Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

Re:Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen? by pkrotich on Sunday September 11, 2022 @04:22PM (#32802938)

I often use past tense because in my tribe (Kalenjin for those interested)- when you do historical commentary you don't interject with your current feelings. You say what you felt then (e.g while watching the documentary) unless you talking about how you feel now vs then. It's very contexual.

Rules in English can be confusing [1] ;)

[1] - https://youtu.be/kXH3HDE9Czo

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Re:Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen? by ethbr0 on Sunday September 11, 2022 @05:25PM (#32803420)

I gather most people from eastern or central Africa are polyglot and much better at switching languages than I am. On behalf of English, I apologize for its irregularity. ;)

So in your first language, how would you express the idea of "I saw a documentary in the past, felt some way at the time, and now feel a different way?" To the extent translation is possible.

Languages fascinate me. Especially in terms of the constructs or concepts they can or can't express.

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Re:Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen? by pkrotich on Sunday September 11, 2022 @05:55PM (#32803657)

If you use present tense then it’s how you feel now with no reference when you started feeling so. Past tense implies you felt so then and you still feel so now (linear feeling is assumed). If your feelings have changed then you say how you felt originally and qualify it for the present (now I feel).

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