Saturday, October 2, 2010

영어 Hint of the Day #4 (비지너스): Are you "economic" or "economical?" Economical is correct. Here's why.

Many people, including native English speakers, use the words "economic" and "economical" as if they mean the same thing.  Although they are related to each other, they are used differently.

"Economic" is used to describe monetary matters.  Perhaps, it is easier to understand in the following examples.
(o)  China faces many economic challenges.
(o)  I went to the University of Michigan and studied economics.
(x)  Young-Ho needs to be economic because he is saving money to buy an apartment.

"Economical" is used to describe someone that does not want to use something for some reason.  It does not necessarily mean money.  It can be anything that needs to be
(o)  Young mothers are very economical with their time because it is tiring to raise children.
(o)  I am very economical with my words and don't speak very much at all.

Do you understand the difference? 
"Economic" has something to do with the economy as a whole, and is an adjective which describes something about the economy.
"Economical" means thriftiness.  In other words, it is used to describe someone that likes to conserve something valuable for some reason. 

http://www.seoulgyopoguide.blogsport.com/
www.twitter.com/thelostseoul
thelostseoul@gmail.com
skype id: thelostseoul

0 comments:

Post a Comment