The Picard Maneuver@lemmy.worldM to memes@lemmy.world · 3 months agoA quick Chinese lessonlemmy.worldimagemessage-square149linkfedilinkarrow-up1941arrow-down110
arrow-up1931arrow-down1imageA quick Chinese lessonlemmy.worldThe Picard Maneuver@lemmy.worldM to memes@lemmy.world · 3 months agomessage-square149linkfedilink
minus-squareZ745812939054@lemmy.ziplinkfedilinkarrow-up5·3 months ago“are” makes it plural if the sentence had “is” instead, it would be singular: there is no pig
minus-squareAlfalFaFail@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkarrow-up3·3 months agoBut they are asking with the number zero specifically. “There is zero pig” is not how we speak.
minus-squareZ745812939054@lemmy.ziplinkfedilinkarrow-up1·3 months agogood point. “there is zero [noun]” doesn’t work whether the noun is plural or not. only when you use “no” instead of “zero” i’ve only ever spoken english and it still confounds me. why do we say “hands” but we don’t say “foots”? why don’t “good” and “food” rhyme? why does “feed” become “fed,” but “weed” becomes “weeded”? meanwhile “wed” and “wedded” mean the same thing lol
minus-squareAlfalFaFail@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkarrow-up1·3 months agoIf you insist on “is” then “zero” doesn’t work. But if you use “are” the sentence, “There are zero pigs” is totally cromulant. That’s because “pigs” in that sentence is addressing the category.
minus-squareJcbAzPx@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1·3 months agoIt’s because English is three or four languages all smashed together, usually by force.
“are” makes it plural
if the sentence had “is” instead, it would be singular: there is no pig
But they are asking with the number zero specifically. “There is zero pig” is not how we speak.
good point. “there is zero [noun]” doesn’t work whether the noun is plural or not. only when you use “no” instead of “zero”
i’ve only ever spoken english and it still confounds me. why do we say “hands” but we don’t say “foots”?
why don’t “good” and “food” rhyme?
why does “feed” become “fed,” but “weed” becomes “weeded”? meanwhile “wed” and “wedded” mean the same thing
lol
If you insist on “is” then “zero” doesn’t work. But if you use “are” the sentence, “There are zero pigs” is totally cromulant. That’s because “pigs” in that sentence is addressing the category.
It’s because English is three or four languages all smashed together, usually by force.