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Usenet Posted 18 years ago
Usage
Colleague vs friend
Hi there,
I've noticed everybody here in this part of Europe (Poland) uses 'colleague' when I would say 'friend'. Would it be ok, in your part of the English speaking world, for a 13-year-old boy to say (when referring to his friends from school):
'I went down to the river with my colleagues'?
I have always been laboring under an impression that colleagues are co-workers and you don't really have to be friends with them. Would you agree? Can children have colleagues?
thanks,
Bartek
I've noticed everybody here in this part of Europe (Poland) uses 'colleague' when I would say 'friend'. Would it be ok, in your part of the English speaking world, for a 13-year-old boy to say (when referring to his friends from school):
'I went down to the river with my colleagues'?
I have always been laboring under an impression that colleagues are co-workers and you don't really have to be friends with them. Would you agree? Can children have colleagues?
thanks,
Bartek
Top answer
[nq:1]I have always been laboring under an impression that colleagues are co-workers and you don't really have to be friends with them. Would you agree? [/nq] It's a very formal word, arrel;y used outside of 'professionals', let alone children.
- [nq:1]I have always been laboring under an impression that colleagues are co-workers and you don't really have to be friends with them.
- Would you agree?
- [/nq] It's a very formal word, arrel;y used outside of 'professionals', let alone children.
- I wouldn't say it was wrong; but I'm not sure why it would ever be preferred to friends or 'mates'.
- I recognise that 'chums' is a pretty unlikely alternative these days.
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3 Answers
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[nq:1]I have always been laboring under an impression that colleagues are co-workers and you don't really have to be friends with them. Would you agree? Can children have colleagues?[/nq]
It's a very formal word, arrel;y used outside of 'professionals', let alone children. I wouldn't say it was wrong; but I'm not sure why it would ever be preferred to friends or 'mates'. I recognise that 'chum
It's a very formal word, arrel;y used outside of 'professionals', let alone children. I wouldn't say it was wrong; but I'm not sure why it would ever be preferred to friends or 'mates'. I recognise that 'chum
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[nq:1]I've noticed everybody here in this part of Europe (Poland) uses 'colleague' when I would say 'friend'. Would it be ok, in your part of the English speaking world, for a 13-year-old boy to say (when referring to his friends from school):[/nq]
It sounds like they are using "colleague" as a synonym of "classmate", which is not correct.
[nq:1]'I went down to the river with my colleagues
It sounds like they are using "colleague" as a synonym of "classmate", which is not correct.
[nq:1]'I went down to the river with my colleagues
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[nq:1]Hi there, I've noticed everybody here in this part of Europe (Poland) uses 'colleague' when I would say 'friend'. Would ... colleagues are co-workers and you don't really have to be friends with them. Would you agree? Can children have colleagues?[/nq]
Yes, but they have to get a job first!
Or a project. And some kids have great projects, sometimes with other kids. You should see som
Yes, but they have to get a job first!
Or a project. And some kids have great projects, sometimes with other kids. You should see som
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