The correct reply to this is, 'How do you do?' It is not intended as an actual question but a way of beginning a conversation; what is called by linguists phatic communication; a kind of social convention of how to begin. It works to let each side know that they are dealing with someone who understands the conventions of conversation, if you like.
This has changed into a whole series of different forms; some people say 'Hello' (best reply in return; 'Hello'), some say, 'How are you?' (best reply; 'Fine thanks. How about you?' 'Fine'. Saying 'Good' will identify the respondent as speaking American rather than British English, because good is a quality of character, not of health. In British English 'I am good' really means something along the lines of I am honest rather than I am well.
If you are asked this question by a total stranger the answer is always 'Fine'. If asked by a close friend you can go into more detail. Gradations in between will fall within this spectrum.
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