Speaker 1: It was very cool this morning, like around eleven degrees celsius.
When I took Max for a walk, I was actually
surprised it was so cool, like there's a nip in
the air. Kind of cool. Boy. I'm hoping this coming
winter isn't too cold. Let's see how it goes.
Speaker 2: Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you from
New York City. And here's your English teacher, Michael.
Speaker 1: All right, thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael
here from Happy English and I help people speak English better.
And this miss Happy English Podcast, Episode eight ninety three.
Two very and so what's the difference? Hey, thanks for
tuning in, and welcome back to the Happy English Podcast.
These three little words two, very, and so all come
before adjectives, and they all talk about how much of
something there is, like how hot, how tall, how tired?
But the feeling and intention behind each word is a
little different. So today we're going to break it all
down with real examples, and I'll show you exactly how
to use them naturally. Let's get into it. First. Up
is very. This one is probably the most neutral and straightforward.
Very means a lot and it simply emphasizes the adjective.
If I say it's very hot today, I just mean
it's hotter than usual. It's not just hot, it's very hot.
Or she's very smart. I'm just saying she's more intelligent
than average. Very just gives emphasis. It's not too emotional.
Very is kind of a measurement, like this exam is
very difficult, or the hotel was very expensive, and my
sister is very good at math. You'll hear native speakers
use very well. We want to show a strong, but
neutral degree of something. So yeah, very is safe, simple
and correct. Next, let's look at two. You know too.
Two is totally different from very. Not only isn't it neutral,
it's packed with emotion. Two usually has a negative feeling,
like more than necessary or more than good. If I
say it's too hot today, it means I'm uncomfortable. It's
hotter than I want it to be. Or this bag
is too heavy that means I can't carry it, so
it's a problem. Or that restaurant is too expensive for me.
I don't want to eat there. The price is a problem.
So two often means so much that it's a bad thing.
Here are a few more examples. I'm too tired, to
go out tonight. That movie we saw the other day
was too long. I got kind of bored. And what's
the deal with Josh? He talks too much in meetings?
And when I heard the other day that perfume is
too strong, it gave me a headache. Again, two means
more than good, more than acceptable. It causes a problem.
That's what makes two different from very. All right, let's
move on to sow now. SO is interesting because it
shows strong emotion or strong intensity. It's kind of in
between very and two, but more expressive. For example, that
movie was so good, or Jenny was so funny at
the party last night. I couldn't stop laughing. Here, SO
shows excitement, it has energy, It's emotional, even in negative sentences.
SO adds feeling like I was so tired I fell
asleep on the train, or it was so hot yesterday
I stayed inside the whole day. And you'll often hear
so used with a second sentence that shows the result.
Lenny was so late we had to start without him.
Or that green curry we had for lunch was so
spicy my eyes were watering, or I was so embarrassed
when I dropped my drink. I turned bright red. So yeah,
so is a storyteller. It gives you the cause and effect.
It's like the word that says it just wasn't intense,
it had consequences. Now, let's look at these three together.
It's very cold today. That's neutral, just giving you a fact.
It's too cold today, that's negative. Maybe I don't want
to go outside it's so cold today. That's emotional. Maybe
I'm shocked by the temperature. All the same adjective, but
different feelings depending on the word you use before it. Now,
one more quick point. In casual conversational English these days,
we do often use two with a positive adjective to
mean something is really or super good, fun, delicious, and
so on. So even though traditionally to imply something excessive
or negative, like too spicy or too expensive, in modern
slang and informal speech, we flip that like that chocolate
cake is too yummy, or she's too funny, I can't
stop laughing, and that puppy is too hute. Just remember
this is slangy and playful and works best in spoken English,
text messages or casual writing. You wouldn't want to use
this version of two in formal writing, but in everyday conversation.
These days, it's totally natural, all right, let's recap. Very
is neutral and adds intensity. It's very cold, so is
emotional or dramatic. It's so cold I can't feel my fingers.
Two is negative. It's a problem, it's too cold to
go outside. Two is also used in slang in casual
conversation with a positive meaning like really, he's cat is
too cute? All right, So here's your challenge. Try using
very too. And so this week when you talk about
your day, was the meeting very long? Was the food
too salty? Was your day so busy you forgot to
eat lunch? Is your new coworker too nice? Try it
out and feel the difference. And Hey, if you want
to practice English from this and all of my podcasts
with me and a group of other awesome English learners,
come check out my podcast Learner's Study Group. We meet
once a week and go over the language from these
podcasts lessons together. It's a great way to build confidence
and improve your speaking. Just check the link where you
are listening to this podcast right now, or visit Myhappy
English dot com and choose podcast episode eight ninety three
for more info. Hey, Thanks for listening, and remember, learning
another language is not easy, but it's not impossible, and
I'm here to help you on your journey.
Speaker 2: This podcast is brought to you by Happy English. Please
visit myhappy english dot com. Show your support for Happy
English by leaving us a review. Get English, get happy
Happy English.