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Rubem
What is the difference between TO SPEAK and TO TALK?
Both verbs are used to describe actions using the mouth, but what is the difference between them? Does prepositions WITH and TO change their meaning deeply?
For example: I speak to you. He talked to her.
She spoke with (?) him. We talk with you.
Aug 4, 2016 4:06 PM
Answers · 8
2
Hi:)
1) These two verbs quiet similar to each other , but the only difference is that it's better to use "speak" in formal way and "talk" in informal
2)Mainly, the difference is that speak / talk WITH means bilateral ( two-side) speaking when both of you are active
speak / talk TO emphasizes the one-sidedness of speaking , when one person
need to speak to describe the problem, complain or just pour out his heart
P.S Don't forget about stable expressions where you couldn't replace "talk" to"speak" ( e.g talk nonsense / speak languages)
August 4, 2016
1
Hey Rubem, good question! In my opinion, there isn't a huge difference. Sometimes, it just "sounds better" (or more formal) to say "spoke with" instead of "talked to". To me, speaking with someone implies it COULD be a more serious matter..
You could say :
I'll speak with him ( could be serious )
I'll talk to him
I talked to him
I talked with him
We spoke about ____
We talked yesterday
We had a talk today
We'll talk about this later
the "with" and "to" do not change the actual meaning. Its one of those things where there are many different options. In casual conversation, I do not use "spoke" very often.
August 4, 2016
1
This question came up a few days ago. You'll find your answer about the difference between 'speak' and 'talk' here:
http://classic.italki.com/discussion/122393
As for the difference between 'with' and 'to' - no, it doesn't make a great deal of difference. Some people claim that 'speak/talk to' is a one-way communication while 'speak/talk with' is a two-way communication/conversation, but this isn't strictly true. There isn't a major difference, and it isn't something we worry about. Interestingly, this is always something that worries Brazilian students for some reason!
Good luck with reading the Discussion page, and come back here and ask if anything's still not clear.
August 4, 2016
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Rubem
Language Skills
English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Learning Language
English, French, Spanish
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