Recherche parmi différents professeurs en Anglais…
Lionel
Can I use abysmal (very deep) to describe a subject like mathematics?
Abysmal means very bad or very deep. So Can I use it to describe a subject like mathematics?
For example:
I have spent 5 years learning mathematics, but I still think my knowledge about it is superficial. Mathematics seems to be abysmal.
If not, what is a better alternative? bottomless?
21 sept. 2013 06:36
Réponses · 2
2
It is not 100% wrong, but it doesn't sound right to a native ear. Abysmal does occasionally mean very deep... but mostly it is used to describe extremely bad; appalling. I would say something like, "The lecture today in math class was abysmal, I couldn't wait until it was over." If you would like to describe Mathematics as a never ending pursuit, one might describe it as: unfathomable to comprehend where you can stop learning in math. Or the pursuit of knowledge in mathematics is unending. Since mathematics isn't a tangible "thing" it is easier to talk about the learning or the amount knowledge available in Mathematics. Though if you did just want to say "Mathematics is a bottomless pit", anyone who studies math will understand your meaning completely while others may ask, "What aspect of mathematics is a bottomless pit?" And you would have to clarify by saying that the you have studied for 5 years and you still feel like a newbie. (Just in case you don't know the definition of newbie, it means someone who is just starting out. New, knows very little.)
21 septembre 2013
Vous n'avez pas encore trouvé vos réponses ?
Écrivez vos questions et profitez de l'aide des locuteurs natifs !
Lionel
Compétences linguistiques
Chinois (mandarin), Anglais
Langue étudiée
Anglais
Articles qui pourraient te plaire

English Vocabulary for Using Microsoft Office at Work
8 j'aime · 0 Commentaires

How to Answer “How Was Your Weekend?” Naturally in English
50 j'aime · 29 Commentaires

Why Some Jokes Don’t Translate: Understanding Humor in English
15 j'aime · 6 Commentaires
Plus d'articles
