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Which pronoun do you use to refer to people in general?
Автор темы: Rosina Peixoto
Giles Watson
Giles Watson  Identity Verified
Италия
Local time: 05:40
итальянский => английский
Памяти
Spanish "nosotros" has the same ambiguity as English "we" May 28, 2008

Rosina Peixoto wrote:

I´m not bilingual. Spanish is my mother tongue and I cannot perceive such subtleness. In our language "we" use "we" most of the times. It´s a way of getting rid of the self-centredness that the first person singular conveys. It also suggests a kind of collective project.

Cheers!



Hi Rosina,

As in English, the first person plural pronoun in Spanish is ambiguous in that it can either include or exclude the addressee. In other words, the "collective project" can appear to be directed against the addressee, or the addressee may be included in it willy-nilly, although it is probably most often presented as a genuine attempt to share.

It's easier to make the distinction in spoken language, where you have tone of voice and gesture to assist interpretation.

Cheers,

Giles
 
Sara Senft
Sara Senft  Identity Verified
США
Local time: 23:40
испанский => английский
+ ...
My perspective and thoughts Sep 20, 2008

I think of the impersonal 'you' in English as like the impersonal 'se' in Spanish.

Back to the original question....When possible, I distinctly refer to a specific group. Like several other posters, I don't like using 'they' unless it refers to a specific group of people. At least for me, it comes down to clarification. In the case of spoken language, I get verbal clarification. EXAMPLE: Some names could easily suit a man or woman. In that case, I ask something like "Pat as ... See more
I think of the impersonal 'you' in English as like the impersonal 'se' in Spanish.

Back to the original question....When possible, I distinctly refer to a specific group. Like several other posters, I don't like using 'they' unless it refers to a specific group of people. At least for me, it comes down to clarification. In the case of spoken language, I get verbal clarification. EXAMPLE: Some names could easily suit a man or woman. In that case, I ask something like "Pat as in 'Patrick,' or as in 'Patricia'?"

This is something that makes English different from, say, Spanish or German. (I know some German, not enough to translate to or from it.)

[Edited at 2008-09-20 17:22]

[Edited at 2008-09-20 17:23] ▲ Collapse
 
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Which pronoun do you use to refer to people in general?






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