Question
Updated on
22 Jan 2015
- Japanese
-
English (US)
-
Korean
Question about English (US)
What is the difference between litter and trash ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
What is the difference between litter and trash ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
Answers
When you "disagree" with an answer
The owner of it will not be notified.
Only the user who asked this question will see who disagreed with this answer.
Read more comments
- English (UK)
Trash is quite general and refers to anything that can or should be thrown away. It refers to rubbish, but can refer to other things too. People often use this word when talking about the ゴミ箱 – e.g. "Throw it in the trash(can)". It can also be used as an adjective (but this is a bit slang-y) – e.g. "This song is trash". This means that the song is really bad.
Litter is trash/rubbish that you find on the ground in public areas. In this case, it is a noun. However, it can also be used as a verb, which is very common. You might hear people say "Don't litter", which means "Don't throw your rubbish on the ground".
Was this answer helpful?
Obviously wrong
Explanation is not enough
Written in a language I can't understand
Answer is not related to the question
Other reason
- Japanese
Thanks. So, what do you call the garbage on the tray at a McDonalds when you finish eating food? A trash? Trashes? A litter? Litters?
- English (UK)
Haha that's an interesting question because when we eat at a restaurant here, we don't throw away anything and instead leave everything there for the staff to clean up, so I don't think we usually refer to it :L
It definitely would not be litter. I would call it rubbish. Now that I think about it, I never use the word "trash", only "rubbish". That's just me though. It might be different in America - I don't know, but if you want to be safe, use "rubbish" because you can use it in any situation I think, and you can call a trashcan a rubbish bin too.
Was this answer helpful?
- English (UK)
Also I believe "rubbish", "litter" and "trash" are always used in singular form just like all collective nouns.
Was this answer helpful?
- Japanese
komorebi, I'm afraid my dictionary says "rubbish" is British English!
- English (UK)
Oh okay. Maybe that's why I always use "rubbish".
I just did a quick google search and it said that Americans know and use the word "rubbish" (probably not all though), but not as much as the British do.
But, if you want to use "trash" or "garbage", you can use them in the same way:
- Throw your trash/garbage in the bin.
- trash can/garbage can.
- This song is trash/garbage. (Slangish)
So, just to sum up - litter refers to ゴミ that has been thrown on the ground in a public area.
Rubbish/trash/garbage is general waste or things you should throw out. Hope that helps.
Was this answer helpful?
- Japanese
- English (US)
Yeah, in the US I don't hear "rubbish" too often. It sounds a little old-fashioned. I would call the papers and stuff on your tray at a restaurant trash or garbage.
Also, with the example of "This song is trash/garbage." for slang use, I've also been hearing something like "This song is trash can." lately, but this is really slangy and might just be my boyfriend and his friends. XD
Was this answer helpful?
- Japanese
- English (US)
- Filipino
litter is to drop or throw trash without properly disposing of it.
Was this answer helpful?
[News] Hey you! The one learning a language!
Do you know how to improve your language skills❓ All you have to do is have your writing corrected by a native speaker!
With HiNative, you can have your writing corrected by native speakers for free ✍️✨.
With HiNative, you can have your writing corrected by native speakers for free ✍️✨.
Sign up
See other answers to the same question
Related questions
Similar questions
- I bought 2 litter plastic bottle of coke, just one can of redbull, and 4 cans of redbull at super...
- What is the difference between litter and garbage and trash ?
- I had to drink no less than 2 litters of intestinal cleaning liquid for two hours to have my larg...
Recommended Questions
- What is the difference between I'm down for it and I'm up for it ?
- What is the difference between write in your notebook and write on your notebook ?
- What is the difference between missin' and missing ?
- What is the difference between hope everything goes well and hope everything's going well ?
- What is the difference between recall, cancel, undo and revoke ?
Topic Questions
- What is the difference between very and really ?
- What is the difference between Oil and water don't mix. and Oil and water don't blend. ?
- What is the difference between I'm older than him and I'm older than he is ?
- What is the difference between "Do you ever feel tired?" and "Have you ever felt tired?" ?
- What is the difference between "I feel rough" and "I feel under the weather" ?
Newest Questions
- What is the difference between I'm up for it. and I'm down for that. ?
- What is the difference between I waited at the bus stop for 30 mins and I have waited at the bus ...
- What is the difference between very and really ?
- What is the difference between phrases and idioms ?
- What is the difference between enrollment ceremony and admission ceremony and entrance ceremony ?
Previous question/ Next question
What’s this symbol?
The Language Level symbol shows a user's proficiency in the languages they're interested in. Setting your Language Level helps other users provide you with answers that aren't too complex or too simple.
-
Beginner
Has difficulty understanding even short answers in this language.
-
Beginner-Intermediate
Can ask simple questions and can understand simple answers.
-
Intermediate
Can ask all types of general questions and can understand longer answers.
-
Advanced
Can understand long, complex answers.
Sign up for premium, and you can play other user's audio/video answers.
What are gifts?
Show your appreciation in a way that likes and stamps can't.
By sending a gift to someone, they will be more likely to answer your questions again!
If you post a question after sending a gift to someone, your question will be displayed in a special section on that person’s feed.
Tired of searching? HiNative can help you find that answer you're looking for.
Thank you! Rest assured your feedback will not be shown to other users.
Thank you very much! Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
