Natalie Zarate
Help me with "use", " wear" and "put on"
Hi, amazing people,

I have confused about these words: "wear"," put on" and "use"...
Today I have studied clothes vocabulary, but I didn't understand what's the difference between these three words or in what cases I can use these words??

Thanks a lot.

Jun 26, 2020 11:24 PM
Comments · 6
1
If you are just describing someone's clothes, use the word "wear."

Let's see if I can illustrate with examples.

This morning, I got up. I shaved, and then I got dressed. I took a blue shirt out of the closet. I put on the shirt. I took a pair of tan shorts out of the bureau. I put on the shorts. I put on shoes and socks. Then I was all dressed.

I went downstairs to breakfast. I was wearing the blue shirt and the tan shorts. I wore them all day. I am still wearing them. Tonight, when I go to bed, I will take off my shirt and shorts and put on my pajamas.

When you are going to a job interview, wear a suit.

Some companies allow employees to wear blue jeans on Fridays.

In the winter, when it is cold, before I go outside I put on my jacket. I always wear a jacket when it is cold.

"Use" is a very general word. I think <em>utilizar</em> is a good translation. We do not normally talk about "using" clothing.

I use a knife to cut food. I use a pencil to write with. In English, we use capital letters to begin the names of the days of the week: <em>Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.</em>

Cowboys wore bandanas. I have a bandana but I don't wear it very often. Nowadays, because of the coronavirus, I wear a face mask in public. Before I had a face mask, my wife showed me how I could use a bandana as a face mask.
June 27, 2020
1
English speakers almost never use the word "use" to describe clothing. We don't "use socks", we don't "use a t-shirt." "Wear" and "put on" are much more commonly used.

A slight difference is that "put on" is the act of getting dressed, putting it on when you wake up in the morning, or changing clothes, i.e. - "After she woke up, she put on a fresh pair of shorts, socks, and t-shirt, before she made her morning coffee." It happens once or twice, it takes a short amount of time, and then it is finished, i.e. - you don't spend hours putting on a pair of socks (or at least I hope not!)

Whereas, "wear" is what happens during the day, as you are using the clothing, i.e. - "For the entire day at the office, he wore a suit, complete with tie and jacket." It happens continuously, for hours and hours.
June 26, 2020
1
You wear clothes or accessories for example.. I wear a hat on mondays or I wear a dress when I go to church. "Vestir" sería en español.
You use things for a specific purpose for example I use a knife to chop vegetables. Usas in cuchillo para costar vegetables. USAR en español.
You put on socks before you put on shoes. "Te colocas las medias antes de colocarte los zapatos"
Easy as eating a piece of cake. Espero haberte ayudado

June 26, 2020
.
July 19, 2020
.
July 19, 2020
Show more