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Kikianjiji Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
does "meet" have a nuance of "talk to"?
I met my ex boyfriend in a coffee shop.
I saw my ex boyfriend in a coffee shop.
The former, to me, is that you had an appointment with him to meet or you didn't have any appointment but at least you talked to hime.
The latter is you saw him unexpectedly and didn't talk to him. You should add some more words like "and talked to him" at the end of the sentence if you did.
On the other hand, what about when you see someone you don't know?
I happend to meet a well known public figure yesterday.
I happend to see a well known public figure yesterday.
The former, to me, is of course you just met him without any planning, but still, it sounds like you talked to him.
The latter is just as it is. You saw him by chance and didn't talk to.
Is my understanding correct?
I saw many questions of the differences between "meet" and "see" on the web, but I'm posting this question now because I suppose mine is a little different from others.
Thsnks.
I saw my ex boyfriend in a coffee shop.
The former, to me, is that you had an appointment with him to meet or you didn't have any appointment but at least you talked to hime.
The latter is you saw him unexpectedly and didn't talk to him. You should add some more words like "and talked to him" at the end of the sentence if you did.
On the other hand, what about when you see someone you don't know?
I happend to meet a well known public figure yesterday.
I happend to see a well known public figure yesterday.
The former, to me, is of course you just met him without any planning, but still, it sounds like you talked to him.
The latter is just as it is. You saw him by chance and didn't talk to.
Is my understanding correct?
I saw many questions of the differences between "meet" and "see" on the web, but I'm posting this question now because I suppose mine is a little different from others.
Thsnks.
Top answer
Sounds good to me. You can also use bumped into, ran into as alternatives to happened to meet.
- Sounds good to me.
- You can also use bumped into, ran into as alternatives to happened to meet.
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7 Answers
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Sounds good to me. 
You can also usebumped into, ran into as alternatives to happened to meet.
You can also usebumped into, ran into as alternatives to happened to meet. 
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Yse! I know "bumped into", but "ran into" is a new phrase for me. Thanks for teaching me 
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Without any other context, here are the first impressions:
I met my ex-boyfriend in a coffee shop. (That's is how you first got involved with him. A married person will often say, "I met my spouse in college." )
I saw my ex-boyfriend in a coffee shop. (This is a more recent event. You are trying to avoid your ex, so when you saw him there, you ran out instead of getting a coff
I met my ex-boyfriend in a coffee shop. (That's is how you first got involved with him. A married person will often say, "I met my spouse in college." )
I saw my ex-boyfriend in a coffee shop. (This is a more recent event. You are trying to avoid your ex, so when you saw him there, you ran out instead of getting a coff
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Is my understanding correct?
Yes.
But there also are quite a lot of other idiomatic nuances.
eg Mary has been seeing Tom for 6 months. Sounds like she has been his girl-friend for 6 months.
Yes.
But there also are quite a lot of other idiomatic nuances.
eg Mary has been seeing Tom for 6 months. Sounds like she has been his girl-friend for 6 months.
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Hi Elanguest,
Yes that is my first impression too when I heard those sentences for the first time, and I agree with the last comment you posted as well
Yes that is my first impression too when I heard those sentences for the first time, and I agree with the last comment you posted as well
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Oooops I thought all replies from the same person "Elanguest"....
Well thanks a lot for your help AlpheccaStars and Clive!
Well thanks a lot for your help AlpheccaStars and Clive!
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