Comments on: Gender issues (with nouns) http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/ Unconventional language hacking tips from Benny the Irish polyglot; travelling the world to learn languages to fluency and beyond! Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Benny Lewis http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-15991 Benny Lewis Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:57:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-15991 *Regional* exceptions in gender of nouns are few and far between. They are so rare that prioritising such stickers for that reason is ridiculous *Regional* exceptions in gender of nouns are few and far between. They are so rare that prioritising such stickers for that reason is ridiculous

]]> By: Scott Hammond http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-13904 Scott Hammond Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:44:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-13904 This beat me and discouraged me from learning French at school, that along with the everything being "backwards" too. I'm trying not to let the same thing defeat me again as I try to learn Swedish This beat me and discouraged me from learning French at school, that along with the everything being “backwards” too.

I’m trying not to let the same thing defeat me again as I try to learn Swedish

]]> By: Scott Hammond http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-13905 Scott Hammond Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:44:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-13905 This beat me and discouraged me from learning French at school, that along with the everything being "backwards" too. I'm trying not to let the same thing defeat me again as I try to learn Swedish This beat me and discouraged me from learning French at school, that along with the everything being “backwards” too.

I’m trying not to let the same thing defeat me again as I try to learn Swedish

]]> By: Scott Hammond http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-13906 Scott Hammond Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:44:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-13906 This beat me and discouraged me from learning French at school, that along with the everything being "backwards" too. I'm trying not to let the same thing defeat me again as I try to learn Swedish This beat me and discouraged me from learning French at school, that along with the everything being “backwards” too.

I’m trying not to let the same thing defeat me again as I try to learn Swedish

]]> By: Scott Hammond http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-13907 Scott Hammond Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:44:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-13907 This beat me and discouraged me from learning French at school, that along with the everything being "backwards" too. I'm trying not to let the same thing defeat me again as I try to learn Swedish This beat me and discouraged me from learning French at school, that along with the everything being “backwards” too.

I’m trying not to let the same thing defeat me again as I try to learn Swedish

]]> By: Scott Hammond http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-13908 Scott Hammond Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:44:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-13908 This beat me and discouraged me from learning French at school, that along with the everything being "backwards" too. I'm trying not to let the same thing defeat me again as I try to learn Swedish This beat me and discouraged me from learning French at school, that along with the everything being “backwards” too.

I’m trying not to let the same thing defeat me again as I try to learn Swedish

]]> By: Josephine http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-7113 Josephine Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:28:25 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-7113 Hi Benny, I have just read your article on genders. You have encouraged me greatly -- I mean, I can recognise a Spanish gender by reading/writing it, but I had my first conversation with a native online friend just yesterday, and I got everything muddled up! It was so embarrassing! However, she was really kind about it and so patient with me, so I guess it wasn't too bad.<br><br>I guess I just wanted to share that anecdote :) Hi Benny, I have just read your article on genders. You have encouraged me greatly — I mean, I can recognise a Spanish gender by reading/writing it, but I had my first conversation with a native online friend just yesterday, and I got everything muddled up! It was so embarrassing! However, she was really kind about it and so patient with me, so I guess it wasn't too bad.

I guess I just wanted to share that anecdote :)

]]> By: Puneet http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-6767 Puneet Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:20:38 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-6767 Bwnny, and tips for recognizing gender in German? Bwnny, and tips for recognizing gender in German?

]]> By: Jay http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-4661 Jay Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:18:32 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-4661 Yes, and like you already mentioned, words from the same language family (eg romance languages, german languages, slavic languages) tend to have the same "root" and the same gender as well.<br><br>So once you know the gender in french, you can apply it to spanish/italian, ... most of the time. Yes, and like you already mentioned, words from the same language family (eg romance languages, german languages, slavic languages) tend to have the same “root” and the same gender as well.

So once you know the gender in french, you can apply it to spanish/italian, … most of the time.

]]> By: Jay http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-4660 Jay Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:18:09 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-4660 Yes, and like you already mentioned, words from the same language family (eg romance languages, german languages, slavic languages) tend to have the same "root" and the same gender as well.<br><br>So once you know the gender in french, you can apply it to spanish/italian, ... most of the time. Yes, and like you already mentioned, words from the same language family (eg romance languages, german languages, slavic languages) tend to have the same “root” and the same gender as well.

