Cómo es...

[irmamar]

Instead of saying:

She'll ask what the university is like, may I say:

She'll ask how the university is

or is it completely wrong?

Thanks.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Instead of saying:

She'll ask what the university is like, may I say:

She'll ask how the university is

or is it completely wrong?

*sigh* It is not wrong, but there is possibly a difference in context and meaning.

If she is a school student looking to study at a university and asks a university student what their particular university is like then

She'll ask what the university is like

But, if your elder sister somes home from university for a vacation, and the younger sister asks how the elder sister is personally affected by university, then

She'll ask how the university is

i.e. this question is really 'how did you get on at university?'

Does that help?

[irmamar]

Yes, but I'm still a bit conused, . The sentence I translated was (well, they are strange sentences...):
Cuando llegue Mary, puede que quiera sentarse entre aquellos dos chicos y preguntarles qué carrera piensan hacer, si saben cómo es la universidad (...).

The book says "what the university is like", my option is "how".

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

The book says "what the university is like", my option is "how".

I think the book is quite right, and I can't see how you could use 'how'.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Perikles

I think the book is quite right, and I can't see how you could use 'how'.

Muy fácil, how es cómo.

Thanks.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Muy fácil, how es cómo.

Not always.

[hermit]

Something occurs to me; she might want to determine whether or not they know how the University system "works"...

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Not always.

I know it, but sometimes I forget it.


Hermit, I can't know Mary's purpose

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Yes, but I'm still a bit conused, . The sentence I translated was (well, they are strange sentences...):
Cuando llegue Mary, puede que quiera sentarse entre aquellos dos chicos y preguntarles qué carrera piensan hacer, si saben cómo es la universidad (...).

The book says "what the university is like", my option is "how".

Irma, that's your clue.

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Yes, but I'm still a bit conused, . The sentence I translated was (well, they are strange sentences...):
Cuando llegue Mary, puede que quiera sentarse entre aquellos dos chicos y preguntarles qué carrera piensan hacer, si saben cómo es la universidad (...).

The book says "what the university is like", my option is "how".

¿Estás segura de esa "the"? Me parece probable (estaría bien tener un poco más del contexto) que habla de la universidad (en general), y sólo debe ser "the university" si habla de una universidad específica.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Instead of saying:

She'll ask what the university is like, may I say:

She'll ask how the university is

or is it completely wrong?

Thanks.

I want to write this, I'm interested.
Now In the second choice I believe that is wrong.

Please I believe that you should to use the first ones.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by pjt33

¿Estás segura de esa "the"? Me parece probable (estaría bien tener un poco más del contexto) que habla de la universidad (en general), y sólo debe ser "the university" si habla de una universidad específica.

I don't have the book here, I'll take a look later and write the complete sentence, but there isn't any context. They are sentences to translate into English.

This is the complete sentence translated into English:

When Mary arrives, she may want to sit between those two boys and ask them what degree they are thinking of doing, if they know what the university is like and how long they've been living here.

There is a "the".

In Spanish:

Cuando llegue Mary, puede que quiera sentarse entre aquellos dos chicos y preguntarles qué carrera piensan hacer, si saben cómo es la universidad y cuánto tiempo llevan viviendo aquí.

No more context.