To encourage my students asking questions if they don't understand something I always tell them "There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers".
So, bearing that in mind ... :-) I always thought you should use the word "overseas" for a place over the sea or ocean.
As I checked it at the website of Wikipedia however, I read:
" Overseas, meaning literally a place over a sea, is synonymous in some countries with the word international. For example, someone in New York City might consider Toronto overseas, even though they are on the same continent. "
So, it should be correct to say: I live in Bangkok but I work overseas in Laos.
Or not? It doesn't sound correct to me.
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To me overseas indicates some ocean must be involved. I would not say you go overseas to Laos.
Too long in Exile, too long not singing my song.
Too long like a rolling stone, Too long in exile
Too long in Exile, baby you just arent my friend.
Too long in Exile my friend, Baby you can never go home again.
Missle Command Champion!I believe that I read a quote once from Britney Spears about her going overseas to somewhere in Canada. If you are a Britney lover, by all means use it that way.
:-) Yes, I thought so, my Thai students though think it means the same as abroad, so you could use it when talking about Laos or Cambodia or ...
I told them that would be incorrect, but when you look it up ...
I just checked it again in the Cambridge dictionary. Overseas: coming from another country. Another online dictionary says it means the same as abroad.
So... ?
Abroad is a synonym for 'overseas' so they do have similar meanings. 'Overseas' is a contraction for 'Over the seas'. 'Abroad' makes no reference to 'sea'.
Both words mean 'outside your native country (or country of residence)'. I would only use those words in non-country specific sentences. Whilst it may appear correct to say "I live in Bangkok but I work overseas/abroad in Laos." but you are using superfluous words - Laos is not in Thailand so it must be outside. "I live in Bangkok but I work in Laos."
You could qualify a statement that contains abroad - "Most of my clients are from abroad, they come from (names of certain countries)."
Which Google search has the most hits? It could indicate which was in popular use.Originally Posted by erwin64
I'm not going to stand up in class and say "I've been a broad." The kids might get the wrong impression.
overseas.
I believe, is a British word, because Britain is an island.
Let's just say it meand abroad or in a foreign nation.
Overseas means across an ocean. And more specifically - to a large land mass.
You wouldn't, for instance, say you were going overseas to Hawaii. It's just a tiny pimple in the Pacific ocean.
And you certainly wouldn't say overseas when you were just crossing a land border.
Overseas means over the sea.
ลาน้องก่อน พี่จนถึงต้องจำจาก, ถึงแม้พี่จะหลงรัก ฐานะพาพราก ต้องจากจอมใจ
ถ้าหากมั่งมี แล้วพี่จะคืนมาใหม่, ไม่ว่าจะอยู่แห่งไหน จะนานเท่าไร ยังไม่ลืมบาง...
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If they have gone to Lao wouldn't you just say he's gone over the boarder ?
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Up to you
Last edited by re_fuse; 28th January 2008 at 03:44. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
What's the size of the destination have to do with whether it is abroad or overseas? If I was an American and going to Hawaii I wouldn't use "overseas" because it has the connotation that I'm traveling over an ocean to another country.
If I was Australian and going to Hawaii, I would use it.
AO was the first poster that had it right. "Overseas" denotes travel over an ocean. While "abroad" can be used whether the travel outside of one's country is taken over land or over water, "overseas" is not synonymous for "abroad", it should only be used if travel is over an ocean.
I agree with Benedict on that it could be mainly a British thing because Britain is an island.
I think that their is a historical angle to it. Not that far back, not as many people actually travelled abroad except in the military. Certainly when I was in the forces if you were posted to a foreign country it was referred to as an 'overseas posting'.
I think you'll find though that, with more people travelling now, the term is largely archaic and most people would say 'I've been abroad for my holidays' rather than overseas.
This did actually crop up a couple of weeks ago with one of my uni groups. I simply pointed to a map of the world and the UK and pointed out that, in order to go anywhere, we had to cross a sea or ocean.
They got the idea easily enough.
What happens in the boarding house stays in the boarding house...
There are few problems in life that cannot be solved with toast.
One of them, however, is opening a can of corned beef with that stupid key. This cannot easily be done at the best of times, and toast is of surprisingly little use in resolving the issue.
mmm ... I guess the explanation Benedict XVI gives solves the problem. Thanks.
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