Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[stevenukd]

Dear Teachers,

1. Is "Are you finished?" always the same meaning as "Have you finished?"?

2. In many English movies, people often say "What's up?". Is this the same meaning as "Hi" or "Hello"? or it just means "What's the problem?"?

Thanks a lot to Teachers,

Stevenukd

[CP]

1. Yes.

2. "What's up?" used to mean, "What's happening? / What's going on?" But about 10 years ago or so, people started using it as a greeting instead of "Hi" or "Hello."

Now, anyone who takes the stage or begins to speak on the radio feels compelled to ask the audience, "What's up?", whether it makes any sense or not. Also pronounced "Wassaaaaaap?".
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[redset]

'What's up?' can also mean 'what's wrong?' - it depends on the context. If someone says it as a greeting and you start to tell them about all your problems, it could be a bit awkward.

Also pronounced 'sup