So once you know the gender in french, you can apply it to spanish/italian, … most of the time.

]]> By: Sean Rasmussen http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-4008 Sean Rasmussen Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:34:24 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-4008 If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, I can suggest an inexpensive app <br>that I've recently made; it helps you 'internalize' the 'rules' of identifying the gender of 95% of french nouns. <br><br><a href="http://www.reflexarium.com" rel="nofollow">www.reflexarium.com</a><br><br>Regards,<br>Sean If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, I can suggest an inexpensive app
that I've recently made; it helps you 'internalize' the 'rules' of identifying the gender of 95% of french nouns.

http://www.reflexarium.com

Regards,
Sean

]]> By: Rick Standton http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-3783 Rick Standton Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:56:43 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-3783 Agreed.<br><br>Telling a director in public in Spanish that I was very aroused by the next project has made me never forget the difference between "excitado" and "emocionado." Agreed.

Telling a director in public in Spanish that I was very aroused by the next project has made me never forget the difference between “excitado” and “emocionado.”

]]> By: ALicia http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-3673 ALicia Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:24:40 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-3673 I love the pic. ;) I love the pic. ;)

]]> By: Li(n)keable 08 November - Lexiophiles http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-3479 Li(n)keable 08 November - Lexiophiles Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:04:10 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-3479 [...] Gender issues (with nouns) [...] [...] Gender issues (with nouns) [...]

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-3403 Benny the Irish polyglot Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:52:48 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-3403 Precisely why I don't like "friend". I want to <b>know</b> if they are going out on a date, or if the cousin they are going to introduce me to is female so I can potentially ask <i>her</i> out :P Precisely why I don't like “friend”. I want to know if they are going out on a date, or if the cousin they are going to introduce me to is female so I can potentially ask her out :P

]]> By: troy http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-3399 troy Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:30:29 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-3399 Or in my field "error correcting codes" :) It's a cute (geeky) idea, but I'm not sure how much water the argument holds in reality....in what conversation would you confuse a bridge with a comb?!<br><br>I actually like the ambiguity of "friend" in English. You can be quite coy about your plans by saying "I'm going out with a friend" and no one will know if it is a date or not! Or in my field “error correcting codes” :) It's a cute (geeky) idea, but I'm not sure how much water the argument holds in reality….in what conversation would you confuse a bridge with a comb?!

I actually like the ambiguity of “friend” in English. You can be quite coy about your plans by saying “I'm going out with a friend” and no one will know if it is a date or not!

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-3398 Benny the Irish polyglot Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:56:43 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-3398 In engineering we call that <i>redundancy</i> - it's handy when any electronic device (computer, mobile phone, etc.) needs to send information, it repeats certain segments so that if any of it is damaged along the way the actual information itself is still intact. Being a geek myself, I agree with your friend's analysis :D I find English to be lacking when we say "friend" or "cousin" and it's not clear what gender that person is; other languages have more core information in sentences. I quite like it that way :D In engineering we call that redundancy – it's handy when any electronic device (computer, mobile phone, etc.) needs to send information, it repeats certain segments so that if any of it is damaged along the way the actual information itself is still intact. Being a geek myself, I agree with your friend's analysis :D I find English to be lacking when we say “friend” or “cousin” and it's not clear what gender that person is; other languages have more core information in sentences. I quite like it that way :D

]]> By: troy http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-3395 troy Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:24:14 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-3395 It's unfortunate that this concept is called "gender"...there'd be so much less frustration if it were just called "type-1" and "type-2" words or something. Then you wouldn't feel weird that bridges are "feminine" (ponte) and combs are "masculine" (pente). <br><br>I once met a guy that had an interesting take on genders. I was complaining about how the gender adds no information content, so why have it at all? But he responded in true geek fashion--they DO have information content: suppose you're talking on a noisy phone line and hear "blah blah O P-???-NTE blah blah" Were they talking about a comb or a bridge? Well, if you hear the "o" you know they are talking about a comb! It's unfortunate that this concept is called “gender”…there'd be so much less frustration if it were just called “type-1″ and “type-2″ words or something. Then you wouldn't feel weird that bridges are “feminine” (ponte) and combs are “masculine” (pente).

