"the" or no "the"

[Burningsok]

"the" was how i was taught since i live in the USA

 

[Ekonk]

When you speak or write, do you say things like "going to the hospital" or do you say "going to hospital". I know the second is more of an European way of speaking, but I've found that I speak/write that way more and more--something about it is more pleasing to the ear.

I'm going to hospital = just any hospital.
I'm going to the hospital = a specific hospital, say, the yellow one on the corner.

 

[War Penguin]

I say THE because I speak english.

Why would you leave it out? I don't see any other english speaking country or region not saying THE.

 

[RatRace123]

I say the, it's right way of saying things in place where I come from.

 

[ninjapenguin981]

I usually use 'the'. Depends what noun I stick on the end.

 

[SeanTheSheep]

It's correct in the USA, but not throughout the whole world XD

in english it is.

Then why do the British say just "hospital"?

Because we don't?
Or at least nobody I know does

 

[Legion]

I use either, depending on the sentence. Don't ask me why.
For example:

"I'm going to the hospital."
"He needs to go to hospital."

The latter is correct in that context though. Unless you are referring to a specific hospital that is.

It's correct in the USA, but not throughout the whole world XD

in english it is.

Then why do the British say just "hospital"?

I have never heard anyone say it like that, unless they are online and being lazy.

 

[AvsJoe]

I use "a", "an", "the" et al when I speak and most of the time when I write unless I'm in a hurry or texting. When I write shorthand I don't use those words.

 

[Quaxar]

Actually I use both from time to time, nevertheless it's with "the" far more often.

I use the. I don't think I've ever heard anyone leave it out in English, but I think it's normal in German. "Ich gehe ins Krankenhaus." My German isn't very good though, so feel free to correct me.

Partially right. The article isn't left out, but shortened. So "in das" becomes "ins". It's like Sebenko's example of Yorkshire accent:

Also, I say neither. I use the "t'", mandated by my Yorkshire accent.
So the phrase in this case would be "I'm going t't hospital" (notice that "to the" has been reduced to "t't". This is used in most cases.)

 

[Alex The Rat]

Wounded Melody, I think what you're hearing is simply a very abbreviated "the" but one that still exists. Any native English speaker knows it's incorrect to say "going to hospital" but in certain accents the definite article could simply get swallowed by the words around it to save time (language is all about accomplishing the most with least effort). If you asked them to write the sentence they just said, they would almost certainly write "going to THE hospital," even though in reality they might not have pronounced "the" at all.

So remember, in writing you ALWAYS include "the", but sometimes when speaking you don't have to pronounce it (depending on the accent).

 

[Hurr Durr Derp]

I use the. I don't think I've ever heard anyone leave it out in English, but I think it's normal in German. "Ich gehe ins Krankenhaus." My German isn't very good though, so feel free to correct me.

Partially right. The article isn't left out, but shortened. So "in das" becomes "ins". It's like Sebenko's example of Yorkshire accent:

Ah, I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

What about "<url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnRNVYf6GBc>Ich gehe am strand"? Is "am" also a contraction?

 

[Ninonybox_v1legacy]

I say "the" because im not retarded.

 

[DeathChairOfHell]

saying it without "the" sounds as a little lack of IQ.

 

[PrimoThePro]

i prefer to say the. its a personal choice.

 

[Wounded Melody]

OMG I hope no one thought I meant to drop EVERY "the", just with words like hospital or university. Has no one ever watched British sitcoms?

 

[Loop Stricken]

I haven't thought enough about how I would announce my visitations to the local bone doctor. I assume, given my grammatical learnings, I would be correct and whallop a 'the' in there, but i think in lazy verbal syntaxations I'd just use 't''.

"Going t' hospital".

 

[Quaxar]

I use the. I don't think I've ever heard anyone leave it out in English, but I think it's normal in German. "Ich gehe ins Krankenhaus." My German isn't very good though, so feel free to correct me.

Partially right. The article isn't left out, but shortened. So "in das" becomes "ins". It's like Sebenko's example of Yorkshire accent:

Ah, I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

What about "<url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnRNVYf6GBc>Ich gehe am strand"? Is "am" also a contraction?

Yep. It's either "auf dem" or "an dem", depending on the context.
In fact, it's really common in german to shorten everything possible. I'm not sure about all the german ones, but Viennese are really lazy talkers, the sentence gets cut wherever possible. So "Ich gehe ins Krankenhaus" becomes "I' geh ins AKH" (AKH is just one special hospital, but some would rather go there than someplace else that might have another, longer name).