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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > anxious = excited?
anxious = excited?
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Chilvis
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anxious = excited?
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Hi everyone, I have a doubt about the word anxious.Can you say "I �m anxious" when you want to say you can �t wait to do something or does anxious always imply that you are worried or nervous about sth?
The example a student wrote in an informal letter is: I can �t wait to see you again, I �m really anxious. Being Spanish speakers we tend to translate "estoy ansioso" (meaning I �m happy and I want to do this now) to I �m anxious to do sth but I �m not sure if native speakers get the word anxious in this way; they �ll probably understand you are worried.
I know that we can say I �m excited when we are happy because sth good is going to happen but is anxious also possible in this sense or is it wrong?
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4 May 2014
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rockthevinyl
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As a native speaker I agree with you - for me it has a negative connotation. I �d say that I was really excited. If you said "I �m anxious to see you" it lessens the negative aspect (in my opinion), but it �s not the word I �d choose. |
4 May 2014
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cunliffe
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�Excited � is the correct word in this case. �Anxious � here would mean apprehensive and that is negative. So, I agree with Rockrhevinyl. |
4 May 2014
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douglas
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Sorry I disagree, though anxious usually implies a worried/negative connotation, it can also be used to imply looking forward to (or being excited about)something--but maybe it �s just a US West Coast thing. Either way, the student was not wrong.
Cheers,
Douglas |
5 May 2014
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Beba z.
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The meaning of anxious depends on the context and the speaker �s attitude and feelings. Both meanings are acceptable: worried/nervous, wanting to do something very much. |
5 May 2014
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cunliffe
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Hi Douglas - there is no disagreement. However, in this particular case, �excited � is the correct word. |
5 May 2014
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freddie
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As a native speaker from the West Coast of Canada, we would say I am anxious to see someone if there were some reason to feel nervous or apprehensive about seeing them, perhaps to give them some bad news or perhaps you need to see them quickly to get something done. It has a negative connotation to me. |
5 May 2014
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Chilvis
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Thank you very much to all of you!! I really appreciate all your contributions and especially those coming from native speakers or people who live in english speaking countries because dictionaries often have some differences and it �s good to learn how expressions are actually used in real everyday life.
Have a great week :) |
5 May 2014
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douglas
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Lynne, I agree that excited is the "correct" (I �d say "better") word in this case, but anxious is not so "incorrect" that I would call the student wrong (e.g. the difference between pass or fail on a test/quiz).
Cheers,
Douglas |
6 May 2014
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FrauSue
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I think that "I �m anxious to see you" can be positive or negative depending on context, but "I �ll see you soon and I �m anxious" can only be interpreted as being negative. This is my feeling as a UK native speaker.
I would use "I can �t wait" or "I �m (so) looking forward to it" in the sentence above. |
8 May 2014
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