窶堋ｱ窶堙ｱ窶堙俄?堋ｿ窶堙債、窶ｰpﾅ津ｪ窶堙固ｽﾂｿ窶禿｢窶堙??堋ｷ
- Thread starter hawkins
- Start date
Hi, hawkins. You're missing some particles, there. You need to say, "a little English", or "a little bit of English". The way you had those sentences in your post should be understandable by an English speaker, by the way, but are not correct and FYI an English speaker would never write or talk that way. Your "So, basically, " though looks good and has a good feel to it. As one idea can be written in different ways, you could have also said, "So, basically, I know X and some English."
ClarkH
先輩
- 29 Mar 2012
- 104
- 6
Either is okay, but they are not perfect. Say either:
"So, basically, I speak X and a little English."
or
"So, basically, I speak x and a little bit of English."
Even without these corrections though, an English listener would still easily understand.
---------- Post added at 14:43 ---------- Previous post was at 14:36 ----------
I disagree. It sounds very natural for me to say, "I speak English and a little Japanese." It would also sound very natural for me to say, "I know English and a little Japanese." Keep in mind though, the meaning of the sentences are different. I think many foreign language students know the language much better than they can speak it.
For example, "I know Japanese well, but I don't speak it well." I think a lot of people know how to read well and understand conversations, but they're not very comfortable speaking the language or have very little practicing speaking the language.
- 21 May 2003
- 14,310
- 4,404
........................................fyi....... ..............................
F= for
Y= your
I= information
Uncle Frank
F= for
Y= your
I= information
Uncle Frank
- Thread starter
- #6
I totally agree :）
---------- Post added at 10:18 ---------- Previous post was at 10:14 ----------
good morning（in Japan） "Uncle Frank" :）
I see, thank you.
To ClarkH: Regarding whether a native English speaker would write or talk that way, as pointed out, my statement was in reference to "The way you had those sentences in your post"(hawkins' post, that is). Point being, his original sentences are understandable, but not at all natural.
As for knowing a language vs speaking a language, there is not a large distinction. Anyone who claims to know a language should be able to speak it, and vice versa. Otherwise, what's the point of claiming either? "Know" just has a more natural feel. "I know X" sounds more natural and conversational than "I speak X". Yes, you would be talking about your ability to speak a language, but you don't have to literally say "speak". I guess this comment is based more on feel than anything else. Besides, just because one native English speaker claims something, that doesn't make any truth of that claim universal. In other words, people learning English should not take everything that every native speaker says as gospel.
As for knowing a language vs speaking a language, there is not a large distinction. Anyone who claims to know a language should be able to speak it, and vice versa. Otherwise, what's the point of claiming either? "Know" just has a more natural feel. "I know X" sounds more natural and conversational than "I speak X". Yes, you would be talking about your ability to speak a language, but you don't have to literally say "speak". I guess this comment is based more on feel than anything else. Besides, just because one native English speaker claims something, that doesn't make any truth of that claim universal. In other words, people learning English should not take everything that every native speaker says as gospel.
