Hi, everyone. Nesse episódio do podcast Inglês Online eu vou falar sobre algumas expressões com a palavra LOVE.
Transcrição
Hey, how’s it going? Today we have a new episode of the inglesonline podcast. Please subscribe to this podcast using the Podcasts app for iPhone or iPad, or listen to the episodes using the Inglesonline Android app. To download or just listen to other episodes and download transcripts, go to inglesonline.com.br and click Podcast Inglesonline.
So how about today we take a look at a few expressions with the word LOVE? Yep, love – L-O-V-E. Listen again: love. So here’s an expression: love something or someone to bits. Again: love something or someone to bits. What does that mean? That means you like or love that thing, or that person… a lot. That’s it. An example: my neighbors are great. I love them to bits. That means I like my neighbors very much. Here’s one more: “The new teacher explains things so clearly and she’s so patient. I love her to bits.”
Now here’s another expression with LOVE that is a bit more intense: love someone to death. Yeah, the word DEATH is in there but, still… it’s a positive expression. In Portuguese we have a very positive expression with the word MORRER, don’t we? As in “linda de morrer”. That does not mean the same as “love someone to death”, by the way. To love someone to death means to feel a really intense affection for that person. That would be appropriate for a really close friend, a girlfriend or boyfriend, a spouse, a family member and so on.
I remember hearing the expression love someone to death very often when someone says something like… “I love her to death, but…” Example: “Look, my mother is always very curious about what my siblings and I are doing at all times… I love her to death but there’s no way I’m gonna tell her every single detail of my life”. What this person is saying is that they love their mother to death – in other words, they really love her, truly and intensely, but still… they’re not going to inform their mom of their every move. One more example: “My boyfriend is just too possessive. I mean, I love him to death but I’m not gonna let him control my life”. Here this person is saying she loves her boyfriend to death; she’s totally in love with him; she feels a strong and deep affection for her boyfriend. Still, she isn’t going to let him control her life.
And here’s a very interesting expression with the word LOVE – maybe you’ve heard about it: tough love. Again, that’s tough love. Tough is spelled t-o-u-g-h, tough. One of the meanings of the word TOUGH is severe, even a bit harsh. So why would this word be used in conjunction with such a sweet word as LOVE? Well… “Tough love” expresses a way of helping someone – or an intention to help someone – by treating them in sort of a severe way. An example would be if you had a serious talk with your friend about all the money she’s been spending on clothes. You were almost angry – you told her she was being irresponsible and you also said that she couldn’t go on spending like that. In the beginning she thought you were joking, but you just kept telling her that it was a mistake and that she should change her ways… You were kinda tough on her.
You just gave her some tough love. You’re doing this because you love your friend to death and you don’t want to see her making the same mistakes you’ve seen other people make. You know she’s out of control with the spending, and you just wanted to shake her up a little, so you thought: It’s time for some tough love. I’m gonna give her some tough love. This is a very common way to use this expression: it’s time for some tough love. Another very common way: he gave her some tough love.
So give us your examples of the people you love to death. When was the last time you gave someone some tough love? Let us know in the comments and talk to you next time.
Key expressions
love (something / someone) to bits
love someone to death
tough love
Glossary
my siblings = meus irmãos e irmãs
harsh = duro, áspero, severo
sort of = meio que
you were kinda tough on her = você foi meio duro com ela
shake her up a little = dar um chacoalhão nela (figurado – com o sentido de fazer a pessoa “acordar”)
Ana criou um blog de dicas de inglês em 2006, e depois de muito pesquisar o que faz alguém ganhar fluência numa segunda língua, criou seu primeiro curso de inglês em 2009.
Hi,Ana!!Well,as a mother sometimes I have to give some tough love to my kids.Isn’t easy do that, for me, at least.But play the tough person is the best way sometimes.And works.Kisses!!!!
I love all my family to death. (my siblings, mother, father, husband, daughter) If I need to give though love for who I love to death, I’ll certainly do it.
I love your blog to bits. The best way to learn english!!
I always give some tough love for my brother. He many times is irresponsible but i love him to death.
Hey, how’s it going? Today we have a new episode of the inglesonline podcast. Please subscribe to this podcast using the Podcasts app for iPhone or iPad, or listen to the episodes using the Inglesonline Android app. To download or just listen to other episodes and download transcripts, go to inglesonline.com.br and click Podcast Inglesonline.
