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As an adjective, we know that sure means certain; without any doubt. However, in the spoken language — and not just the American variety — sure is also very commonly used in personal observations as an adverb to add emphasis and turn it into an exclamation. In other words, by using sure, you can take a plain statement like You look pretty today, and turn it into an exclamation:
As an adjective, we know that sure means certain; without any doubt. However, in the spoken language — and not just the American variety — sure is also very commonly used in personal observations as an adverb to add emphasis and turn it into an exclamation. In other words, by using sure, you can take a plain statement like You look pretty today, and turn it into an exclamation:
[I have to say...] You sure look pretty today!
[I have to say...] You sure look pretty today!
In this usage, sure gives your exclamation a nuance of «I just have to say,...!», especially when your observation comes out of nowhere because something — good or bad — just struck you, and you just feel you have to say something. So it can sometimes also express an element of surprise on the part of the speaker; a sudden realization; something you may not have noticed before.
In this usage, sure gives your exclamation a nuance of «I just have to say,...!», especially when your observation comes out of nowhere because something — good or bad — just struck you, and you just feel you have to say something. So it can sometimes also express an element of surprise on the part of the speaker; a sudden realization; something you may not have noticed before.
But it can also refer to something that you've known for some time, but you were just prompted to comment on it now. In other words, it's very spontaneous. For instance in the example below, you've known for some time that you friend knows English, but hearing him on the phone just now prompted you to say something because you were so impressed. So instead of stating the plain fact, Your English is good, you say:
But it can also refer to something that you've known for some time, but you were just prompted to comment on it now. In other words, it's very spontaneous. For instance in the example below, you've known for some time that you friend knows English, but hearing him on the phone just now prompted you to say something because you were so impressed. So instead of stating the plain fact, Your English is good, you say:
[I have to say...] Your English sure is good!
[I have to say...] Your English sure is good!
Since this sure turns any observation into an exclamation, it calls for a special intonation— a singsong quality that goes up and stays high, falling slightly towards the end. The word sure itself, always has a secondary stress, and the primary stress falls on another word after it. And it's always used after the subject and right before the predicate (verb phrase).
Since this sure turns any observation into an exclamation, it calls for a special intonation— a singsong quality that goes up and stays high, falling slightly towards the end. The word sure itself, always has a secondary stress, and the primary stress falls on another word after it. And it's always used after the subject and right before the predicate (verb phrase).
[After reading a couple of pages]
This sùre is an interesting bóok!
This sùre is an interesting bóok!
[To your girlfriend after she guilted you for forgetting her birthday]
You sùre know how to make a guy féel bad!
You sùre know how to make a guy féel bad!
This meme is funny because apparently, electricians don't normally clean up after themselves. So this is something tradespeople (other skilled workers on a construction site) will never say: «Wow, I HAVE TO SAY... I'm really impressed with how those electricians cleaned up after themselves!»
Note that using this structure has exactly the same meaning and nuance as exclamations starting with Man/God...! In other words, these are two ways of expressing the exact same nuance of something YOU JUST HAVE TO SAY, but with different words and very different intonations.
⦿ Mán/Gód, this is an interesting bòok
= This book sùre is ínteresting!
⦿ You may not be a professional chef, but mán can you còok!
[Picking a hotel room from a site]
[Picking a hotel room from a site]
This room has a pretty view.
This room has a pretty view.
[Stating a fact]
[Stating a fact]
Your English is good.
Your English is good.
[Speaking from experience]
Chinese is hard.
Chinese is hard.
[Walking into the actual room]
[Walking into the actual room]
⫸ This room sure has a pretty view.
⫸ This room sure has a pretty view.
[Having just overheard them on the phone]
[Having just overheard them on the phone]
⫸ Your English sure is good.
⫸ Your English sure is good.
[30 minutes into your first Chinese lesson]
⫸ Chinese sure is hard!
⫸ Chinese sure is hard!
In these three examples, the only difference between the first column and the second, is that the first contains statements of pure fact (with the corresponding intonation), and the second contains spontaneous exclamations with the nuance «I have to say...».
Additionally, the first and third examples express an element of surprise, discovery. In the second example, the speaker may be surprised if he's hearing you speak English for the first time. However, it's also possible that he's known for some time that you speak good English, but JUST HAD TO SAY something now, upon hearing you speak; as if he was just reminded of how well you speak it and had to comment.
In this snippet, we see sure twice. In both cases, they add a nuance of I JUST HAVE TO SAY to the statements they appear in. However, note that in the first case, it also has a snarky nuance of I noticed when sure is used to throw an action in someone's face. This can be made even more emphatic by expanding this particle: You sure as hell didn't forget... -or more vulgarly- You sure the f*** didn't forget...
________________⦿ What's doing? | What are you up to? What's going on? How are you doing?⦿ XXX is right! | Used to throw someone's words back in their face. Here: «I agree... "Oh my God!"»⦿ I'll tell you what... | Used to suggest a plan of action: Let's do this... -or- This is what we're going to do...
Mark calls his girlfriend Friday after work to see what her plans are for the evening.
Mark calls his girlfriend Friday after work to see what her plans are for the evening.
___________________
___________________
Mark: Hey babe, what's doing?
Angie: Oh not much... what are you up to?
Mark: Just got out of work. Friday night... what are we doing?
Angie: I don't know about you, but my friends are taking me out to dinner... for my birthday!
Mark: Oh my God...
Angie: "Oh my God" is right! I've gotten texts and calls from everybody, all day, except from my own boyfriend.
Mark: Angie, I don't know what to say... I forgot.
Angie: You sure didn't forget to send your friend Christian a Happy Birthday on Facebook this morning!
Mark: Ugh.
Angie: ... so I'll tell you what — I'll go out with my friends, and you can go out and have a nice romantic evening with Christian!
Mark: You sure know how to make a guy feel bad! Where are your friends taking you for dinner?
Angie: We'll talk tomorrow. <click!>
How do you say this in your language?
How do you say this in your language?
It may help others if you translate the snippets into your own native language below.
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