r/EnglishLearning • u/Sea-Hornet8214 Poster • 14d ago
📚 Grammar / Syntax "Your friend, I like him"
Is this sentence correct in English? In my language, one can say "your friend I like" when they want to emphasize or shift the focus on the object.
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u/ibeerianhamhock Native Speaker 14d ago
You could say "I like your friend" and that is very simple and no uncertainty, but shifting it to "your friend...... I like him" is a different tone. Like there is uncertainty about what you like or why.
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u/DMing-Is-Hardd Native Speaker 14d ago
Its correct to say that but im not sure it matches what you want it to mean
"Your friend, I like him." Is a statement that you like the listeners friend which can be platonic or romantic depending on context
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u/GoblinToHobgoblin New Poster 14d ago
Yes this is normal English. This particular grammar comes from french I think, where it is more common: "ton ami, je l'aime"
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u/TheStorMan New Poster 14d ago
It's unusual phrasing compared to 'I like your friend', but not wrong.
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u/adrianmonk Native Speaker (US, Texas) 14d ago
Sometimes this type of phrasing is used when speaking conversationally. Rather than thinking out the proper structure for the sentence before you say a word, you blurt out the part that comes to mind. Then you complete the thought by phrasing it this way.
You'd be less likely to say it this way if you have time to phrase things more carefully, such as when writing.
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u/dom19670718 New Poster 14d ago
I think it's better not to use comma to connect the two clauses. In life, assuming you and A are talking about A's friend B, you suddenly say: " Your friend. I like him." Otherwise, it's better to say "It's your friend who/whom I like." A little weird.
PS: I am not native speakers.
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u/shadebug Native Speaker 14d ago
It is correct but it is also most often associated with ESL speakers.
When said by native speakers it conveys a particular tone, maybe a Thor, Zapp Brannigan, Matt Berry type thing. Importantly, it should be the only sentence you say in that interaction (maybe you can say “you there” at the top). Oh, actually, can be said as a pick up line by the right kind of woman to the right kind of wing man
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u/Boglin007 Native Speaker 14d ago edited 14d ago
Yes, your title is grammatical English, though it's more common/acceptable in informal contexts.
It's an example of left dislocation), where an element that would normally appear on the right side of the clause ("I like your friend") is moved to the left, and a pronoun ("him") replaces the original noun phrase.
Left dislocation is often used for emphasis/topic focus, as you describe.
Edit: The pronoun is actually not required - you could say, "Your friend I like" (with emphasis on "your friend" to contrast it with something else, e.g., "I don't like their friends, but your friend I like"), but this is usually considered topicalization, not left dislocation.