Questions for our British friends

[vinceprince]

Originally Posted by countjimmoriarty

Neither does English! In language, as in just about everything else, the most logical is German. Once you learn the pronunciation and grammatical rules you're sorted - they don't change.

Logical? Please explain simply and briefly how you decide if it's Der/Die/Das for 'the'. Any language that wastes time and effort deciding if inanimate objects and concepts are masculine/feminine/neuter is not logical IMO.
Then there's Den/Dem/Des (Nom/Dative/Accusative) What a waste of time and energy. Just use 'the'!

And that's just 'the'!

[G-Type]

Originally Posted by vinceprince

Logical? Please explain simply and briefly how you decide if it's Der/Die/Das for 'the'. Any language that wastes time and effort deciding if inanimate objects and concepts are masculine/feminine/neuter is not logical IMO.
Then there's Den/Dem/Des (Nom/Dative/Accusative) What a waste of time and energy. Just use 'the'!

And that's just 'the'!

On the other hand, I am really thankful to have "Du" (singular) and "Ihr" (plural) instead of just "You" for both cases...this may lead to misunderstandings or irritations while writing/reading...yep, sometimes it does
.

[Roubignol]

Originally Posted by G-Type

On the other hand, I am really thankful to have "Du" (singular) and "Ihr" (plural) instead of "You" for both cases...this may lead to misunderstandings or irritations while writing/reading...yep, sometimes it does
.

That's an interesting point. How British people give some distance with people who they don't really know?

I never heard British people saying, "My Lord", to someone they absolutely don't know. They say "you". That's very egalitarian (and I really like it ). And what is even more interesting... is, that it seems that British people still have real different social classes. We only need to read Vinceprince's comments. . Is it correct?

In French people say "tu" to someone they know well and "Vous" in "polite" form.
In German: "du" and "Sie"
In Brasilain: "você" and "O Senhor"
In Italian: "tu" and "Il Signore"

[bloke57]

Originally Posted by xyzde69

That's an interesting point. How British people give some distance with people who they don't really know?

I never heard British people saying, "My Lord", to someone they absolutely don't know. They say "you". That's very egalitarian (and I really like it ). And what is even more interesting... is, that it seems that British people still have real different social classes. We only need to read Vinceprince's comments. . Is it correct?

There are certainly higher social classes but that doesn't mean we necessarily respect them in any way.

The correct form of address for a nob is "Oi! You" - and, to convey one's wish that they prosper, it is polite to say "up yours!".

[G-Type]

Originally Posted by xyzde69

That's an interesting point. How British people give some distance with people who they don't really know?
...
...
In German: "du" and "Sie"
...

This is not what I was referring to, however it even adds a 3rd case:

Du = You (singular)
Sie = You (singular, but the polite form used towards a person whom you don´t know too well)

Ihr = You (plural) >> directed to a group of people, community, etc.

Confusing, eh?
.

[SanteeFats]

Originally Posted by bloke57

There are certainly higher social classes but that doesn't mean we necessarily respect them in any way.

The correct form of address for a nob is "Oi! You" - and, to convey one's wish that they prosper, it is polite to say "up yours!".

Me thinketh thou doest jest good sir???

[vinceprince]

Originally Posted by G-Type

On the other hand, I am really thankful to have "Du" (singular) and "Ihr" (plural) instead of just "You" for both cases...this may lead to misunderstandings or irritations while writing/reading...yep, sometimes it does
.

I can say I never remember thinking in any situation 'Gosh, I really wish I had a plural/singular word for 'you' to use right now'

If I'm talking to a specifically to a group I can say 'You lot' or 'You guys' etc or singularly to person 'You G-Type' etc but usually it's just obvious from the context.

[philll_77]

Originally Posted by vinceprince

I can say I never remember thinking in any situation 'Gosh, I really wish I had a plural/singular word for 'you' to use right now'

If I'm talking to a specifically to a group I can say 'You lot' or 'You guys' etc or singularly to person 'You G-Type' etc but usually it's just obvious from the context.

"Sie" has three meanings; She, they and you(singular) so whichever language, it's all a bit of a mash-up.

[Sir Honkers]

I wish all you Johnny Foreigners would learn to speak English and be done with it.

[seany65]

Quote:
Originally Posted by G-Type
On the other hand, I am really thankful to have "Du" (singular) and "Ihr" (plural) instead of just "You" for both cases...this may lead to misunderstandings or irritations while writing/reading...yep, sometimes it does

Originally Posted by vinceprince

I can say I never remember thinking in any situation 'Gosh, I really wish I had a plural/singular word for 'you' to use right now'

If I'm talking to a specifically to a group I can say 'You lot' or 'You guys' etc or singularly to person 'You G-Type' etc but usually it's just obvious from the context.

Posted by seany65:

It seems some, or many, british estate agents have adopted "Yourselves"/"Yourself" as a way of talking more bollox than usual, sorry, I mean as a way of adressing their client/s or people/person viewing a property and they refer themselves as "Ourselves" so they may say something like:

"If yourselves come to the office yourselves will receive the key from Ourselves".

ertc.