Step inside

- The restrooms in our college are disgusting. Every time we step inside / Every time we use them, we all feel like throwing up.

- Are these sentences natural?

Thanks very much to Teachers and members!

In short, yes they are natural.

To me, “Every time we step inside” makes me think the restrooms are very smelly and dirty – you can see or smell as soon as you walk in, while “Every time we use them” might just mean that parts of them are dirty. It is a pretty small difference though.

Also, saying “we all feel” makes me thing that you go to the restrooms in a group, which may or may not be true. You can remove “all” to make a more general statement.

Finally, I personally would use the term “toilets” instead of “restrooms” but I believe “restroom” is a widely understood term in English speaking countries.

Munch said:

I personally would use the term “toilets” instead of “restrooms” but I believe “restroom” is a widely understood term in English speaking countries.

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In the US, "bathroom" or "restroom" would be considered more polite than "toilet."

namloan said:

- The restrooms in our college are disgusting. Every time we step inside / Every time we use them, we all feel like throwing up.

- Are these sentences natural?

Thanks very much to Teachers and members!

Click to expand...

***** NOT A TEACHER / ONLY MY OPINION


Namloan,


I agree with riquecohen.

Here in the United States, we like to use less direct terms for

"that place":

restroom

bathroom

(some people joke) reading room

And some people are so modest that they just ask:

Where may I wash my hands?

The word "toilet" usually refers to "that thing"

one sits on.

Thank you

Munch said:

In short, yes they are natural.

To me, “Every time we step inside” makes me think the restrooms are very smelly and dirty – you can see or smell as soon as you walk in, while “Every time we use them” might just mean that parts of them are dirty. It is a pretty small difference though.

Also, saying “we all feel” makes me thing that you go to the restrooms in a group, which may or may not be true. You can remove “all” to make a more general statement.

Finally, I personally would use the term “toilets” instead of “restrooms” but I believe “restroom” is a widely understood term in English speaking countries.

Click to expand...

I agree, I would use the term "toilets" as well. I could accept "bathroom", just, but "restroom" seems a ridiculous term to me.

In the US, if you used "toilets" we would assume you meant the fixture one makes deposits into (if I may be so indelicate).

I wouldn't assume there was anything wrong with the sinks, the floor, the walls, etc. Just those specific fixtures.

It would also make "every time we step inside" sound ridiculous to an American, because we would picture you with your foot in the bowl.

So know your audience - if you're talking to Americans, use "bathrooms," not "toilets."

Here to agree with all the other USAns - "toilet" is usually only used when referring to the actual commode, and then only by plumbers or folks having plumbing problems. Call us repressed in the terminology of bodily elimination, but that's just the way we Americans are. Writing "every time we stepped inside the toilets" is certainly grammatically correct, but Americans would giggle because it sounds as if the writer is actually placing his foot into the bowl of the commode. :crazyeye:

(I must admit, every time I've visited the UK and heard someone say "I'm going to the toilet" I momentarily cringed inside because it sounded crude to my American ears. When a person excuses himself to go to the men's room or powder room or the rest room, your mind's eye automatically conjures up an innocuous picture of the person going there simply to fix their lipstick or wash their hands or maybe sneak a cigarette. You and I and the rest of the world know that they are going there to relieve themselves, but some of us just don't want to have to actually think about it.)

Ouisch said:

Here to agree with all the other USAns - "toilet" is usually only used when referring to the actual commode, and then only by plumbers or folks having plumbing problems. Call us repressed in the terminology of bodily elimination, but that's just the way we Americans are. Writing "every time we stepped inside the toilets" is certainly grammatically correct, but Americans would giggle because it sounds as if the writer is actually placing his foot into the bowl of the commode. :crazyeye:

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In the USA, do you have signs that say "Rest Room"? In the UK, Ireland and India the signs always say "Toilet(s)", in Germany "Toiletten" and in France "Toilettes".

You bet. The sign in the restaurant over the hallway leading to "those rooms" will say "Restrooms." If you needed to ask an employee for directions, we ask "Where are the restrooms, please?" Or "Could you tell me where the ladies' room is, please?"

Then the sign on the actual door will say Men/Women, Gentlemen/Ladies, possible Buoys/Gulls in a seafood restaurant, or other cute names that I currently can't think of.

bhaisahab said:

In the USA, do you have signs that say "Rest Room"? In the UK, Ireland and India the signs always say "Toilet(s)", in Germany "Toiletten" and in France "Toilettes".

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Yes, in the US "restroom" is the most polite, and "bathroom" is perfectly fine. Our signs use these words. "Toilet" is never used to refer to the room itself, only to the porcelain thing you do your business in!

I would only use "toilet" if I wanted to be very specific about which area is dirty. Even then, I wouldn't use it in polite company. Perhaps if I were complaining to the manager, speaking to a plumber, etc. :shock:

Barb_D said:

Then the sign on the actual door will say Men/Women, Gentlemen/Ladies, possible Buoys/Gulls in a seafood restaurant, or other cute names that I currently can't think of.

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Barb is spot-on - the signs on public restrooms in the US will have all types of various signs except one that specifically says "TOILET." The most generic markers state "MEN" and "WOMEN." Sometimes they'll say "GENTLEMEN" and "LADIES." In elementary schools, they'll be marked "BOYS" and "GIRLS". In Western-themed restaurants they might be labeled "STEERS" and "HEIFERS", while some seafood restaurants prefer "SAILORS" and "MERMAIDS." A few years ago Mr. Ouisch and I were vacationing up in Maine and had dined at a quaint roadhouse. I'd had a few cocktails with my meal, so it took me several minutes to figure out which bathroom was for the ladies when the doors were labeled "POINTERS" and "SETTERS."

We'll call the bathroom many things (lavatory, washroom, comfort station, powder room, etc) but we won't call it the "toilet." :lol: