She is too tall to stand up on the bus.

[keannu]

When you see too~to phrases, do you interpret in serial order or backward order? I mean do you interpret "too tall" first and "to stand up" later as the meaning of "too tall not to be able to stand up"? or do you interpret "to stand up" first to describe "too tall" as the meaning of "too tall to the impossible extent of standing up"?
Maybe the two approaches result in the same interpretation, but I'm just curious.

ex)She is too tall to stand up on the bus.
= She is so tall that she can't stand up on the bus.

 

[Rover_KE]

My interpretation would be the same as yours, except that I would insert straight after 'stand up'.

You can always stand up on a bus, but if you're more than about seven feet tall you might have to lower your head or stoop a little.

Rover

 

[keannu]

My interpretation would be the same as yours, except that I would insert straight after 'stand up'.

You can always stand up on a bus, but if you're more than about seven feet tall you might have to lower your head or stoop a little.

Rover

My question was not about "straight", but the order of interpretation, Is it both or one way?