Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Junkomama]

Hello, teachers.

Does "take it one day at a time" mean "to do something little by little every day" ?

Thank you in advance!
Junkomama

[CP]

Yes. It is usually used as advice to someone who has a problem -- drinking, drugs, broken relationship, a thesis to write. You advise him / her to take it one day at a time -- stay sober, nurse the broken heart, write one page.

Don't be discouraged by the size of the problem; you defeat it one day at a time.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[Junkomama]

Thank you for your answer, CP-san!
Then, is it OK to say/write "It is important to take it one day at a time when you learn a foreign language."?
Is it a proper use of the phrase?

Regards,
Junkomama

[CP]

Sure, that's fine. True, too. I'm trying to learn German, and I'm certainly taking it one day at a time.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[Junkomama]

Thank you again, CP-san!

Regards,
Junkomama

[Dory]

Hello, can you please help me?

If "take it one day at a time" means to do something little by little, then the following : "I'm just going to have to take this one day at a time..." must means that "I'm just going to have to take this little by little" ? Or is it something else? I need this for my translation, but I'm not sure...

I'm sorry, maybe it's a stupid question.



Thank You in advance!

[CP]

Not a stupid question at all. Yes, it means just that. And remember that it can be used literally or figuratively. In my examples, the person trying to quit drugs or alcohol literally goes one day at a time, trying to get through just today without going back to the old addiction.

In your sentence, maybe the person has a problem with a child or spouse or a diet. He or she is going to work on the problem one day at a time, or maybe even one crisis at a time.
_________________
You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[Anuradha Chepur]

This could be slightly different, but I've also heard people say, "I live one day at a time," when what they mean is they see what best they can do today and don't worry excessively about tomorrow.

[Dory]

Thank you, but I'm still not sure about this...
It's not about addiction, or diet or something like that... It's something different:

"I discovered what the chief has been hiding all along... If he finds out that I know, my life will be in serious danger. It's getting late already. I'm just going to have to take this one day at a time..."


Does this means to do something little by little even in this text? To do what?

[redset]

If you take something one day at a time, then you're not planning things out in the long-term or trying to deal with too much at once. It has the sense of 'little by little', but also of dealing with things as they happen. From the sound of the quote the narrator has just discovered something very important, and very dangerous - this could be a lot to deal with, and the situation could change very quickly (like if the chief finds out), so the narrator has decided to handle things more spontaneously instead of trying to plan ahead. It could also mean 'little by little' - the situation may be so complicated that the narrator is unable to really think clearly, and has decided to just deal with the whole situation little by little, one day at a time...

[Dory]

OK. Thank You for your help!