Current Events > Please explain to me the use of 'be like' in place of the correct 'is/are like'

(+) Yeah! (+)

I have already seen this thing before several times.
There is a topic on the front page right now, with this weird faulty construction, "X be like :'...' ". What does this mean / Why is it formulated that way ?
Is it a particular type of slang/lingo, or does it mean something entirely different than "is/are like..."
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They don't think it be like it is, but it do
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Extremely strange person.
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Because youre not really describing the person, but more what they do or their state of existence (aka to be).
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She is like a toad.
She be like, Ooh look at me Im a toad lmao.
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Conflict posted...

Wendy where do you live where you've somehow never heard someone say this irl

In France. I'm French. In my RL people speak French. Crazy, I know...
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It's a slang lingo thing
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EzeDoesIt posted...

Because youre not really describing the person, but more what they do or their state of existence (aka to be).

EzeDoesIt posted...

She is like a toad.
She be like, Ooh look at me Im a toad lmao.

Oooh, NOW it makes more sense. I mean I see what meaning is conveyed now.
However, it still seems pretty grammatically off. Instead of "she be like : blablabla", why not say "She went like : blablabla" ? It seems more correct.
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It's an urban vernacular thing.
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DarthWendy posted...

EzeDoesIt posted...

Because youre not really describing the person, but more what they do or their state of existence (aka to be).

EzeDoesIt posted...

She is like a toad.
She be like, Ooh look at me Im a toad lmao.

Oooh, NOW it makes more sense. I mean I see what meaning is conveyed now.
However, it still seems pretty grammatically off. Instead of "she be like : blablabla", why not say "She went like : blablabla" ? It seems more correct.

Oh its absolutely grammatically incorrect, more like a slang/meme thing. Idk if this is the right way of putting it but I guess it sounds...funny to our ears. Like part of the humor comes from the fact that it is not grammatical.

Yeah went would be more appropriate, or maybe, is frequently/often engaged in this activity. It definitely sounds dry that way and wouldnt work for meme-ing.
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Complexion dictates how firm of a grasp you need to have on the English language.

Middle hope posted...

It's an urban vernacular thing.

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I thinhk your anger towards such expressions is quite humorous. I've decided to read all of your posts in helium voice. It has made you tolerable and, quite frankly, it's caused me to actually consider the very real possibility that you could actually sound that way IRL, so now, in my head cannon, you do.
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SquirrelyDan posted...

I thinhk your anger towards such expressions is quite humorous. I've decided to read all of your posts in helium voice. It has made you tolerable and, quite frankly, it's caused me to actually consider the very real possibility that you could actually sound that way IRL, so now, in my head cannon, you do.

Lmao

Menardii posted...

SquirrelyDan posted...

I thinhk your anger towards such expressions is quite humorous. I've decided to read all of your posts in helium voice. It has made you tolerable and, quite frankly, it's caused me to actually consider the very real possibility that you could actually sound that way IRL, so now, in my head cannon, you do.

Lmao

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Its sort of like a meme now.

For instance:
*reacting to Star Trek reunion*

Nerds be like

Oh my god yesss!!

Normal people be like

Wtf is this shit
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@SquirrelyDan posted...

I thinhk your anger towards such expressions is quite humorous. I've decided to read all of your posts in helium voice. It has made you tolerable and, quite frankly, it's caused me to actually consider the very real possibility that you could actually sound that way IRL, so now, in my head cannon, you do.

To be perfectly frank, I must say that I'm not quite entirely with you here. Has it even vaguely occured to you that you were actually making the understandable mistake of confusing what is purely curiosity and a learning approach with what you call ANGER ?
If not, let me assure you that one has nothing to do with the other, and the actual vector of my question is nothing more than a will to understand something.
However, I am now curious about yet another matter. (One question is answered, three more take its place, as Hannah Arendt used to say !). What associative pattern made you think I was asking this out of anger, or that this expression, or even its use or lack of, which quite frankly doesn't impact me in the slightest, made me angry in the slightest ? No longer than a few minutes ago, I didn't even know that it was just a form of sociological appropriation of illiteracy by specific demographic groups. Before finding out about this (thanks to @Conflict for putting me in the right direction to look it up), I merely thought "Oh well, another silly CE vernacular".
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Remember thou and ye....

Languages naturally change through time, different cultures eventually bring different dialects of sorts.

I would consider be like in this regard could effectively be, just a dialect being absorbed into the common tongue.

Slang often becomes adopted.

Edit: itd be nice if people took a minute, and instead of attaching the worst possible interpretations of tone and intent to a persons post... instead applied as charitable an interpretation as they could.

The misunderstandings being formed from online interactions are palpable these days...

