ابحث بين معلمي الإنجليزية المتعددين...
Agustín
—to be at a loss for words.
—to be lost for words.
Why these two different ways of saying it? Is there any difference between using one or the other?
Thanks!
١٤ نوفمبر ٢٠٢٣ ١٤:١٨
الإجابات · 8
2
There's no difference in meaning. "At a loss for words" is an idiom that goes back centuries. "Lost for words" is a more modern and informal equivalent.
١٤ نوفمبر ٢٠٢٣
1
They mean the same thing. In the US, I think the first way is more common. "To be speechless" is a third way.
Unfortunately, in English as in other languages, there can be more than one way to say the same thing. It's often hard to explain why one is used rather than the other. For example, nobody has been able to explain to me how a Spanish speaker decides whether to say "hubiera" or "hubiese."
١٤ نوفمبر ٢٠٢٣
They mean almost the same but they feel different.
To understand the difference, ignore "for words" and just consider the difference between "I am at a loss" and "I am lost". They do not have the same meaning.
"I am at a loss" means I am stymied, foiled, blank, bare, emptied, stranded, forlorn.
"I am lost" just means I cannot find my way.
"At a loss" is a more powerful image.
١٥ نوفمبر ٢٠٢٣
لم تجد إجاباتك بعد؟
اكتب اسألتك ودع الناطقين الأصليين باللغات يساعدونك!
Agustín
المهارات اللغوية
الإنجليزية, الإسبانية
لغة التعلّم
الإنجليزية
مقالات قد تعجبك أيضًا

English Vocabulary for Using Microsoft Office at Work
1 تأييدات · 0 التعليقات

How to Answer “How Was Your Weekend?” Naturally in English
47 تأييدات · 29 التعليقات

Why Some Jokes Don’t Translate: Understanding Humor in English
15 تأييدات · 6 التعليقات
مقالات أكثر
