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Arobaz Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary

Very - Really - Quite

Hello everyone,

I would like to know the differences about these word: Very, really, quite

Especially quite, because I know that it is unusual in American English than in British English, so I believe that this word doesn't means "assez, plutôt" in U.S English, does it? But it would means rather "very, really" like above.

Therefore, I have got a sentence and I think it is written in U.S English:

It appears you can see me quite well.
I think that in British English, it should mean: It appears you can see me fairly well. Or It appears you can see me almost well.
Whereas in U.S English, it should mean: It appears you can see me very well. or It appears you can see me entirely well. or It appears you can see me really well.





So, what's the difference between "really, quite, very" in British English and in U.S English? Especially about quite =)


Thanks in advance

Best wishes,

Laurent
  

Top answer

Hi. First and foremost, you have to keep in mind that, quite and really can be used both for gradable and nongradable adjectives but very can only precede gradable adjectives. To make it clear, you can say Very good, but you cannot say very freezing, because freezing is an extreme adjectives and cannot be graded.

— Hrsanei

  • Hi.
  • First and foremost, you have to keep in mind that, quite and really can be used both for gradable and nongradable adjectives but very can only precede gradable adjectives.
  • To make it clear, you can say Very good, but you cannot say very freezing, because freezing is an extreme adjectives and cannot be graded.
  • However, you can use really and quite in the above context.
  • When quite is used with non gradable adjectives, it has the same meaning as very.
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12 Answers
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Hi.

First and foremost, you have to keep in mind that, quite and really can be used both for gradable and nongradable adjectives but very can only precede gradable adjectives. To make it clear, you can say

Very good, but you cannot say very freezing, because freezing is an extreme adjectives and cannot be graded. However, you can use really and quite in the above context.
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Hi hrsanei,

It is quite funny.

I don't see this as meaning 'very funny', unless the speaker is using understatement. I see 'quite' as less than 'very'.

Perhaps I am influenced by British English here.

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Thank you for your answer and your explanations Emotion: smile

So, within my sentence being written in U.S English, it means : It appears
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Hi Clive.

To me quite means very but not very much.

So are you suggesting that quite acts as a detoner?

Thanks
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Hi,

It can be a detoner or a toner.

Much depensds on the context, tone of voice, facial expression, and so forth.

But I see it as less than 'very', unless used with understatement.

How it is
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Hello,

Okay thank you for the links.

But, with this context: One person is looking for someone with 4 arms (do not ask me why ^^) and a person with 2 four say that he is the person that he is looking for. So this person say:
'<font color=#0000FF>But.. you only have 2 arms and it appears you can see me quite well</font>'

I am not sure but it may be o
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Hello,

Excuse me about the other send.

So, with this context: One person is looking for someone with 4 arms (do not ask me why ^^) and a person with 2 four say that he is the person that he is looking for. So this person say:
"But.. you only have 2 arms and it appears you can see me quite well"

I am not sure but it may be of
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Hi,

I can't make any sense of it without more context.

Clive
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Hello,

In fact, Quite is less than Very or extremely but more than Fairly. And it also means "completely" with some adjectifs.

But, if I say: Your exercise is quite right. How can you know if I say "fairly right / almost right" or
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