17 Comments
Oops, I failed with "the composer is a tall english guy". It didn't like 'guy'. Maybe I'm too casual?
412
It's just me, but I would stay away from "guy." In the U.S., we are plagued by it.
- 454
So you're saying that "guy" is common, so why would you recommend staying away from it.
- 412
Good question! Because it is used incorrectly very often. My wife is even called a "guy" by many waiters or waitresses! And often when she is with other women, they are called "you guys." Or a group of young girls and boys are called "you guys." Slang used too often and too incorrectly is like a river that has flooded way beyond its banks, ruining a lot else. I tell my students who are studying to be teachers that if they never use the word, no one will complain, no one will miss it, and no one will remind them to use it, because it is so unnecessary. It is OK once in a while, though, as in Frank Loesser's hit Broadway musical, "Guys and Dolls." There's a great use of the word! But none of the dolls in the show are called guys, for they knew to use the word properly back in 1950. And Americans who talk well now do not much use it.
I hope that helps!
I had second thoughts on 'guy' as maybe in more advanced lessons they may differentiate between 'férfi' and say 'pasi', the latter of which I believe is closer to 'guy'.
I encountered the same elsewhere and was advised to report it. So Englishman should be accepted I believe.
"The composer is one tall English man" is not right somehow? "One" and "a" are interchangeable here due to particular emphasis of the sentence... It is not a "literal" translation. Just that one is sometimes used in English in such positions.
It would be an absurdly contrived context to say "The composer is one tall English man" As opposed to what? Two men? You have a point, I think, but it's not what this sentence is teaching.
No, "one" replaces the article "a" in this case. English grammar supports such cases.
Just for grins, for the benefit of "Equand" and me, could/can some approach a translation for any or all of the following phrases? [Thanks in advance for taking on this project!]
-He is certainly a tall man.
-He is a uniquely tall man.
-He is the tallest of men.
-He is such a tall man.
-That man is so tall. [ET CETERA . . . . ] N. k. s.!
I can try.. :)
He is certainly a tall man. - Ő tényleg egy magas ember.
He is a uniquely tall man - Ő egy különlegesen magas ember.
He is the tallest of men - Ő a legmagasabb ember.
He is such a tall man - Ő egy annyira magas ember.
That man is so tall - Az az ember annyira magas.
Notice that I always used the ő, because in this context i's used as pointing a finger towards him. I can accept leaving it out only in the first sentence I think.
when do we use "egy" and when do we leave it out? I'm kinda confused
