ain't......?

sandra_menendez · Beitrag von **sandra_menendez** » 28. Sep 2006 13:42

Hi you guys!

I have a question: what does the little word "ain't" exactly mean in German and when do you use it?

Manhattan · Beitrag von **Manhattan** » 28. Sep 2006 15:41

Hi Sandra

"Ain't" was originally a contraction for "am not" and "are not". Today it's the quite colloquial version for "is not", "am not", "are not", "has not" or "have not". You shouldn't use it too often because other people might get the impression that you're uneducated

Well, if you want to know more about it, just have a look here.

See you,
Manhattan

sandra_menendez · Beitrag von **sandra_menendez** » 28. Sep 2006 19:10

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Manhattan · Beitrag von **Manhattan** » 28. Sep 2006 19:37

Don't mind

I've got just one question: Does the link work?

boert · Beitrag von **boert** » 28. Sep 2006 21:05

Nope, it does not.

Guess it's because of the inverted comma.

Manhattan · Beitrag von **Manhattan** » 1. Okt 2006 21:44

boert hat geschrieben:Nope, it does not.

Guess it's because of the inverted comma.

Oh, you're right. Wikipedia must have changed it because I just copied the URL there. Well, thanks a lot =)

Shimnen · Beitrag von **Shimnen** » 13. Aug 2007 17:14

by the way: 'He ain't lazy, he just ain't got nothing to do.'

right or wrong?

vitalidle · Beitrag von **vitalidle** » 29. Aug 2007 22:49

Why is this wrong???
It looks right.

maureencc · Beitrag von **maureencc** » 29. Aug 2007 23:21

"ain't" is slang, used in parts of Great Britain and America.

Correct English uses the appropriate form of the verb "to be".

Apart from which the second part of the sentence is also a double negative which is "double slang" and must be avoided, especially when you're learning the language for school / business purposes.

Maureencc

Milo · Beitrag von **Milo** » 30. Aug 2007 13:51

Is there another short form for "am not" as "ain't"?

I know "isn't" for "is not", "aren't" for "are not", "haven't" for "have not",...

but I don't know a short form for "am not".

Deccius · Beitrag von **Deccius** » 30. Aug 2007 14:57

Milo hat geschrieben:Is there another short form for "am not" as "ain't"?

I know "isn't" for "is not", "aren't" for "are not", "haven't" for "have not",...

but I don't know a short form for "am not".

Unfortunately, there is not a contracted form of "am not". "Ain't" used to be the contracted form, but that word has fallen into disuse and has become grammatically incorrect. Although many people use the form "aren't I" as a tag question at the end of a sentence, it is not correct.
Example:
I'm so good at tennis, aren't I? (Wrong)
I'm so good at tennis, am I not? (Correct, though it sounds stilted.)

Cliff · Beitrag von **Cliff** » 3. Sep 2007 17:24

Deccius hat geschrieben:"Ain't" used to be the contracted form, but that word has fallen into disuse and has become grammatically incorrect.

Also in diesem Punkt muß ich widersprechen. Ich bin zwar kein Muttersprachler, aber ain't ist definitiv nicht ungrammatikalisch. Wäre dies der Fall, dann würde es nicht von Muttersprachlern verwendet werden und ich kenne genügend Bsp. aus Musik, Film, Literatur etc.. Das wirklich 'Schlimme' an dieser Konstruktion ist halt, daß es sehr umgangssprachlich bzw. oft zum Sprachgebrauch der Ungebildeten gehört und deshalb nicht im schriftlichen Englisch benutzt werden sollte bzw. alles andere als 'korrekt' angesehen wird. Und für Nicht-Muttersprachler gilt hier das Gleiche wie beispielsweise für die double-negation: Einfach die Finger davon lassen und is not, are not, have not etc. benutzen. Dann wird man auch verstanden.