Not everyone who you read as angry, is angry. Written words minus their tonal inflection are prone to being misunderstood... wishful thinking I guess?
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PreacherBeelze posted...

Remember thou and ye....

Languages naturally change through time, different cultures eventually bring different dialects of sorts.

I would consider be like in this regard could effectively be, just a dialect being absorbed into the common tongue.

Slang often becomes adopted.

Absolutely, I couldn't agree more, French is one of the richest languages in terms of slang and lingo and whatnot. We have 23 ways of saying "buzz off" for example, and at least 31 to say "this sucks".
However, the core grammar rules stay unchanged, they are untouchable. Verb conjugation is absolute law. More ofthen than not it's new nouns or new expressions or words arrangement in a phrase. But it still has to remain correct gramatically when a verb is conjugated, it has to be at the correct tense, etc.
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DarthWendy posted...

However, the core grammar rules stay unchanged, they are untouchable. Verb conjugation is absolute law. More ofthen than not it's new nouns or new expressions or words arrangement in a phrase. But it still has to remain correct gramatically when a verb is conjugated, it has to be at the correct tense, etc.

Is it really like that? Like, how often do y'all use pass simple or subjonctif pass these days? Or imperatif pass for that matter? That one is my favorite conjugation
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DarthWendy posted...

PreacherBeelze posted...

Remember thou and ye....

Languages naturally change through time, different cultures eventually bring different dialects of sorts.

I would consider be like in this regard could effectively be, just a dialect being absorbed into the common tongue.

Slang often becomes adopted.

Absolutely, I couldn't agree more, French is one of the richest languages in terms of slang and lingo and whatnot. We have 23 ways of saying "buzz off" for example, and at least 31 to say "this sucks".
However, the core grammar rules stay unchanged, they are untouchable. Verb conjugation is absolute law. More ofthen than not it's new nouns or new expressions or words arrangement in a phrase. But it still has to remain correct gramatically when a verb is conjugated, it has to be at the correct tense, etc.

That is interesting... I dont speak French beyond some really basic phrases, but I was reading up a little bit and came across Franais populaire africain... which seemed interesting to me, as it ran into a lot of problems when people started really embracing it, but ultimately became accepted in the areas it gained popularity, even in colleges and higher learning circles.

Have you had any experience with it?

Id be curious if there are any grammatical differences as well as definition shifts.

I also came across this article about subtle changes in English...

http://mentalfloss.com/article/51362/4-changes-english-so-subtle-we-hardly-notice-theyre-happening

You be like, isnt too dissimilar to you are like for me...

Anyhow I cant pretend to hold the answers, I think its sad that some questions when asked have so much baggage that theyre assumed to be coming from a racist or hateful space.

I do think be like differs a bit from they are like as they are like usually is the beginning of a metaphor...

They are like flowers in the spring, vibrant, beautiful and new, but will not make it through the winter.

Where as

They be like... typically has a visual component, or pantomime of sorts.

They be like duhhh I dont fuckin know

Or

They be like
Insert meme.

Maybe? I think after typing that Im probably kinda wrong.

I like the way it sounds though, and think the meanings are effectively the same.

In effect, they be like, seems to have a more contemplative pause between the like, and the example of which they are like...

Where as they are like, the are like aspect has a more immediate like what response...

For me anyways...

Not sure if that makes sense... but I read it and here it like

They be like (pause) example

Vs

They are like (no pause) example...

Contemplative vs immediate?

Anyhow sorry for the being so long winded
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scar the 1 posted...

DarthWendy posted...

However, the core grammar rules stay unchanged, they are untouchable. Verb conjugation is absolute law. More ofthen than not it's new nouns or new expressions or words arrangement in a phrase. But it still has to remain correct gramatically when a verb is conjugated, it has to be at the correct tense, etc.

Is it really like that? Like, how often do y'all use pass simple or subjonctif pass these days? Or imperatif pass for that matter? That one is my favorite conjugation

Ooh, a killer, have we :)
Yes, those are still very common, I mean, except perhaps the pass simple which is more of a litterature must-have, it can be easily worked around in speech.
The impratif pass however and especially pass du subjonctif are indispensable, you can't talk properly in a civilised fashion without them, and yes they are quite demanding even in spelling.

"Sois rentr avant 8 heures ou c'est le divorce !" for example.

"Il faut que tu sois parti avant que mon mari arrive !" for the second one.

