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justajust
22 jul 2021

  • Russo
  • Inglês (RU)
Pergunta sobre Inglês (RU)

Qual é a diferença entre Brush against e Brush past ?Podes indicar apenas respostas exemplo.

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aycat
22 jul 2021

  • Inglês (RU)
The difference is very small, both could be used interchangeably most of the time. But sometimes one is better than the other, hope these examples help :) Just to note, the explanations I use highlight the biggest differences I could think of but not all the "brushed against" sentences have to be romantic, can definitely just be normal as well >He brushed against me as he walked past focuses on the touch, maybe it felt intimate to the speaker even if it was short >He brushed past me as he walked the touch was brief, maybe the person walking was mad or maybe just dismissive >He brushed against me as more people came into the elevator Had to move closer, now they are lightly touching, again sets up an intimate feeling >He brushed past me as more people came into the elevator sounds like he left the elevator to avoid you, maybe at the end of an argument and he walks away or could also mean he moved behind you as more people came in and touched you briefly, but again it didn't feel intimate >I brushed against the tree as I climbed up the hiking trail >I brushed past the tree as I climbed up the hiking trail same meaning interchangeable, if you want to really overanalyse maybe "brushed past" sounds like you're moving faster >Our fingers brushed against one another's as he handed me a pencil could be platonic/accidental but normally when written in a book for instance it sounds like a cute moment >Our fingers brushed past one another's as he handed me a pencil Maybe sounds just slightly unnatural? (any comments from other native speakers, what do you think?) I think it sounds like your fingers almost touched but not quite, or very lightly touched >He brushed past my comments This one can only use brushed past, it means to ignore in this context. Like if your boss ignores what you say in a meeting and just changes the subject. This can also be used like: > "He brushed past me without a glance" means he walked past and blatantly ignored you >"We'll brush past that topic today" we won't focus on it today, maybe in a later class

The difference is very small, both could be used interchangeably most of the time. But sometimes one is better than the other, hope these examples help :)

Just to note, the explanations I use highlight the biggest differences I could think of but not all the "brushed against" sentences have to be romantic, can definitely just be normal as well

>He brushed against me as he walked past
focuses on the touch, maybe it felt intimate to the speaker even if it was short
>He brushed past me as he walked
the touch was brief, maybe the person walking was mad or maybe just dismissive

>He brushed against me as more people came into the elevator
Had to move closer, now they are lightly touching, again sets up an intimate feeling
>He brushed past me as more people came into the elevator
sounds like he left the elevator to avoid you, maybe at the end of an argument and he walks away
or could also mean he moved behind you as more people came in and touched you briefly, but again it didn't feel intimate

>I brushed against the tree as I climbed up the hiking trail
>I brushed past the tree as I climbed up the hiking trail
same meaning interchangeable,
if you want to really overanalyse maybe "brushed past" sounds like you're moving faster

>Our fingers brushed against one another's as he handed me a pencil
could be platonic/accidental but normally when written in a book for instance it sounds like a cute moment
>Our fingers brushed past one another's as he handed me a pencil
Maybe sounds just slightly unnatural? (any comments from other native speakers, what do you think?) I think it sounds like your fingers almost touched but not quite, or very lightly touched

>He brushed past my comments
This one can only use brushed past, it means to ignore in this context. Like if your boss ignores what you say in a meeting and just changes the subject. This can also be used like:
> "He brushed past me without a glance"
means he walked past and blatantly ignored you
>"We'll brush past that topic today"
we won't focus on it today, maybe in a later class

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Highly-rated answerer
justajust
25 jul 2021

  • Russo
@emilyaycat I understand everything apart from the first example. The difference is that in the first sentence there was an intimate moment and in the second sentence there wasn't?
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aycat
2 ago 2021

  • Inglês (RU)

@IaraM000 yep, the first sentence emphasises the touch so it sounds like the focus, in the second sentence the focus was that he was walking past you which emphasises that the touch didn't feel meaningful or intimate

sorry for my late response, hope this helps explain a bit better :)

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justajust
3 ago 2021

  • Russo
@emilyaycat yeah, thanks
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