I once met a guy that had an interesting take on genders. I was complaining about how the gender adds no information content, so why have it at all? But he responded in true geek fashion–they DO have information content: suppose you're talking on a noisy phone line and hear “blah blah O P-???-NTE blah blah” Were they talking about a comb or a bridge? Well, if you hear the “o” you know they are talking about a comb!

]]> By: Terry Selder http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-3382 Terry Selder Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:46:01 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-3382 In Spanish, the appropriate article mostly comes naturally, I think. Especially if you learn the words with adjectives. I love the repeating vowels in for example "vuestra hermana bonita". I am fluent in Danish (I am Dutchman, living in Denmark), and I haven't experienced the word gender as a problem either. I think that is because the definite article is used as an affix. For example: <br>Hus = house. Huset = The house. Mand = man. Manden = The man.<br>It becomes part of the word in Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.<br><br>Now I am learning Finnish, I don't have to deal with articles and word genders, as Finnish doesn't have them. Even hän can mean both he or she. But all that hardly makes Finnish more accessible! ;) Without grammar, you are getting nowhere, as a simple mistake can change the meaning of the sentence because of the absence of prepositions and the presence of 14 cases. <br><br>Good luck with your project, Benny!<br><br>Best wishes from a fellow non-drinker! <br><br>Terry In Spanish, the appropriate article mostly comes naturally, I think. Especially if you learn the words with adjectives. I love the repeating vowels in for example “vuestra hermana bonita”. I am fluent in Danish (I am Dutchman, living in Denmark), and I haven't experienced the word gender as a problem either. I think that is because the definite article is used as an affix. For example:
Hus = house. Huset = The house. Mand = man. Manden = The man.
It becomes part of the word in Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.

Now I am learning Finnish, I don't have to deal with articles and word genders, as Finnish doesn't have them. Even hän can mean both he or she. But all that hardly makes Finnish more accessible! ;) Without grammar, you are getting nowhere, as a simple mistake can change the meaning of the sentence because of the absence of prepositions and the presence of 14 cases.

Good luck with your project, Benny!

Best wishes from a fellow non-drinker!

Terry

]]> By: Geoff http://www.fluentin3months.com/gender-issues/comment-page-1/#comment-3386 Geoff Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:32:49 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=824#comment-3386 Thanks for the tips on gender Ben. I look forward to trying that when I learn my next language. You're right in thinking that a lot of the learning that is necessary when taking on a new language can be hindered by HOW you think about the language and the best way of learning it rather than the flesh and bones of the language itself. You've helped me to start meta-thinking, but was wondering if you had any tips on coming to understand the way that different cases are used in languages. Like Terry above, I'm learning a Finno-Ugric language (Estonian in my case) and the use of cases such as genitive and partitive is reasonably foreign to my English speaking brain (apart of course from the use of genitive to denote ownership eg. Ben's blog) . There are rules about this of course, and perhaps my Estonian course hasn't delved into this topic deeply enough yet, but I just wondered if you had experience with this and how you got it sorted out in your own speedy fashion. Thanks for the tips on gender Ben. I look forward to trying that when I learn my next language. You’re right in thinking that a lot of the learning that is necessary when taking on a new language can be hindered by HOW you think about the language and the best way of learning it rather than the flesh and bones of the language itself. You’ve helped me to start meta-thinking, but was wondering if you had any tips on coming to understand the way that different cases are used in languages. Like Terry above, I’m learning a Finno-Ugric language (Estonian in my case) and the use of cases such as genitive and partitive is reasonably foreign to my English speaking brain (apart of course from the use of genitive to denote ownership eg. Ben’s blog) . There are rules about this of course, and perhaps my Estonian course hasn’t delved into this topic deeply enough yet, but I just wondered if you had experience with this and how you got it sorted out in your own speedy fashion.

]]>