We basically use all our 78 conjugation tenses, which is what makes our language so delicious. But you need to master them though, and it's not easy if you haven't done it early in school, more and more kids or less literate people can't do it well these days, especially the spelling, so they end up speaking in a very simple, bare-bones-y dialect, which is a shame :(
It is also a quite hard language to dominate, especially for foreigners.
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She was like...
She is like...
She would be like...
She said...
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People who don't understand basic slang triggers the fuck out of me.
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Idk every time I tried to use even the present subjonctif my French friends would be like "hein?" and they told me no one uses the pass. They hadn't even heard of the imperatif pass. I think you're pulling my leg here Wendy
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scar the 1 posted...

Idk every time I tried to use even the present subjonctif my French friends would be like "hein?" and they told me no one uses the pass. They hadn't even heard of the imperatif pass. I think you're pulling my leg here Wendy

I don't pull your leg lol, it is a full-fledged tense and actually you (as in us, the royal "you") use it without knowing it all the time.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imp%C3%A9ratif_pass%C3%A9_en_fran%C3%A7ais
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DarthWendy posted...

scar the 1 posted...

Idk every time I tried to use even the present subjonctif my French friends would be like "hein?" and they told me no one uses the pass. They hadn't even heard of the imperatif pass. I think you're pulling my leg here Wendy

I don't pull your leg lol, it is a full-fledged tense and actually you (as in us, the royal "you") use it without knowing it all the time.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imp%C3%A9ratif_pass%C3%A9_en_fran%C3%A7ais

Ouaip je sais qu'il existe mais je croix pas qu'on l'utilise
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TC do you ever go outside?
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VipaGTS posted...

TC do you ever go outside?

DarthWendy posted...

Conflict posted...

Wendy where do you live where you've somehow never heard someone say this irl

In France. I'm French. In my RL people speak French. Crazy, I know...

Vipa, do you ever read ?
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Well fucking shit, that explains why you're so ignorant to the American world. But being ignorant doesn't excuse you from being offensive. I hope you learn this.
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SaithSayer posted...

Complexion dictates how firm of a grasp you need to have on the English language.

Can you elaborate?
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it's a dialect it's not that hard to understand
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SquirrelyDan posted...

I thinhk your anger towards such expressions is quite humorous. I've decided to read all of your posts in helium voice. It has made you tolerable and, quite frankly, it's caused me to actually consider the very real possibility that you could actually sound that way IRL, so now, in my head cannon, you do.

oh fuck, i started to read all her posts in the topic in helium voice because of you and I couldn't stop laughing

DarthWendy posted...

@SquirrelyDan posted...

I thinhk your anger towards such expressions is quite humorous. I've decided to read all of your posts in helium voice. It has made you tolerable and, quite frankly, it's caused me to actually consider the very real possibility that you could actually sound that way IRL, so now, in my head cannon, you do.

To be perfectly frank, I must say that I'm not quite entirely with you here. Has it even vaguely occured to you that you were actually making the understandable mistake of confusing what is purely curiosity and a learning approach with what you call ANGER ?
If not, let me assure you that one has nothing to do with the other, and the actual vector of my question is nothing more than a will to understand something.
However, I am now curious about yet another matter. (One question is answered, three more take its place, as Hannah Arendt used to say !). What associative pattern made you think I was asking this out of anger, or that this expression, or even its use or lack of, which quite frankly doesn't impact me in the slightest, made me angry in the slightest ? No longer than a few minutes ago, I didn't even know that it was just a form of sociological appropriation of illiteracy by specific demographic groups. Before finding out about this (thanks to @Conflict for putting me in the right direction to look it up), I merely thought "Oh well, another silly CE vernacular".

I find it quite unlikely someone, as intelligent as you seem, could not know that way of speaking was associated with specific groups of people, but I'll take you at your word. As for the issue of anger, you come off as very hostile in nearly all the posts I've seen from you since I came back to CE. Again, I will take you at your word that you're not. I guess that's one consistent problem with text on a screen: Miscommunication and bad interpretations of what's being read. I'll try to give you the benefit of the doubt in the future.
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Reis posted...

SquirrelyDan posted...

I thinhk your anger towards such expressions is quite humorous. I've decided to read all of your posts in helium voice. It has made you tolerable and, quite frankly, it's caused me to actually consider the very real possibility that you could actually sound that way IRL, so now, in my head cannon, you do.

oh fuck, i started to read all her posts in the topic in helium voice because of you and I couldn't stop laughing

I read everything Vegy posts in Quagmire's voice. It's a fun game to try to figure out a comical voice for users. Proudclad's voice was the robot Pastor from Futurama until he switched from his religion gimmick.
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LoL, @DarthWendy you need to suck some helium out of a balloon and VC with me
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TC could be like a normal human and use context clues.
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Its ghetto slang and it makes people sound uneducated.

scar the 1 posted...

DarthWendy posted...

scar the 1 posted...

