impersonal
gb/ɪmpˈɚsənəl/ us/ɪmpˈɚsənəl/
B2
Engels
személytelen
B2
1
személytelen
B2
Gebruikspatroon:
[someone]'s/[something]'s manner/tone is impersonal
His reply was polite but impersonal, as if he were writing to a stranger.
A válasza udvarias volt, de személytelen, mintha egy idegennek írna.
The meeting felt impersonal, with everyone reading from prepared notes.
Az értekezlet személytelennek hatott, mindenki előre megírt jegyzetekből olvasott fel.
She disliked the impersonal way the staff spoke to patients.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
The email sounded impersonal.
Az e-mail személytelennek hangzott.
The service was quick but impersonal.
A kiszolgálás gyors volt, de személytelen.
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners may confuse impersonal with 'unimportant'; it usually means 'not warm' or 'not human/individual'.
Betekenis
not warm or friendly
Woordcombinaties
an impersonal manner
|an impersonal tone
|an impersonal response
|an impersonal relationship
|impersonal communication
|impersonal treatment
|an impersonal approach
|an impersonal atmosphere
|impersonal service
|an impersonal style
Synoniemen
cold (Stronger emotional sense; suggests lack of warmth.)
|
distant (Focuses on emotional distance, not necessarily rudeness.)
|
detached (Suggests not emotionally involved.)
Antoniemen
warm (Shows friendliness and caring.)
|
friendly (Actively kind and welcoming.)
Thema's
emotions
|relationships
|communication
Definitie
cold and not friendly, as if you do not care about the person
Not showing personal feelings, interest, or warmth; emotionally distant in manner or tone.
B2
2
személytelen
B2
Gebruikspatroon:
an impersonal remark/comment/criticism/decision
His comments were meant to be impersonal, but she still felt criticized.
A megjegyzéseit nem személyesnek szánta, de a nő mégis úgy érezte, bírálják.
The letter was an impersonal notice sent to all tenants.
A levél egy minden bérlőnek kiküldött, személytelen értesítés volt.
Try to keep your feedback impersonal and focus on the work.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
It was an impersonal announcement for everyone.
Ez egy mindenkinek szóló, személytelen bejelentés volt.
Please keep your criticism impersonal.
Kérlek, a kritikád maradjon személytelen.
Veelgemaakte fout:
Impulsive confusion with 'anonymous': impersonal can be general even when the speaker is known.
Betekenis
not aimed at one person
Woordcombinaties
an impersonal remark
|impersonal criticism
|an impersonal comment
|an impersonal rejection
|an impersonal decision
|an impersonal policy
|an impersonal rule
|an impersonal message
|impersonal advice
|an impersonal statement
Synoniemen
general (Emphasizes broad applicability rather than lack of feeling.)
|
nonpersonal (Directly contrasts with 'personal'; common in business contexts.)
Antoniemen
personal (Directed at a particular person or involving personal feelings.)
|
targeted (Aimed at a specific person or group.)
Thema's
communication
|social_issues
Definitie
about people in general, not about one specific person
Not directed at or intended for a particular person; general rather than personal.
B2
3
személytelen
B2
Gebruikspatroon:
an impersonal system/process/service
The complaints process is impersonal and hard to navigate.
A panaszkezelési folyamat személytelen, és nehéz eligazodni benne.
Online banking can feel impersonal compared with talking to a teller.
Az online bankolás személytelennek tűnhet ahhoz képest, amikor az ember egy ügyintézővel beszél.
He found corporate life too impersonal and left to join a small team.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
The website support is impersonal.
A weboldal ügyfélszolgálata személytelen.
I prefer a more personal service.
Én személyesebb kiszolgálást preferálok.
Betekenis
from a system, not a person
Woordcombinaties
an impersonal system
|an impersonal process
|impersonal bureaucracy
|an impersonal corporation
|an impersonal workplace
|an impersonal office
|impersonal customer service
|an impersonal call center
|an impersonal platform
|impersonal online service
Synoniemen
bureaucratic (Emphasizes rules and procedures rather than human care.)
|
faceless (Highlights anonymity and lack of identifiable people.)
Antoniemen
personalized (Tailored to an individual.)
|
human (Emphasizes direct human contact and empathy.)
Thema's
business
|technology
|daily_life
Definitie
not personal because it is done by a large system or technology
Characterized by a lack of personal contact or individual attention, especially in services, organizations, or technology-based processes.
C1
TECHNICAL
4
személytelen
C1
Gebruikspatroon:
an impersonal verb/clause/construction
In “It seems that we’re late,” the clause uses an impersonal construction with dummy it.
Az „It seems that we’re late” mondatban a tagmondat személytelen szerkezetet használ formális it alannyal.
Some languages allow impersonal verbs that do not take a personal subject.
Egyes nyelvekben vannak olyan személytelen igék, amelyek nem vesznek fel személyes alanyt.
Teachers often use impersonal sentences to keep explanations general.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
“It is raining” is an impersonal sentence.
Az „It is raining” személytelen mondat.
