Question

hmj

26 May

Simplified Chinese (China)

English (US)

Question about English (US)

What is the difference between Can't you tell the time? and Can't you know the time? ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.

Which one is more commom and natural?

Answers

isthmus_x

26 May

English (UK)
English (US)

@hmj

Neither of them sound very natural. The second one is definitely bizarre. I’m not even very sure what you’re trying to say

Do you know the time?
Why don’t you know the time?
Don’t you know how to tell the time?

You could potentially mean any of these, or maybe even something else 🤷‍♀️

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hmj

26 May

Simplified Chinese (China)

@isthmus_x You'll be late for school if you don't hurry. Look at the clock. Can't you tell the time?
1. So in this context, should I change the can't into don't?
2. is the sentence "Don't you tell the time" the same as "Don't you tell the time"?

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isthmus_x

26 May

English (UK)
English (US)

@hmj

We would say – don’t you know what time it is? Your version is technically correct – but not many people would actually say it, because it sounds quite harsh.

I think you should read your second question again, there is something wrong with it

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hmj

26 May

Simplified Chinese (China)

@isthmus_x Sorry! Is the sentence "Don't you tell the time" the same as "Don't you know the time"? and is "don’t you tell what time it is?" the same as "don’t you know what time it is?"

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isthmus_x

26 May

English (UK)
English (US)

@hmj

I think you should stop using – tell – in a negative sentence. Very unnatural.

Don’t you know the time?
Don’t you know what time it is?

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hmj

26 May

Simplified Chinese (China)

@isthmus_x
1. The first question is:
Is "Don’t you know what time it is?" a little politer than "Don’t you know the time?"
2. The second question is:
Some days ago, I read sentences "I can tell the time easily. I just look at my watch."
So in this context, is the "tell" the same as "know"?

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isthmus_x

26 May

English (UK)
English (US)

@hmj

1. Yes
2. When we talk about telling time, it’s more like – to read. We are looking at the clock and reading what the time is – but we don’t ever say read, we say tell.

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hmj

26 May

Simplified Chinese (China)

hmj

26 May

Simplified Chinese (China)

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What is the difference between Can't you tell the time? and Can't you know the time? ?

What is the difference between Can't you tell the time? and Can't you know the time? ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.

@hmj We would say – don’t you know what time it is? Your version is technically correct – but not many people would actually say it, because it sounds quite harsh.I think you should read your second question again, there is something wrong with it

@hmj I think you should stop using – tell – in a negative sentence. Very unnatural.Don’t you know the time?Don’t you know what time it is?

@hmj 1. Yes 2. When we talk about telling time, it’s more like – to read. We are looking at the clock and reading what the time is – but we don’t ever say read, we say tell.

@hmj

We would say – don’t you know what time it is? Your version is technically correct – but not many people would actually say it, because it sounds quite harsh.

I think you should read your second question again, there is something wrong with it

@hmj

I think you should stop using – tell – in a negative sentence. Very unnatural.

Don’t you know the time?
Don’t you know what time it is?

@hmj

1. Yes
2. When we talk about telling time, it’s more like – to read. We are looking at the clock and reading what the time is – but we don’t ever say read, we say tell.