Is it on? Yes, okay.
Hi guys, welcome back to English with Max. In this video we are
going to look at three meanings of the word "pretty". There are actually several
meanings of this word, but I don't want to confuse you, so today we are just
going to look at the three most important ones. As usual, remember that
you can follow me on social media. I'm doing a lot on Instagram at the moment.
And also remember that I make English subtitles for all my videos, so if you
want to watch this video with subtitles, you need to turn on captions.
Also remember to hit the red subscribe button, as well as the little bell, if you don't
want to miss any videos.
Just a small point on pronunciation. In British English normally you pronounce
the T like a normal T: pretty, pretty. In American English often the T is more
like a D: pretty, pretty. In Australian English - I'm Australian - we mix it up a bit.
Sometimes we say "ˈprɪt.i", sometimes we say "/ˈprɪt̬.i/".
Okay, the first meaning of "pretty" is the one that you probably
already know. "Pretty" can be an adjective meaning attractive or pleasing.
It's particularly for things that are delicate or graceful. It can be used to
describe people, landscapes, houses, gardens, clothes and many other things.
When it comes to people, most of the time it's used for females,
so for girls or women. But it can also be used for males, particularly before the
word "boy". A "pretty boy". And a pretty boy isn't necessarily a child.
It can also be used for young men. Members of boy bands like Westlife,
the Backstreet Boys, One Direction, etc. are often described as "pretty boys".
I'm not criticising. Most people would probably say that I have
quite terrible taste in music, so I actually like bands like that. I'm just
telling you to give you an idea. Although I don't actually listen to One Direction.
I'm from a slightly older generation.
"Pretty" is usually used to describe something visually, in other words,
something you can see. But sometimes it is used for smells or sounds.
For example, you could say: That is a pretty song.
Or: That is a pretty perfume.
"Pretty" is similar to "beautiful", but it's usually not quite as strong as "beautiful".
"Pretty" can also be an adverb meaning "quite".
It's basically a more informal way of saying "quite" or "to some degree", but like I said,
it's informal. It's colloquial, so don't write it in academic essays.
For example: I was pretty tired after my exercise class.
The party was pretty good.
Don't lie to me, Frank. I know you pretty well now.
The sequel to the film Twilight wasn't horrible, but it was pretty bad.
The third main meaning is when it's used in the idiom "pretty much".
"Pretty much" is a colloquial way of saying "mostly" or "almost".
Here are some examples.
I've pretty much finished my homework, so I'll be able to watch Game of Thrones soon.
That means I've mostly finished my homework. It's almost done.
Frank spent a long time doing his hair, but it's pretty much the same as before.
I was at the beach for pretty much the whole day.
"Pretty much" can also be used alone to answer certain questions.
Then it means: "Yes, that's basically the case". Or: "Yes, almost."
For example: Frank, have you finished your homework?
Pretty much.
Are you telling me you spent the whole weekend watching The Bachelor?
Pretty much.
I hope you found that useful. If you did, please hit the thumbs up.
If you would like to practise using "pretty" in different ways, write me
some examples in the comments and I will try and correct them for you.
See you next time.
Ahhee...ah no.
... give an i... give...
Like...
Adjec... spat a bit.