Ask Scott Dreyer: What is the difference between “shade” and “shadow”?

A: That’s a great question! Many Chinese speakers struggle with this one, because it can be the same word in Mandarin: 影子 (Ying tze) or 阴影 (Yinying).

However, in English, they are very different.

SHADE is an area, usually rather large. That is, it’s big enough to provide a cooler temperature than areas getting direct sunlight. Shade is usually more permanent too. In other words, trees provide shade in the same place day by day. It can be a noun, verb, or adjective. You might say, “Even on hot days, our backyard stays cool, thanks to all the shade from that huge maple tree.” (noun)

“We love our neighborhood; even though it is in the city, it has lots of shade trees along the streets.” (adjective)

“Don’t plant that tree there. It will grow tall and shade mom’s flower garden.” (verb)

shade

SHADOW is different. Like shade, it is an area that is dark because something is blocking the sun or light. But unlike shade, a shadow is usually small, and a distinct form of one person or thing. Plus, a shadow is more temporary. You can move around and your shadow moves too. You can say, “In the morning and late afternoon, when the sun is low in the sky, your shadow is longer.”

“I remember when our kids were small, and we visited South Taiwan in late June. We were walking to a restaurant for lunch, and because we were near the Tropic of Cancer at noon in late June, we had almost no shadow at all, because the sun was right over us.”

shadows

These words pop up in other places too, like this idiom: “To be afraid of your shadow” means to be very timid and easily scared. “Our dog is a terrible watchdog. She is such a coward, she is afraid of her own shadow.” Learn more about idioms here.

Did you know a funny little American holiday involves a small animal and its shadow? Do you know what that holiday is? Read this blog to find out!

“Shady” (adj.) means dishonest or “crooked.” The idea is, people who are dishonest like to operate in the “gray zone,” away from the clarity of bright lights.

You can say, “People were afraid to do business with that shady character, because they knew he was a liar.”

So now you have it! Shade, shadow, and shady! Want more help with the crazy English language? Contact us at www.DreyerCoaching.com today!

Since 2010, based in the friendly USA State of Virginia, DreyerCoaching.com has been providing customized, high-quality, real-time language instruction via the internet to a global audience in their home, school, or office. Think how comfortable, confident and successful you or your child will feel, receiving personalized guidance from college-educated teachers who are native speakers and have bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees plus decades of teaching experience. Whether you are looking for help with the ABCs or the SATs, or college admissions to conversational English to business writing, we serve all ages and levels to help our students make dreams come true. Discover the Dreyer Difference. Take the first step and visit DreyerCoaching.com, send Scott an email, or schedule a free consultation to get started. 

自 2010 年以来，DreyerCoaching.com 总部位于友好的美国弗吉尼亚州，一直通过互联网向全球观众在家中、学校或办公室提供有制度的、高质量的实时语言教学。 想想您或您的孩子会感到多么自在、自信和成功，从受过大学教育的教师那里获得个别的指导，这些教师都是以英语为母语，拥有学士、硕士和博士学位，以及数十年的教学经验的教师。 无论是从 英语ABC的基础课程 或 SAT 的帮助，就读美国高中，大学入学申请，还是从会话英语到商务写作，我们都为所有年龄和水平的学生提供服务，帮助我们的学生实现梦想。 发觉 Dreyer 的不同之处。 迈出第一步，游览 DreyerCoaching.com网站，向 Scott 发送电子邮件，可开始安排一个免费咨询。