either or not?

[Nightmare85]

Hello,
I think it's not good to use either here:
P1: Do you have a boyfriend?
P2: No, I don't have. And you?
P1: I don't have a girlfriend either.

If person 2 wouldn't have a girlfriend, I could use either.
But since person 2 has no boyfriend and I have no girlfriend, either would be wrong.

What do you mean?

Cheers!

 

[Allen165]

Hello,
I think it's not good to use either here:
P1: Do you have a boyfriend?
P2: No, I don't. And you?
P1: Me neither. (Or: I don't have a girlfriend either.)

If person 2 wouldn't have a girlfriend, I could use either.
But since person 2 has no boyfriend and I have no girlfriend, either would be wrong.

What do you mean? (Das ist eine wörtliche Übersetzung von "Was meint ihr?" "What do you think?" ist die richtige Übersetzung.)

Cheers!

I hope that helps!

 

[emsr2d2]

Hello,
I think it's not good to use either here:
P1: Do you have a boyfriend?
P2: No, I don't [STRIKE]have[/STRIKE]. And you?
P1: No, and I don't have a girlfriend either!

If person 2 wouldn't have a girlfriend, I could use either.
But since person 2 has no boyfriend and I have no girlfriend, either would be wrong.

What do you mean?

Cheers!

If the original question referred to a boyfriend, then the reply and the ensuing question "And you?" can only refer to a boyfriend. Therefore, the final statement could only be "No, I don't have a boyfriend either".

However, if the person making the final statement only wants to refer to a girlfriend, then "either" is unnecessary. They would have to say "No, I don't [have a boyfriend]."

I think a better answer would be to first answer the actual question : "And you? Do you have a boyfriend?" with "No, I don't", but to then add the qualifying statement "...and I don't have a girlfriend either".

This is how I've corrected your question above.

 

[Nightmare85]

Thanks.

emsr2d2, but this sounds as if I would be interested in men and women, which is not the case
(Only interested in women.)

Person 1 = I, a man
Person 2 = She, a girl

Do you think her question:
"No, I don't. And you?" would actually mean that she asks me if I have a boyfriend?
(Both she and I know that its meaning is girlfriend, but maybe the question isn't that proper?)

Another option would be:
P1: Do you have a life partner?
P2: No, I don't. And you?"
P1: No, I don't have one either."

Cheers!

 

[TheParser]

Hello,
I think it's not good to use either here:
P1: Do you have a boyfriend?
P2: No, I don't have. And you?
P1: I don't have a girlfriend either.

If person 2 wouldn't have a girlfriend, I could use either.
But since person 2 has no boyfriend and I have no girlfriend, either would be wrong.

What do you mean?

Cheers!

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Good afternoon, Nightmare.

In case you don't know, there is a term used by a lot of people

in the United States that means husband or wife or boyfriend or

girlfriend or anyone with whom you have a relationship:

Your SIGNIFICANT OTHER.

So if someone is having a party, s/he might say:

I'm inviting you to my party next Saturday. Please feel free

to bring your significant other.

So this means a man can bring any woman; a woman can bring any

man; a man can bring any man; a woman can bring any woman.

*****


Tom: Do you have a significant other?

Mona: No, I don't. Do you?

Tom: No, I don't. So would you like to have dinner with me tonight?

Mona: I would be delighted.

Tom: What do you feel like tonight?

Mona: I feel like Chinese.

Tom: Okey-doke. I'll take you to my favorite Chinese restaurant.