If you think that’s bad, try explaining ‘set’. According to OED, there are 430 definitions. And I thought ‘as’ (18 definitions that aren’t abbreviations) was bad!
Then go into sentences which you would use DO for.
And here is a little quirk, I don’t know Myan. So if the translator terps it incorrectly, I will not know. But if we terp each of the strongest synonyms, hopefully, the idea gets through.
It’s just one of those things that varies a bit between languages. Especially outside of the Roman alphabet that kind of verb gets really weird. Within the Roman alphabet as far as I know it’s just construed a bit different but not different conceptually. I think you’d have to sit down and compare it language to language to describe it well. Like all I can think of, and I haven’t taken german classes in over a decade, but like in that case I think it would be the equivalent of Mach?
Sometimes, it’s a regular verb that means “to perform an action.”
Sometimes, it’s an auxiliary verb with grammatical function but no real semantic content. In these cases it can be used to express emphasis or to form a question.
“To do” is also a phrasal verb, so “to do up”, “to do over”, “to do away with”, etc. have different meanings than just “to do”.
It’s also used as a grammar function word to indicate a question (Do you believe?), to make a sentence negative (I do not believe), and to emphasize the action (I do believe).
The tricky part would be addressing how do is used like this:
Do you drive?
I do drive.
In most Indo-European languages, it’d be like “Drive you?” In contemporary English, it’s less common to say “I do VERB.” Generally we say “I VERB” unless we’re insisting in the face of a negation, like I DO drive.
Anyway. Linguists talk about this do a lot. It’s from Celtic languages. I know Jon McWhorter talked about it in one of his recent books.
Present progressive is a little odd too.
But English spelling, I think, trumps all the grammar for weirdness. There are historical reasons for spellings, but so much of English orthography seems arbitrary.
Comments
Depends on where they’re from and what word their language translates the same as “do”
To perform an action.
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If you think that’s bad, try explaining ‘set’. According to OED, there are 430 definitions. And I thought ‘as’ (18 definitions that aren’t abbreviations) was bad!
For any word. Get a thesaurus, and then run it through a translator app.
I do is very easy in the romance languages. hacer, faire, fait, Fare
But lets say their language doesn’t translate.
Strongest matches
accomplish,achieve,act,close,complete,conclude,create,determine,end,execute,finish,make,move,operate,perform,prepare,produce,succeed,undertake,work
Then go into sentences which you would use DO for.
And here is a little quirk, I don’t know Myan. So if the translator terps it incorrectly, I will not know. But if we terp each of the strongest synonyms, hopefully, the idea gets through.
In an interpreter class I took we had to come up with all the meanings of the word run. It was very long
It’s just one of those things that varies a bit between languages. Especially outside of the Roman alphabet that kind of verb gets really weird. Within the Roman alphabet as far as I know it’s just construed a bit different but not different conceptually. I think you’d have to sit down and compare it language to language to describe it well. Like all I can think of, and I haven’t taken german classes in over a decade, but like in that case I think it would be the equivalent of Mach?
Tell them that it means to score *insert Beavis and Butthead laugh
Explain etre s’il vous plait.
Verb: to take action.
That’ll do pig that’ll do 😆
I would offer them a dictionary.
Sometimes, it’s a regular verb that means “to perform an action.”
Sometimes, it’s an auxiliary verb with grammatical function but no real semantic content. In these cases it can be used to express emphasis or to form a question.
It has multiple definitions. Probably focus on one aspect at a time.
Just play the Home Depot theme song and they’ll understand
🎶 Do Do Do, Dookie Earl, Do Do, Dookie Earl… 🎶
“To do” means “to perform an action”
“To do” is also a phrasal verb, so “to do up”, “to do over”, “to do away with”, etc. have different meanings than just “to do”.
It’s also used as a grammar function word to indicate a question (Do you believe?), to make a sentence negative (I do not believe), and to emphasize the action (I do believe).
Tell them it’s used the way they use the word “make.”
In some languages they use the word “make” the way we say “do.”
That word exists in virtually every language dafuq?
The tricky part would be addressing how do is used like this:
Do you drive?
I do drive.
In most Indo-European languages, it’d be like “Drive you?” In contemporary English, it’s less common to say “I do VERB.” Generally we say “I VERB” unless we’re insisting in the face of a negation, like I DO drive.
Anyway. Linguists talk about this do a lot. It’s from Celtic languages. I know Jon McWhorter talked about it in one of his recent books.
Present progressive is a little odd too.
But English spelling, I think, trumps all the grammar for weirdness. There are historical reasons for spellings, but so much of English orthography seems arbitrary.
Kind of hard to do. “I do not know” only English would use the do there. Why celtic influence. How do you explain that? Best to usebrute force memory