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fussy
Joined: 05 Sep 2006
Posts: 29
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 Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 5:06 pm Post subject: the nuance of "feel free to ..." |
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Situation:
I want to have further talking with a friend whom I discuss with in a mailing list and do not know each other in person.
Can I say "feel free to have further discussion with me"?
Is it humble? When I exchange the sentence into my language (word by word) the sentence may imply that I offer a talk to him/her, and may also imply that he/she should not ask unless it's offered, which isn't very humble.
I am not sure about the nuance of the expression in English so I would like to ask ... |
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redset
Joined: 18 Mar 2006
Posts: 582
Location: England
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| Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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Being free is being unrestricted, so what you're really saying is 'if you'd like to discuss this further, please don't feel like there's any reason you can't do so'. You're leaving the choice entirely up to them, without implying that they should or shouldn't do so for any reason.
It's not humble exactly, it's more a way of telling someone they're not required or obligated to do something. It can be friendly (since you're really saying 'don't worry about it, do whatever you like') but if you want make it more humble or polite then throw a few polite words in there: 'please feel free to continue this discussion with me' and 'if you would like to discuss this further with me then please feel free' are both more polite ways of making an open offer with no expectations. |
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fussy
Joined: 05 Sep 2006
Posts: 29
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| Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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| redset, thank you very much for such a comprehensive explanation. I got it. |
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