stand, bear, support, take, abide
Hello
Here my question : What's the difference between all these verbs?
For example:
I can't bear him
I can't stand him
I can't support it
I can't take it
I can't abide it
Search from various English teachers...
Answers · 3
2
The odd one out here is 'support', which is a classic "faux ami" for French learners of English and English-speaking learners of French.
The modern English verb 'support' does not mean the same as 'bear', 'stand' and so on. If you check out this verb in an English dictionary, you'll see that it has a different meaning entirely. You can't usually translate the French verb 'supporter' with the English word 'support'.
"I can't bear him" and "I can't stand him" have the same meaning. They both indicate a strong and almost visceral dislike of someone or something; there's virtually no difference between them. "Abide" has a similar meaning but is less strong in meaning and more formal in tone.
"I can't take it" is different. It isn't about liking or disliking: it's about your ability to cope in difficult situation. If you can't take something - the stress of a job, for example - it means that it is too much for you to deal with.
I hope that helps.
1
I can't bear him = I can’t tolerate him
I can't stand him = I can’t tolerate him
I can't support it = I can’t tolerate it
I can't take it = I can’t tolerate it; I can’t handle it
I can't abide it = I can’t tolerate it; I can’t accept it
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