Uso de "supposed to" y "meant to" para malentendidos en inglés

Clase 5 de 21 • Curso de Inglés Intermedio Alto B2: Suposiciones e Instrucciones

Resumen

A veces no sucede lo que esperamos en una determinada situación. Veamos cómo puedes expresarte cuando las cosas no salen como deberían.

Expresando supuestos y malentendidos con “Supposed to” y “Meant to”

Puedes utilizar el vocabulario “Supposed to” y “Meant to” para expresar que algo no salió como se supone que debía ser o discutir un malentendido.

Veamos algunos ejemplos:

The teacher was supposed to start the class at 5 PM, but it is 5:30 PM, and she hasn’t come.
The teacher was meant to start the class at 5 PM, but it is 5:30 PM, and she hasn’t come.
She was supposed to arrive early.
She was meant to arrive early.
The food was supposed to be delicious.
The food was meant to be delicious.

Ambas expresiones significan lo mismo y puedes intercambiarlas para hablar de qué esperabas que sucediera con una situación o marcar un error a alguien.

Contribución creada por: Kevin Fiorentino (Platzi Contributor).

Ignacio Consuegra

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Erick Santiago Gallo Buriticá

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very good example general kenobby

GISSELINE DARETTE CARRILLO AR .

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i finally see something i can laugh a,,, thank you

Isabel Yepes

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Is not clear for me when I have to use mean to and when supposed to Thanks for your comments.

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Thank you for your question Isabel. You can use these expressions for the same purpose; there is no difference. Use them when you want to talk about situations that were scheduled or expected to happen in the past, but finally they did not. "I was supposed to / meant to arrive to work at 7 AM, but the traffic made me arrive late at 9 AM".

Isabel Yepes

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Thank you, teacher, for your explanation. Now it is clear!

Yatziri Anayetzin Reynoso Cuevas

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I was supposed to study english more early but I have been doing until now

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Good use of the structure! It doesn't matter when you start, as long you focus and practice hard ☺️👍

Sergio Uriel Joachin Rodríguez

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okey

Melissa Rivera

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I was supposed to have a good level of English because I studied in London ten years ago.

Francisco Vergara

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Mildred Zaragoza

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This class was a little bit confusing for me, I thought I had understood, but my responses were incorrect. I was supposed to understand but I didn't get any right answer haha

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Hey Mildred! It is ok to have wrong answers. What matters is to know why they were wrong so you can improve for the next time. Your post here lets me know you are improving for sure 😊👍

Bramucci Candela

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If your responses were incorrect because you interchange supposed to with meant to, watch out! Both of them have the same meaning.

Gonzalo Bruna

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In the past, I used to believe that "actually" translates as "actualmente" in spanish, so when I was supposed to say "currently" I tended to use "actually" by mistake.

Javier Ramos

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it`s a very commun mistake

Erick Ramírez León

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haha. Yes. I see this mistake everytime among people that consume english media. They even say "actualmente" instead of "realmente" when they speak spanish.

Tatiana Mercedes Rojas Campos

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I was meant to have the lunch ready before noon but these classes are very interesting.

Douglas Neira

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I was suppose to be the chosen one but I injured my knee

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Oh yes Douglas, the old Skyrim reference 😉👍

Erick Ramírez León

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Wait. The chosen one was supposed to be me.

Andrea Katherin Ruiz

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I don't get it. what is the difference?

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Thank you for your question Andrea. "Supposed to" and "meant to" are used as synonym expressions. That means there is no difference in their use. They are used for the same reason. You could argue that "meant to" is used in more formal settings, but the difference is not great.

Daniel Vaca

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I was supposed to start studyng at 9PM, but I was late due to traffic. I was meant to bring food to the dinner, but i completely forgot it.

