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Alyssa

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Stop saying "anyone to chat" or "anyone to talk?" It is a direct

translation, an incomplete phrase, and it is wrong.

The way to ask is "Does anyone want to chat?" or "Is anyone available to talk?"

Please learn this concept - you have to rearrange most things you want to say. You cannot translate them word for word. Language just doesn't work that way. I don't see people correcting it because the meaning is clear, but it sounds bad and you should get out of this habit of speaking in direct translations.

Comments

  • Magali

    @Carlos Moncada Muchas gracias por tu aporte.

  • Alyssa

    @Verónica read my other comments. Native speakers definitely don't say this.

  • Verónica

    I've seen natives saying this.. then why? We ( people who are learning English) repeat everything we hear or see from you.. so why do you use it this way if it's wrong?

  • Carlos Moncada

    @Magali esas son preposiciones y siempre van al final de las preguntas. Otra cosa que el to tiene que ir cuando el verbo en español no está conjugado, en inglés no ponen el TO pensando que es un PARA, eso a ellos no le importa así que olvídate que el to es igual a para 1. Is there anyone to talk “to”? - hay alguien con quien hablar?(aquí el to tiene 2 significados/propósitos diferentes) 2. I need a machine to throw rocks “with” - Necesito una máquina con la cual lanzar rocas 3. Math is the subject you’re good “at” - matemáticas es la materia en la que eres bueno (este no lleva to porque no hubo ningún verbo en la oración) Anyone to talk está incompleto, no puedes hablar así. Debes decir “anyone to talk to” en este caso el to sirve también como preposición al final como los ejemplos anteriores que mencione. Like y as pueden usarse igual al igual que too y as well. Solo en casos especiales no se pueden sustituir

  • Magali

    @Alyssa When you have some free time, could you explain me the use of to, on, in, at and with at the end of a sentence? Because like you said before, we have the habit of translating English into Spanish, haha. And that "to" in "Anyone TO talk" is alguien PARA hablar (a common problem). The same happens to me when don't know if I should use 'like' instead of 'as' or 'too' instead of 'as well' Thanks for your support Alyssa. Gretings from Argentina!

  • Alyssa

    @Arturo Arellano you won't find it the exact way Spanish speakers are using it - "someone to talk?" They would say "Is there someone to talk to?" But not simply a status that only says "someone to talk?" and nothing else. I would be shocked. Maybe it's possible in Indian or Singaporean English, I'm not too sure, but their grammar rules are different.

  • Arturo Arellano

    Even though *

  • Arturo Arellano

    @Alyssa even thought when still I don't get what is wrong write that that way it is well appreciate the corrections and thanks for trying to help us write properly 😊

  • Arturo Arellano

    @Alyssa I'll follow you so when seen a native english speaker write that way I'll sent you the screenshot I'm pretty sure have seen this before

  • dani

    @Alyssa first, I said, (I saw), y si esta correcto lo que decís, but you just sound rude, and " anyone to talk" is not a direct translation, in Spanish literally that would be " alguien a hablar" "anyone for talk" would be a direct but, of course, wrong translation

  • Alyssa

    En fin, you can google it and you won't find that exact phrase in English. It's missing pieces. Goodnight everyone! I hope you correct my mistakes in Spanish toooo.

  • Alyssa

    @jacob yes! something like that! These little words like "to" and prepositions are hard, I knoooow, but they are really equally important.

  • jacob

    It is as if Spanish learners said '' ¿Alguien hablar?

  • Alyssa

    @jacob I could have written it better, nicer actually haha😛. People are offended now because I wasn't sweet enough. Just being to the point, sorry yall. I teach all day and sometimes I hear the same mistakes 1,000,000 times.

  • Alyssa

    @Graciel no, we definitely don't say it that way. Maybe "anyone to talk to?" But never "anyone to talk." Because we aren't translating from alguien para hablar 😛

  • Alyssa

    @dani I've never heard a native English speaker say "anyone to talk." It's a direct Spanish translation so hey would we ever say that? What you hear us say is "anyone want to talk?" But you have to use a verb there. Show me one native speaker saying "anyone to talk" and I'll take it back!

  • Alyssa

    If you want the native speaker short phrase it's something like "anyone want to talk?" But see how you have to use a verb there (want.) Short phrases and slang are great, but they need to make sense.

  • dani

    Lol son los angloparlantes nativos quienes usan esas frases xD

  • Alyssa

    @Arturo Arellano there's a difference between a scholar paper and a grammatically wrong sentence. A native speaker may have their own was to ask this in an incomplete phrase 'anyone wanna talk?' But 'anyone to talk' is really wrong. It's actually missing a verb completely. It's rearranged.

  • Santiago Montero

    Thank youuu !!!!

  • Graciel

    @Arturo Arellano That's true, exactly they are the ones who use it that way.

  • Arturo Arellano

    The native speakers write that way too!! What's the matter? I mean we are not writing a scholar paper or something

  • Graciel

    Thank you for scolding us.😓😊

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