Everyday Grammar - VOA Learning English Talking about Hot Weather Around the World - June 12, 2024
Jun 12, 2024
They explore three grammatical structures for talking about hot weather. You hear how 'cool down' can be transitive or intransitive and how phrasal verbs can split. Onomatopoeia like 'sizzle', 'hiss', and 'drip' is used to evoke heat. Cultural notes compare weather small talk and heat-related words and temperature labels in Japan and the U.S.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Use Cool Down Correctly
- Use the phrasal verb cool down to describe temperature dropping or making something cooler.
- Jill Robbins shows both intransitive use: "I hope it cools down soon," and transitive separated use: "She cooled her tea down with some milk."
Sound Words Paint Heat Vividly
- Onomatopoeic words like sizzle, hiss, and drip add vivid sound imagery when talking about heat.
- Jill Robbins links sizzle to frying oil, Joni Mitchell's "The Hissing of Summer Lawns," and "I'm dripping sweat."
Japanese Weather Talk Mirrors Small Talk
- Haruna reports that Japanese people commonly talk about weather when meeting someone, similar to Americans.
- She explains heat words use Chinese characters and metaphors like moshou for steaming hot and ensho for flaming hot.