Search from various 영어 teachers...
Maki
Three pairs of sneakers or three sneakers?
When someone says “I have three sneakers”, which means “3 pairs of sneakers”, does it sound natural to native speakers?
Thank you!
Maki
2023년 7월 25일 오전 2:37
답변 · 7
1
You need to use pair of sneakers. This sounds more natural. One sneaker is one shoe. One pair of sneakers is 2 - hopefully for left and right foot. So if you say 3 sneakers that's only 3 total (and one missing :( ) AND if you say 3 pairs, then you have 6 shoes in total for 3 outfit changes :)
2023년 7월 28일
1
Interestingly in American English it is also possible to say ‘three pair of sneakers’. ‘Pairs’ is usually still preferred except in some cases such as poker hands, where hands are labeled ‘one pair’ and ‘two pair’. But the singular ‘pair’ doesn’t sound too wrong to us.
2023년 7월 25일
1
In your question, you need to say "to" instead of "which" and drop the comma:
"When someone says 'I have three sneakers' to mean "3 pairs of sneakers", does it sound natural to native speakers?"
2023년 7월 25일
1
3 sneakers = 3 shoes.
3 Pairs of sneakers = 3 x 2 Shoes
2023년 7월 25일
1
In English, you would always say "I have 3 pairs of sneakers." as "3 sneakers" means just 3 single sneakers. Shoes are always in pairs. :-)
Hope that helps.
2023년 7월 25일
더 보기
아직도 답을 찾지 못하셨나요?
질문을 남겨보세요. 원어민이 도움을 줄 수 있을 거예요!
Maki
언어 구사 능력
영어, 프랑스어, 일본어, 우크라이나어
학습 언어
영어, 프랑스어, 우크라이나어
좋아할 수도 있는 읽을거리

How to Ask for a Raise or Promotion in English
9 좋아요 · 8 댓글

The Key to Learning a Language Faster
30 좋아요 · 8 댓글

Why "General English" is Failing Your Career (An Engineer’s Perspective)
30 좋아요 · 12 댓글
다른 읽을거리