Idk every time I tried to use even the present subjonctif my French friends would be like "hein?" and they told me no one uses the pass. They hadn't even heard of the imperatif pass. I think you're pulling my leg here Wendy

I don't pull your leg lol, it is a full-fledged tense and actually you (as in us, the royal "you") use it without knowing it all the time.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imp%C3%A9ratif_pass%C3%A9_en_fran%C3%A7ais

Ouaip je sais qu'il existe mais je croix pas qu'on l'utilise

Gotta say that it annoys me that you conjugated croire incorrectly and said cross instead of believe.
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Kineth posted...

scar the 1 posted...

DarthWendy posted...

scar the 1 posted...

Idk every time I tried to use even the present subjonctif my French friends would be like "hein?" and they told me no one uses the pass. They hadn't even heard of the imperatif pass. I think you're pulling my leg here Wendy

I don't pull your leg lol, it is a full-fledged tense and actually you (as in us, the royal "you") use it without knowing it all the time.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imp%C3%A9ratif_pass%C3%A9_en_fran%C3%A7ais

Ouaip je sais qu'il existe mais je croix pas qu'on l'utilise

Gotta say that it annoys me that you conjugated croire incorrectly and said cross instead of believe.

oops, thanks for that
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scar the 1 posted...

Kineth posted...

scar the 1 posted...

DarthWendy posted...

scar the 1 posted...

Idk every time I tried to use even the present subjonctif my French friends would be like "hein?" and they told me no one uses the pass. They hadn't even heard of the imperatif pass. I think you're pulling my leg here Wendy

I don't pull your leg lol, it is a full-fledged tense and actually you (as in us, the royal "you") use it without knowing it all the time.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imp%C3%A9ratif_pass%C3%A9_en_fran%C3%A7ais

Ouaip je sais qu'il existe mais je croix pas qu'on l'utilise

Gotta say that it annoys me that you conjugated croire incorrectly and said cross instead of believe.

oops, thanks for that

Ouais, heureusement que je ne lai pas vu la premire. Inadmissible !

Et pourtant je tassure, regarde les deux exemples que je tai donn plus haut, ce sont des phrases de la vie courante :)
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DarthWendy posted...

scar the 1 posted...

Kineth posted...

scar the 1 posted...

DarthWendy posted...

scar the 1 posted...

Idk every time I tried to use even the present subjonctif my French friends would be like "hein?" and they told me no one uses the pass. They hadn't even heard of the imperatif pass. I think you're pulling my leg here Wendy

I don't pull your leg lol, it is a full-fledged tense and actually you (as in us, the royal "you") use it without knowing it all the time.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imp%C3%A9ratif_pass%C3%A9_en_fran%C3%A7ais

Ouaip je sais qu'il existe mais je croix pas qu'on l'utilise

Gotta say that it annoys me that you conjugated croire incorrectly and said cross instead of believe.

oops, thanks for that

Ouais, heureusement que je ne lai pas vu la premire. Inadmissible !

Et pourtant je tassure, regarde les deux exemples que je tai donn plus haut, ce sont des phrases de la vie courante :)

But isn't it more that those (and a couple of other) particular examples are common, rather than that the conjugations are common in general? Like can you expect your average francophone to recite the subjonctif pass for any irregular verb and use it in a sentence? I get the feeling no. But it was a long time ago since I hung out with francophones. I know for a fact that people speaking other Latin languages certainly don't keep track of all the conjugations. But of course French people have to be a bit more special than anyone else :)
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VectorChaos posted...

They don't think it be like it is, but it do

This post.

honestly might be one of the best first replies i have ever seen on this site
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ImTheMacheteGuy posted...

SaithSayer posted...

Complexion dictates how firm of a grasp you need to have on the English language.

Can you elaborate?

Nobody wants be called racist so they don't correct grammar/pronunciation.

@Zodd3224 posted...

LoL, @DarthWendy you need to suck some helium out of a balloon and VC with me

Umm, VC ? You mean like Vice City with you ? It's the only "VC" acronym that comes to mind >_>
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DarthWendy posted...

@Zodd3224 posted...

LoL, @DarthWendy you need to suck some helium out of a balloon and VC with me

Umm, VC ? You mean like Vice City with you ? It's the only "VC" acronym that comes to mind >_>

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SaithSayer posted...

ImTheMacheteGuy posted...

SaithSayer posted...

Complexion dictates how firm of a grasp you need to have on the English language.

Can you elaborate?

Nobody wants be called racist so they don't correct grammar/pronunciation.

What kind of a dork corrects grammar in casual conversation? "Well actually you are using slang and the proper structure is..."

Are you implying only certain races deviate from proper sentence structure?
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