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About "physical"

attonieSuper Member!

United States

the word “physical” could refer to body-related or physics-related (a subject). how to disambiguate them ?


 

06:13 PM Feb 12 2018 |

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Teacher AmySuper Member!

United States

Hi,



This is a question that native speakers also sometimes ask! 



Basically, with words like this (homonyms), we need to think about the context. In other words, we need to understand the information around the word. Then, we can guess or assume which meaning is being used. 



With the adjective “physical,” you might hear about “Physical Science” and know that the meaning is about a school subject. Or you might hear someone say, “Football is a physical sport,” and know that the meaning is about the human body.



I hope this helps! 



Best, 



Amy

01:00 AM Feb 16 2018 |