Andrés
Kind of What's the function of "kind of" in these sentences? -"I just kind of started getting more engaged in the political atmosphere." -"I kind of took the perspective that I don’t think it’s responsible for me to bring a child into this world.” Thank you for helping
Sep 2, 2019 4:07 PM
Answers · 12
2
Hi Andres, "Kind of" makes the action less intense or more casual in these sentences. "I [verb]" might sound too definite and strong, so speakers soften it to "I kind of/kinda [verb]". It says that you don't fully or very formally do something.
September 2, 2019
1
kind of = somewhat
September 2, 2019
1
The usual use of “kind of” is that described by Irene. I kind of like Jim. I kind of like chocolate. In your examples, it’s a way of saying that what follows isn’t exact. It’s an approximation of what I did or felt. Maybe I don’t want to describe things more clearly, or maybe I’m just not capable of doing so. When I was drinking, I kind of gave up on my hope to get the promotion.
September 2, 2019
1
“Kind of” makes the action or the outcome less important than it would be without saying “kind of “. I hope it helps, :)
September 2, 2019
1
It means "I recognize that this is a complicated topic, but I'm just going to discuss it in a simplified and perhaps slightly incorrect way." If you ask me: "Why don't you ever go to that restaurant?" I might answer "Because I disagree with the chef's political views, and the culinary style doesn't match the aesthetics of the decor. However, I feel uneasy about not going there, because the waiter is friends with my sister." OR, I could just say "Oh, you know, I just kind of don't like it." Adding "kind of" means "I am able to talk about this in more detail, but I'd rather not."
September 2, 2019
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!