Advertising - LEO without ads? LEO Pur
LEO

It looks like you’re using an ad blocker.

Would you like to support LEO?

Disable your ad blocker for LEO or make a donation.

LEO Pur
 
  •  

  • Forum home

    Language lab

    difference between "apart from" and "besides"

    10­ Replies
    Topic

    difference between "apart from" and "besides"

    Comment
    Kann man die beiden Begriffe synonym verwenden?

    Ist zum Beispiel der (native speaker) Satz "Do you do anything besides working"? korrekt, oder muss es heißen "Do you do anything apart from working?"

    Thanks!
    Author osterferien (937696) 06 Apr 16, 10:33
    Comment
    Certainly in your sentence, there's no difference. Whether that's generally so, I couldn't say offhand.
    #1Author escoville (237761) 06 Apr 16, 10:44
    Comment
    Man liest oft am Satzanfang:

    Besides, [it is ...]

    Bei 'apart from' müsste hier noch ein Wort folgen.
    z.B.:

    Apart from that, [it is ... ]

    Daher kann man nicht sagen, dass beide Wörter immer synonym sind.
    Man korrigiere mich, wenn ich falsch liege.
    #2AuthorBraunbärin (757733) 06 Apr 16, 11:14
    Comment
    They have the same meaning in the example given in the OP. They differ in etymology (Latin/Germanic), but not in register.
    #3Author Pipper (917363) 06 Apr 16, 11:24
    Comment
    Certainly both versions are perfectly understandable. But, for the first version I'd expect this change:
    Do you do anything besides work?

    The second one could stand unamended, but in my observation most Americans would say "besides" before they would think to use "apart from."
    (AE)
    #4AuthorHappyWarrior (964133) 06 Apr 16, 11:39
    Comment
    Vielen Dank, das hat mir sehr geholfen. Ich könnte mir auch vorstellen, dass es einen leichten Unterschied zwischen BE und AE gibt, vielleicht benutzen Briten eher "apart from" und Amerikaner eher "besides"....
    #5Author osterferien (937696) 09 Apr 16, 17:26
    Comment
    Americans do use "apart from," but (IMO) not as often as they use "besides."

    There is an old joke (Johnny Carson used to tell it) that employed "apart from" to good effect:

    "Apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how'd you like the play?"

    To my ears, the "Apart from that" sounds funnier than if he had said "Besides that."

    BTW: The joke refers to Mrs. Lincoln's sitting with her husband, Abraham Lincoln, at a play, when he was assassinated.
    #6AuthorHappyWarrior (964133) 10 Apr 16, 03:50
    Comment
    Other possibilies are:

    aside from
    other than
    #7AuthorHappyWarrior (964133) 10 Apr 16, 05:28
    Comment
    Ginge hier nicht auch "except" ?
    #8Author no me bré (700807) 10 Apr 16, 17:26
    Comment
    Yes, no me bre.
    "Do you do anything except work?"

    Also: 
    "Do you do anything but work?"
    #9AuthorHappyWarrior (964133) 10 Apr 16, 19:06
    Comment
    Thanks, HappyWarrior ! :-)
    #10Author no me bré (700807) 10 Apr 16, 19:34
     
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  
 
 
 
 
 
en
English ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
en
English ⇔ Spanish
 
es
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
en
English ⇔ French
 
fr
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
en
English ⇔ Russian
 
ru
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
fr
French ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
es
Spanish ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
it
Italian ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
zh
Chinese ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
ru
Russian ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
pt
Portuguese ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
pl
Polish ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
es
Spanish ⇔ Portuguese
 
pt
ForumsTrainerCourses
Hello
 ­ automatisch zu ­ ­ umgewandelt