[tied] Re: Danish enigma

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "alex" <alxmoeller@...> wrote:

> tgpedersen wrote:
> > That's a different kettle of fish. Dutch, Germans and French

say "Ik

> > werk hier zinds twee jaren", "Ich arbeite hier seit zwei
> > Jahren", "Je travaille ici depuis deux années". They sometimes say
> > it in English and Scandivian too, which is wrong, since they

should

> > have said "I have worked here for two years", "Jeg har arbejdet

her

> > i to år" etc.
> >
> >
> > Torsten
>
> why should it be wrong? In fact, the person which says that, says

just

> he works and specify for how long is he doing this activity. There

is no

> past, but a continuous action (even if it begun in the past). The
> mention "I have worked" means the person in discussion does not

works

> anymore _now_ , even if he specifies how long he did work.

Different

> things, I will say.

Thank you for illustrating some general characteristics of the mode
of exchange of views in meetings between the German and the Danish
culture.


Torsten