1

He's still too young to get married.

He's far too young to get married.

What's the difference between these two sentences? I know that "far" is "very much", but I want to understand the meaning correctly. When is it commonly used in this context? For example, the first sentence is used, when "he" is 16-17 years old, but the second one is used, when "he" is 10-15 years old. Am I right?

2
  • 2
    Yes, your interpretation is correct. (I would say could be used - some people might well consider that a person was too young to get married at 18+, even though it would be legal!) Jan 14, 2022 at 9:22
  • 1
    You are right. Also if you replace "young" with "immature", or "inexperienced" (which is sometimes implied by the word), you can apply both sentences to a person, let's say, in their 30s, who is legally allowed to marry, physically mature, but who still lacks worldliness or other qualities (culturally) required for marriage. Jan 14, 2022 at 10:43

1 Answer 1

0

Still implies "not yet", or that something will change. Far is simply about the amount.

In your case, both could be appropriate, but there are other cases where only one might be. For example, I am far too short to play professional basketball, but if I said I were still too short, that implies that I think I will grow more.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .