Hello!
Does the tendency of using different meanings in naming the number of a floor still persist? Isn’t it confusing when you say ‘on the first floor’ color=indigo actually meaning ‘on the 2nd floor’ color=indigo? In my L1 (Ukrainian) 1st is 1st, 2nd is 2nd, so, it sometimes misleads me which alternative to choose not knownig for sure whether my interlocutor understands me right.
Thank you.
Yes, it sometimes causes confusion, because the Americans number their floors the way the Russians do, whereas the British call the second floor the first floor, the third floor the second floor, etc. However, if you’re not traveling, there’s generally no confusion.
Sometimes we Americans call the lowest floor the ground floor when the main building access is on the second floor, for example if the building is built into the side of a hill. In such cases, the main entrance might be on the “first” floor, but a floor below that is visible from the side of the hill, and that level may have a fire exit, etc., so it would be called the ground floor.
Sometimes even in a normal American building the elevator buttons will say “G, 2, 3, 4…”
Then it gets more interesting in some American buildings that have no 13th floor, or that have a mezzanine between the first and second floors.
Many thanks for your answer.
Of course, there could be different situations and the best one is when you could point the needed floor whith your finger and name it as you wish.
As to skyscrapers, uh… Take your companion under the hand and show him the way walking up the stairs to the 34th or 35th floor counting them while ascending. :lol:
[color=darkblue]Have a nice day, Jamie (K)!