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Amazing answers Daniel! 🤘😎

Santiago Amado

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Hi, it´s possible to use te expression "meant to" with "is" in the present simple or in this way is better to use with te past form "was"

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Hi Santiago. You can use 'meant to' in the present, but does not mean it is a misunderstanding or something that was not done. For example: The dam is meant to block 30 thousand liters from pouring onto the town.

This talks about the intended use of the dam.

Mercedes Rax Cucul

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Is not clear for me when I have to use mean to and when supposed

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

They are synonym expressions. You can use both interchangeably.

Kevin Parra Lopez

student•

"Supposed to" and "meant to" are phrases often used interchangeably, but they have subtle differences in usage and connotation. Here's a detailed look at how to use each correctly:

"Supposed to"

Intended Purpose or Expectation:
- Meaning: Indicates an expectation, duty, or obligation.
- Example: "You are supposed to submit your report by Friday."
- Explanation: This implies that submitting the report by Friday is expected or required.
Common or General Belief:
- Meaning: Indicates something that is generally believed or thought to be true.
- Example: "This book is supposed to be very interesting."
- Explanation: People generally believe or expect the book to be interesting.
Rules or Norms:
- Meaning: Refers to rules, norms, or laws.
- Example: "You are not supposed to park here."
- Explanation: Parking here is against the rules or norms.

"Meant to"

Intended Purpose or Design:
- Meaning: Refers to the purpose, intention, or design behind something.
- Example: "This tool is meant to help you with your tasks."
- Explanation: The tool is designed or intended to assist with tasks.
Destined or Intended Outcome:
- Meaning: Implies a destined or intended outcome, often suggesting a plan or fate.
- Example: "We were meant to meet today."
- Explanation: It suggests that meeting today was intended or destined to happen.
Expectation with Slightly Different Nuance:
- Meaning: Can indicate an expectation similar to "supposed to" but often carries a nuance of intention or purpose.
- Example: "You are meant to lead the team."
- Explanation: Leading the team is your intended role or purpose.

Comparison and Usage Tips:

Obligation and Expectation: Use "supposed to" when referring to expectations, duties, or general beliefs.
- "You are supposed to wear a uniform to work."
Intended Purpose or Design: Use "meant to" when referring to the purpose, intention, or design of something.
- "This app is meant to improve productivity."
Slight Nuance in Expectation: "Meant to" can sometimes be used in place of "supposed to," but it often implies a slightly stronger sense of intention or destiny.
- "You are meant to follow the rules."

Examples in Sentences:

Supposed to:
- "The train is supposed to arrive at 10 AM."
- "You are supposed to ask for permission before leaving."
- "This medicine is supposed to alleviate pain."
Meant to:
- "The new policy is meant to reduce costs."
- "These shoes are meant to be comfortable for long walks."
- "We were meant to collaborate on this project."

Sebastián Orejuela Albornoz

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I was supposed to end at least 2 courses in my platzi platform, but a lot of things related with my mental health stopped me of doing it.

Juan Pablo Negrete Padilla

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One of many mistakes I've made in my life were the ones that involved time management, like my courses on platzi, because I meant to do them every single day and sometimes I couldn't do it either because laziness or another activity that I were doing at the time. :(

Erick Ramírez León

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same

Nikoll Belen Bonilla Hancco

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I supposed to go to the university, but I preferred the institute, so I go there.

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Good answer Nikoll! Remember the verb to be: I was supposed to go to University...

Johana Gordillo Hernandez

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I have misunderstandings with orders or tasks,

I was supposed to understand the instructions of a task, but when I try to follow them, I didn't do it well.

Erika Julieth Alarcón Meléndez

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I didn't get the difference between supposed to and meant to. So I looked the answers in the Q&A section and I found that there are not differeces, they are synonymous.

Manuela Estrada

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Hola profe, no seria correcto decir: "The patient is SUPPOSED to take polls according to the prescription"

???

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Yeah, used in the present it is a good sentence *Pills 😉

Liliana Martínez

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I was supposed to my dog Peter learn more exercices but it's not.