Is this sentence used in real life? Are there any cases or situations that it is used?
Posted by Perfect_Middle_5533@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 67 comments
Do Americans say "She like a burger"? Or does this sentence need to be "she likes burgers" or "she would like a burger"? Are there any real-life situations we say "she likes a burger?" Many thanks.
Bright_Ices@reddit
“When we go out to eat, I like a fried chicken sandwich with coleslaw, on a nice bun; she likes a burger, preferably lettuce-wrapped.”
“Tell Carol about that great place we ate lunch. She likes a burger.”
Much more common if there’s an adjective in there: “Ohh, we should tell Beth about the menu at that place. She likes a fancy burger.”
Perfect_Middle_5533@reddit (OP)
May I ask what about "she likes a cat"? Do you have examples for this, as someone says "she likes cats" is more appropriate?
Bright_Ices@reddit
I think you’re overthinking this. “She likes cats” is perfectly fine and will probably be appropriate in more situations. “She likes a cat” can be used in some situations, similar to “she likes a burger,” but the use cases are going to be fewer than with “she likes cats.”
Perfect_Middle_5533@reddit (OP)
Thanks a lot. The first sentence sounds really like someone saying with an exciting mood. I really love it.
sdcarl@reddit
I never realized how much I dislike this word until now. I don't think I've read it this many times ever and definitely don't say it. Besides just "burger or hotdog at the grill", burgers usually have names at restaurants.
river-running@reddit
It sounds British to me, similar to "let's get a Chinese".
Subvet98@reddit
Sounds rather macbre
BullfrogShot@reddit
did anyone else read this as “she’s like a burger” lol
Donohoed@reddit
A good woman is like a good burger....
I'll let reddit do their best to finish that sentence
CupBeEmpty@reddit
Well ground and smothered in sauce?
Uhhhhh
Multi layered and delicious?
Hmmmm
Best thing you’ve had all day?
Errr
Nice a juicy?
Ok I have spent enough time vaguely sexualizing burgers this morning.
Subvet98@reddit
Ground up and in the freezer
CupBeEmpty@reddit
Subby going dark on Saturday morning.
TheyMakeMeWearPants@reddit
Better if you don't leave her on the fire too long?
CupBeEmpty@reddit
Well I’m not here to kink shame but dang.
HrhEverythingElse@reddit
I absolutely did, and was wondering if I am, in fact, like a burger. I suspect it's possible
CupBeEmpty@reddit
Multi layered and delicious? I want to meet this woman.
HrhEverythingElse@reddit
Beefy, cheesy, and plays well with a variety of condiments and sides
CupBeEmpty@reddit
Goes down well and is always satisfying.
funktion666@reddit
Oh wtf, now I gotta reread the comments. No wonder why I was so confused. I was like “that is NOT a compliment, why is everyone so chill?” lol
Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit
Yep, at first glance I did!
No_Thought_7776@reddit
It's late, we need sleep 😴
seifd@reddit
"She would like a burger" is more common in situations where someone is about to prepare food for you. You'd say it when ordering at a restaurant or telling someone at a barbecue whether your daughter wants a burger or a hot dog.
The other two or more "general", if you know what I mean. For instance, if someone asked what foods your daughter likes, you might answer "She likes burgers" or "She likes a burger."
anneofgraygardens@reddit
Yes, you could say this. It would mean essentially the same thing as "she likes burgers".
GrassyKnoll95@reddit
Grammatically it works, but no one would actually phrase it like that
anneofgraygardens@reddit
disagree, people definitely would, although it isn't the most common construction.
BogieTime69@reddit
A lot of New Yorkers I know would actually phrase it like that.
mike11172@reddit
It would work in response to a question. Example; What does Sally like to eat? She likes a burger.
Weightmonster@reddit
I would only hear: She likes a burger every now and again.
Professional-Pungo@reddit
“She likes a good burger” would be better. Or as you said “she likes burgers” is also fine
CosyBeluga@reddit
you would probably say 'She likes that burger' if she's actively eating it.
