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#028 How to use the word BEAR - Idioms, Phrasal Verbs and Story
Get the text here: https://www.SpeakEnglishPod.com
"I just can't bear waking up early in the morning!"
Hi, everyone!
I'm Georgiana, founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help YOU to speak English fluently and confidently.
In today's episode:
• I'm gonna talk about the word bear.
• Next, through a mini-history lesson, you'll practice vocabulary, and above all, you'll improve your spoken English.
Very well. Let's get started!
The word bear is often used as a noun when we're referring to a large furry animal that likes eating honey. By the way, in the second part of this podcast, you'll meet two funny bears Yogi and Boo-Boo.
To bear is a verb with several meanings:
A few of its meanings are to hold, to support, to exhibit, to stand, or to give birth to.
For example, if I say that “I can't bear” something, I mean that I can't tolerate it or stand it. It's just too much, or it makes me very unhappy.
Here are some more examples of the word bear:
Usually, we use the verb to bear when we're in a position where we need to accept, tolerate, or endure something, especially something unpleasant:
"The pain was almost more than Jason could bear.""How can you bear to eat that food?"
There are some other similar expressions. Instead of saying “I can't bear” you could say I can't stand it or I can't put up with it.
"I love going to the beach, but my sister can't stand it."
"I just can't put up with my friend's dog."
What if you want to say the opposite of “I can't bear”?
Let's say that say that you're OK with your friend's dog. It's not a problem for you. You can invite your friend over, and it's just fine if he brings the dog.
You could say: I don't mind my friend's dog. My friend's dog doesn't bother me. I can tolerate it. I don't mind the dog.
Let's get back to the verb to bear.
When we're responsible for something we use the word bear like this:
"Do parents have to bear the whole cost of schooling fees?" (Do they need to take full responsibility?)
You'll also find the word bear to say that someone's giving birth.
"Most animals bear their young in the spring."
"He became ecstatic when his wife bore him a child."
As you've already noticed, you can use the word bear in many different ways.
Here are some common expressions with the word BEAR:
• When you need to deal with something painful we say that you bear the pain:
"Sometimes it's hard to bear the pain of being lonely."
• If you're in a situation where you need to put up with the worst of some bad circumstance we say that you need to bear the brunt:
"The kids should not have to bear the brunt of what the parents did."
• Sometimes you need to take responsibility for the negative effects of your actions. It's when we say that you bear the consequences:
"She's quitting her job anyway so she won't be here next month to bear the consequences."
• When you need to handle something very unpleasant you bear the thought:
"I can't even bear the thought of going home because it doesn't feel like home anymore."
#028 How to use the word BEAR - Idioms, Phrasal Verbs and Story
Get the text here: https://www.SpeakEnglishPod.com
