Different 'From' or 'Than'?

Your grammar textbook may say you should never use different than.

您的語法教科書可能會告訴您，永遠不要使用「different than」。

However, in American English, we use both "different from" and "different than" to mean not the same.

然而，在美式英語中，我們同時使用「different from」和「different than」來表示「不相同」。

We use them before a noun phrase.

我們在名詞片語之前使用它們。

For example, it's different from other shows.

例如，它與其他節目不同。

State laws may be different from national laws.

州法律可能與國家法律不同。

Their ideas are a little different than ours.

他們的觀點與我們的有點不同。

We can also use them before a clause.

我們也可以在子句之前使用它們。

For example, how are these different from the ones we had before?

例如，這些與我們之前所見的不同之處在哪裡？

That is not any different than what I said.

那與我所說的並無任何不同。

Dating is different than it was ten years ago.

約會文化與十年前已大不相同。

Both phrases have the same meaning, but their usage is different.

這兩個片語意思相同，但用法不同。

We use different than mostly in spoken English.

我們主要在口語中使用「different than」。

It is more informal, and it is almost always used before a clause.

它較為非正式，且幾乎總是在子句之前使用。

We use different from mostly in written English, and we use it far more often than different than.

我們主要在書面語中使用「different from」，且使用頻率遠高於「different than」。

So, either sentence is okay in spoken American English, but different from is the better choice because it comes before a noun phrase.

因此，這兩種句子在口語美式英語中都可以接受，但「different from」是更好的選擇，因為它通常用於名詞片語之前。

We hope this explanation has helped you.

希望這個解釋對您有所幫助。

Do you have a question about American English?

您有關於美式英語的問題嗎？

Send us an email at learningenglish at voanews. Com.

請寄電子郵件至 learningenglish@voanews.com。

And that's Ask a Teacher.

以上就是「問老師」。

I'm Gina Bennett.

我是吉娜·班奈特。