Professional-Pungo@reddit
Tbh I’d just say “she likes burgers” but I’m just saying I could see someone other than me say this kind of slanged sentence
CosyBeluga@reddit
She likes burgers is a lot more general. She might like that specific burger she's eating and not another burger option.
tmrika@reddit
I think for me, if I was going to make a comment specific to the burger in that context, I don’t see myself saying “she likes that burger” but maybe something more like “that must be one good burger” or “she’s just scarfing down that burger”.
Like yes, “she likes that burger” makes sense, I just don’t see myself ever making that comment in the first place, you know.
Perfect_Middle_5533@reddit (OP)
May I ask what your nationality is? I'm so sorry if this makes you feel uncomfortable, but I love to have solid evidence from someone coming from countries where English is the first language. This is only for educational purposes.
B_A_Beder@reddit
Do you see their flair? They're from Texas (and I'm from Washington State)
Professional-Pungo@reddit
You are on askAnAmerican. I am of course American
codenameajax67@reddit
She likes a burger implies that she more than likes a burger or that she routinely overeats.
It's a rude way to comment on someone that isn't blatant
Persimmon_and_mango@reddit
We only use this sentence structure when there is an adjective in front of the noun, otherwise it's not correct.
For example, "she likes a good burger" or "he loves a cozy blanket." It's an informal way to structure the sentence. It has the connotation, "she has shown a clear tendency to like burgers." What kind of things does he love? He is known for loving cozy blankets.
TheJokersChild@reddit
It sounds like a line out of a movie, honestly: "She'll take a chicken sandwich, but she likes a burger" (not a real movie line, btw). I'd have to stretch to think of how a phrase like that would be used in real life.
Responsible-View-804@reddit
“She likes burgers” is proper in the general sense.
“She likes a burger” could still be used but it sounds way more specific ie, in this situation, she would like a burger instead of a taco. Or maybe, she likes a single burger and not two.
GSilky@reddit
I like a burger. If she likes a burger, we should hang out. Sometimes a sentence that you say in English doesn't come out well when written. That sentence is fine with propper emphasis. Emphasize the "She likes.." like some presenter and it sounds fine.
jtfjtf@reddit
If the sentence “She likes a burger” was said to me I would think a woman likes a particular burger, like a McDonald’s burger or a Shake Shack burger.
“She likes burgers” means she likes burgers in general as a category.
“She would like a burger” means she wants to eat a burger and the rest depends on context.
Mediocre-Oil-5322@reddit
There isn't any reason you couldn't say that, but it isn't the common way of saying something like that.
Top_Row_5116@reddit
"She'd like a burger" when ordering at a restaurant is most correct. "She likes a burger" doesn't make sense grammar wise and depending on the context could be wrong.
TheBimpo@reddit
"She likes burgers" is the best answer, but context is important too.
I guess?
It's more about context than anything. What came before "She likes a burger"?
Joliet-Jake@reddit
People do say things that way, but it’s usually a turn of phrase rather than a general way of saying they like something. Sometimes it’s used to show contrast, like saying “His favorite food is duck a l’orange, but he likes a burger too” or “I like a cold beer at an early hour, but being drunk at 9am isn’t cool.“
Current_Poster@reddit
I'm not saying I'd never say "she likes a burger", but it'd be a specialized tool. "She prefers a hamburger" or "she'd want a burger" would be more likely on an everyday basis.
"She likes a burger" is sort of like... "Wow, say what you want about her, but she likes a burger." or "after a long day out rustling sheep, she likes a burger." It's just not a very common way to put it, normally.
myfourmoons@reddit
I would only say “She like a burger” either to sound a little silly because no one really speaks like that, or as a joke about a woman who eats way too many burgers lol
Fantastic-Doctor6664@reddit
“she likes a burger” it sounds very odd, i’ve never used that before. there’s many types of burger, so you can say “she likes a burger from in-n-out”
“she likes burgers” would be used when describing if someone like burgers
“she would like a burger” is used when ordering
afakefox@reddit
Ok how about if someone doesn't like hotdogs and another asked "would she like a hotdog? Or a burger?" "Yea, she likes a burger" or "she'd like a burger"
Donohoed@reddit
Since the question was would she, the answer should be she would. So she'd like a burger
VeilBreaker@reddit
I think there's a very, very subtle contextual interpretation here that could basically mean "she likes a burger (a little too much)"
Be very careful saying this.
afakefox@reddit
"She'd like a burger" would make more sense but I could see yours being used too idk why ppl are saying its weird. For example if someone is asking what food a kid wants at a cookout, "does she want a hotdog? Or would she like a burger instead?" "Yeah, she would like a burger," def makes sense and would be commonly said.