“It seems” uses an impersonal subject.
Az „It seems” személytelen alanyt használ.
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners may think 'impersonal' means 'rude' in grammar contexts; here it is a technical label about sentence structure.
Betekenis
not having a real subject
Woordcombinaties
impersonal verb
|impersonal construction
|impersonal clause
|impersonal sentence
|impersonal subject
|impersonal expression
|dummy it
|anticipatory it
|existential there
|impersonal form
Synoniemen
subjectless (Often used informally in grammar discussion; not always strictly accurate.)
Antoniemen
personal (In grammar, explicitly refers to a person or grammatical person.)
Thema's
language
|grammar
|education
Definitie
in grammar, used without a real subject like a person
In grammar, describing a verb, clause, or construction that does not refer to a specific person and often has no real subject (commonly using a dummy subject like it or there).
B2
FORMAL
5
személytelen
C1
Gebruikspatroon:
an impersonal style/tone/voice
The report uses an impersonal style to sound more objective.
A jelentés személytelen stílust használ, hogy tárgyilagosabbnak hasson.
Try to keep the tone impersonal when writing formal complaints.
Igyekezz személytelen hangnemet megütni, amikor hivatalos panaszlevelet írsz.
Academic writing often sounds impersonal because it avoids “I.”
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
The essay is written in an impersonal style.
A dolgozat személytelen stílusban íródott.
Don’t use “I” if you need an impersonal tone.
Ne használd az „I” szót, ha személytelen hangnemre van szükség.
Betekenis
avoiding I and you in writing
Woordcombinaties
an impersonal style
|an impersonal tone
|an impersonal voice
|impersonal language
|impersonal writing
|impersonal phrasing
|academic impersonal style
|an impersonal report
|an impersonal statement
|impersonal passive
Synoniemen
objective (Focuses on facts rather than personal opinions; may still be personal in grammar.)
|
formal (Broader than impersonal; includes politeness and convention.)
Antoniemen
personal (Uses I/we and personal experience or opinions.)
|
conversational (Sounds like everyday speech and addresses the reader directly.)
Thema's
education
|writing
|academic
Definitie
written in a neutral way, without saying I or you
Using a neutral, objective style that avoids referring directly to the writer or reader (often using passive voice or third-person wording).
Grammatica
Lemmavorm
impersonal
IPA
GB/ɪmpˈɚsənəl/
US/ɪmpˈɚsənəl/
Lettergrepen en klemtoon
im - per - son - al (4 lettergrepen)
Stress on 2nd syllable (per)
Woordvormen
Adjective
- Base: impersonal
Woordfamilie
Uitdrukkingen
impersonal it
1/ɪmpˈɚsənəl ˈɪt/
fixed phrase
technical
dummy it without real meaning
“it” used as a subject with no real meaning
Voorbeelden
- The “it” in “It’s snowing” is sometimes called impersonal it.
- We use impersonal it in time expressions like “It’s late.”
- In class, they practiced rewriting sentences that use impersonal it.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
- In “It’s cold,” “it” is impersonal it.
- We often use impersonal it for weather.
impersonal passive
1/ɪmpˈɚsənəl pˈæsɪv/
fixed phrase
technical
passive with dummy subject
a passive form that doesn’t say who did it
Voorbeelden
- The notice uses an impersonal passive: “It has been decided that parking will be restricted.”
- Writers sometimes choose an impersonal passive to avoid blaming anyone directly.
- In some varieties of English, impersonal passives are more common in formal announcements.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
- The sign uses an impersonal passive.
- Impersonal passives are common in formal rules.
impersonal pronoun
1/ɪmpˈɚsənəl pɹˈoʊnaʊn/
fixed phrase
technical
pronoun used generally, not personally
a pronoun that means “people in general,” not one person
Voorbeelden
- In English, “you” is often used as an impersonal pronoun, as in “You never know what will happen.”
- Some languages use different words specifically as impersonal pronouns.
- The teacher asked students to replace “I” with an impersonal pronoun to make the statement more general.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
- “You” can be an impersonal pronoun.
- An impersonal pronoun means people in general.
impersonal style
1/ɪmpˈɚsənəl stˈaɪl/
fixed phrase
formal
formal writing without I/you
a formal style that doesn’t say I or you
Voorbeelden
- Many universities recommend an impersonal style in lab reports.
- The editor changed several sentences to an impersonal style to make the article sound more objective.
- If you want an impersonal style, you can use passive voice in some sentences.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
- Please write in an impersonal style.
- This report uses an impersonal style.
impersonal verb
1/ɪmpˈɚsənəl vˈɚb/
fixed phrase
technical
verb without a personal subject
a verb used without a real person as the subject
Voorbeelden
- In “It is raining,” the verb phrase is often described as impersonal.
- Some grammar books call “seem” an impersonal verb in sentences like “It seems that she’s right.”
- The lesson compared personal and impersonal verbs across several languages.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
- “It is raining” uses an impersonal verb.
- Some languages have many impersonal verbs.