Thread: kind of

Originally Posted by maramaras

is it right to say: I have mistaken speaking with him.?
I know the verb to mistake usage like to confuse: I have mistaken Peter with John all my life. But, can we use it into another way?
My best regards

It was a mistake (for me) to speak to him.
I have mistaken Peter for John all my life.

other meanings of “to mistake” :
don’t mistake me (don’t understand me wrong)
mistake someone’s meanings
don’t mistake me if you think you can scare me (don’t underestimate me)
mistake one’s road (take the wrong turn)
there’s no mistaking him with his orange hat (you can’t miss him = not recognize)

by mistake : unintentionally

mistakenadjective
wrong in what you believe, or based on a belief that is wrong:
If you think you can carry on drinking so much without damaging your health, then you're mistaken.
I'm afraid I was mistaken about how much it would cost.
The negotiations continued in the mistaken belief that a peaceful agreement could be reached.
a case of mistaken identity

mistakenlyadverb
She mistakenly believed that she could get away with not paying her taxes.

mistakable, UK ALSO mistakeable
adjective
She's easily mistakeable for a man when she wears that suit and hat.
noun[C]
an action, decision or judgment which produces an unwanted or unintentional result:
I'm not blaming you - we all make mistakes.
[+ to infinitive] It was a mistake for us to come here tonight.
This letter's full of spelling mistakes.
I've discovered a few mistakes in your calculations.
Why am I under arrest? There must be some mistake.

Originally Posted by Frank van den Eeden

I would like to add that KIND OF (= slightly) is informal (also KINDA = US)
and is often used to show that you are not certain about something
or when you try to describe something but you cannot be exact (I guess, I think, I kind of...)

When you say “my mother was kind of a refined woman”
that does not mean the same as “my mother was such a refined woman”

If you add the work "like" to the phrase you have the same meaning with a southern accent as in "my mother is kind of like a refined woman".

In the U.S. you also hear "kind of" or "kind of like" used as space filler while the speaker decides on the adjective needed as in "My brother is ... kind of like ... stupid around girls."

Just some spice for the stew.

Joel

Frank did an excellent job in giving you a clear understanding of the use of mistake!!

As for "kind of" the closest thing to it is "sort of". Both are frequently shortened in speech and come out "kinda" and "sorta". I "kinda" feel like eating ice cream. I feel "sorta" bad. (by the way, that's bad Engilish but you will hear those words very often)

This is just a suggestion but I think these are words that you might want to avoid using until you have become much more familiar with English.

Saludos!