👩🏻‍💼 How is your boss?

#051

September 26, 2024

Consider these two questions:

  • How is your boss?

  • What is your boss like?

Could you answer them both confidently?

Let’s break it down…

  • How is your boss? Would ask about their current state or mood.

  • What is your boss like? Asks for a description of their personality

So for the first you might answer, “she has been a bit stressed recently.”

And for the second you could say, “She is nice, very approachable and empathetic.”

So although ¿cómo es tu jefe? can translate directly into "how is your boss?", it often the case that what you are really asking would be “what is your boss like?” in English.

It could be the same for your house or flat.

¿Cómo es tu casa?

Would you really ask, “how is your house?” - Maybe, if you there had been a problem.

“How is your house? Did the leak (fuga) cause any damage?”

But more likely you will want to ask, “What is your house like?”

This way you will get a description, of its style and size.

How = feelings and conditions.

What like = personality, appearance or characteristics.

Hope that helps. Until next week!

Make sure to use the right one when chatting

This week’s 3 tips:

SOMETHING TO AVOID 🫣

🤦🏻‍♀️ “How is the weather?”

This is acceptable, but you are usually referring to the weather right now. Answers could include:

It's raining at the moment

It’s really windy right now

✅ “What is the weather like?”

This asks for a description of typical or overall weather patterns and qualities (e.g., describing the climate or daily variations). Answers could include:

It's mostly sunny throughout the year, but it rains a lot in the spring

Summers are really hot and dry, while winters are cold and wet

SOMETHING TO SOUND CONFIDENT 🧐

👔 Business jargon explained

“Know-how”

The practical knowledge or expertise in a particular area. Especially the ability to perform tasks efficiently or solve problems based on experience and skills.

It's the kind of knowledge that is often acquired through practice and hands-on experience rather than through formal education.

A mechanic has the know-how to fix a specific engine problem while a chef has the know-how to prepare complex dishes

Click below to read an article on the subject 👇

How to capture the know-how of your experts? - Picomto

In the industrial sector, the issue of knowledge transmission is compromised more than ever. Capturing the know-how of your experts is essential.

www.picomto.com/en/how-to-capture-the-know-how-of-your-experts

SOMETHING TO WATCH 👀

Remember to download our new app to your phone.

For a step-by-step guide read edition #048

SOMETHING EXTRA 🤗

For the time being - Crystal Clear English

Looking for a more formal way of saying “for now”? “For the time being” is exactly that, but making you sound a lot more formal and natural. Here are some

crystalclearenglish.es/expressions-and-word-pairs-es/for-the-time-being

Keep learning,

The Crystal Clear English Team

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