German too. Ich habe Hunger. Sie haben Durst.
Comment on It's weird how we say "go to sleep" as if sleep is a place
EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 3 months ago
In Spanish, they talk about hunger and thirst as if they are physical objects.
Deconceptualist@leminal.space 3 months ago
LogicalDrivel@sopuli.xyz 3 months ago
Sie haben Durst
Durst
Heh, Fred Thirst
roofuskit@lemmy.world 3 months ago
You can have feelings too.
Deconceptualist@leminal.space 3 months ago
Aw, thanks! I feel like you’re a lovely person.
shalafi@lemmy.world 3 months ago
J’ai froid.
roofuskit@lemmy.world 3 months ago
Feelings are things we have.
teft@piefed.world 3 months ago
I think that's more that tener doesn't always mean a physical thing.
As an example in spanish they use tener for age. As in "tengo 20 años" literally is "I have 20 years" but it means "I am 20"
Or ten cuidado means "take care" or "be careful". Both phrases use tener in a nonphysical sense in the same way as in english we use "to have". Like to have compassion or to have doubts.
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 3 months ago
but it works because abstract concepts are things an individual can own.
Like “Tengo quidado” is “i own the the abstract concept of care”.
it could work in English, but it just sounds strange or poetic, like “i have hunger”
sneezycat@sopuli.xyz 3 months ago
I don’t think so, it’s not like you have a monopoly of hunger or sleepiness. “Tener/to have” doesn’t mean to own.
In English you can say “I have feelings” but not “I have sadness”, because they don’t consider emotions to be “things”.
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 3 months ago
yet you can have depression?
teft@piefed.world 3 months ago
Quidar isn’t a Spanish word I’m familiar with but Tengo cuidado would translate to “I am careful” literally it’d be like “I have care”.
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 3 months ago
“I am careful” would be translated as “Soy cuidadoso”