Hello, there.
I know people can say He is a pig. But can people say He is pig, to express that he is deemed as equal to this kind of animal?
Many thanks
Richard
Hello, there.
I know people can say He is a pig. But can people say He is pig, to express that he is deemed as equal to this kind of animal?
Many thanks
Richard
My Chinese-speaking colleagues use the noun pig in that context to mean born in the year of the pig (e.g., I'm Pig). English speakers use the zero article in that context too, for example, I'm Leo (meaning, my zodiac sign is Leo). So I see no reason why I'm Pig should be deemed ungrammatical. However, native speakers will find it odd because pig is not an expected zero-article noun.Hello, there.
I know people can say He is a pig. But can people say He is pig, to express that he is deemed as equal to this kind of animal?
Many thanks
Richard
So, most of us native speakers having no knowledge of Chinese, 'I'm Pig' is unacceptable in standard English except in the very limited context of our discussing our birth year, Chinese-style.My Chinese-speaking colleagues use the noun pig in that context to mean born in the year of the pig (e.g., I'm Pig). English speakers use the zero article in that context too, for example, I'm Leo (meaning, my zodiac sign is Leo). So I see no reason why I'm Pig should be deemed ungrammatical. However, native speakers will find it odd because pig is not an expected zero-article noun.