Jsaun906@reddit
"She likes a burger" is a proper sentence that people could say. It has a negative connotation though.
Someone might say "She likes a drink" in a subtle reference to an alcoholic.
Ill-Butterscotch1337@reddit
You wouldn't hear this in American English. What you are describing is more common in India English and some UK regional and its using a singular generic noun instead of a plural generic.
Hindi for example may use a bare generic noun: "Mujhe chai pas and hai" which in English is "To me, tea is pleasing" in this case chai has no article and no plural marking. Also, it would be the passive voice. In English you would say tea pleases me or I like tea, Hindi changes it around and treats the thing being evaluated as th subject instead of the person being pleased by the tea.
Basically, "I like a burger" in Indian English is a direct result of the speaker treating the burger as the primary subject of the experience. By keeping it singular, they are staying true to the syntax of their native tongue, where the thing being experienced is a singular concept that pleases the person. While American English focuses on the person’s active preference for a group of items (the plural generic), Indian English focuses on the singular essence of the item itself (singular generic).
severinusofnoricum@reddit
I’ve heard a few people phrase things like, ‘she likes a burger.’ They were all Boomers from the South but I don’t think it’s common there
pegasus2118@reddit
I would say not used in real life. Sounds weird. I remember this from grammar school…I like burgers. You like burgers. He, she, it likes burgers. The “a” is unnecessary.
Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit
"She likes a burger" would almost never be said as a complete sentence and would sound a bit strange in isolation. It would not be unusual to hear it in the form of something along the lines of "She likes a burger once in a while, but prefers a ham-and-cheese." "She likes burgers" is fine. "She would like a burger" would only be said when ordering.
It should be pointed out that we regularly get non-Americans not understanding what a "burger" is in the American context. In America, a burger is not anything that uses a burger bun. The word is only used for patties of ground meat or vegetarian/vegan composition inside a burger bun. For example, a chicken filet on a hamburger bun is not a "chicken burger," it's a "chicken sandwich," regardless of the fact that it uses a "burger" bun.
CosyBeluga@reddit
No.
She'd like a burger (ordering a burger)
She likes burgers (she likes burgers in general)
She likes her burgers (same as above)
She likes a good burger (same as above but more specific to the quality of the burger)
She likes that burger (Voraciously eating a burger)
Garfwog@reddit
If i heard someone saying "she likes a burger" i would think that they are implying that she's a full-blooded American, and I'd be thinking that's more the point than trying to tell me that she is a fan of hamburgers as a meal.
haveanairforceday@reddit
People do say things like this but they are being intentionally a little odd with their sentance structure to be funny.
Person 1: "hey, you want to get a burger?" Person 2: "you know what, i do like a burger"
Intrepid_Practice956@reddit
Yes, it would be used that way. The only one that might be interpreted differently, depending on context, would be "She would like a burger." It could mean "If she were offered a burger, she would like it," but it sounds like you're ordering a burger for her in a restaurant. In my opinion, if you are trying to say that she is fond of burgers, the best way would probably be "She likes burgers." The others would work but might sound a little awkward.
Reception-Whole@reddit
No.
Optimistbott@reddit
I’d actually say no. That’s kinda weird. I feel like I would sound silly if I said that ever.
HudsonYardsIsGood@reddit
If the question is what are some things she likes, the answer may well be, “she likes a burger and fries.” Or, “she likes a burger on a warm summer day.”
When answering solely with the burger, “she likes burgers” is more natural.
abstractraj@reddit
I may say “she enjoys a burger!”
TeamTurnus@reddit
The closest construction i can think of that first that would be 'she likes to have a burger now ans again' or something like that to indicate that she habitually enjoys burgers. Most people would just say 'She likes burgers' for that though.