O podcast de hoje é sobre a expressão figure out.
Transcrição
Hey, how’s it going? This is Ana Luiza with a new episode of the
inglesonline podcast. To download or just listen to other episodes and
download transcripts, go to inglesonline.com.br and click Podcast
Inglesonline.
So last week reader Gustavo wrote in and suggested a podcast topic: the expression figure out. He said that every time he’s watching a sitcom or
a movie, “figure out” pops up in the dialogue. And
you know what? That’s my experience as well. In all these years having
contact with English, I can tell you that “figure out” is probably one
of the expressions I hear the most often. 
So this episode is dedicated to giving you examples of how to use figure out. I’m gonna go for the most common ways I know to use this expression, OK?
OK. So just go ahead and think of something, some machine or piece of
equipment that you tried to use. You tried, unsuccessfully. When you tried to get it to do what it
was supposed to do, you weren’t able to.
Maybe it was that juicer you saw on that infomercial on TV. You
bought it, you paid a lot of money for it and now you’re trying to make
some delicious juice at home. But things turn out to be way
more complicated than you anticipated. And, you’re surprised! You know,
the woman in the infomercial put a whole pineapple into the juicer and
out of it came this clear, beautiful pineapple juice! You tried to do
the same, but your juice looks like dirty water and your kitchen is a
mess. There are pieces of pineapple all over the sink. Clearly, there’s
something wrong here.
You’ve read the manual, you’ve rewatched the infomercial on YouTube,
but it seems like you’re just not able to make decent pineapple juice.
So you can’t figure out how to use this juicer. You can’t figure out how
to make the juicer work. You could say “I can’t figure this juicer
out”. I can’t figure it out. Slowly: I can’t… figure… it… out. I can’t
figure it out. What does that mean? That means I can’t understand how it
works, I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong, I’ve been trying
different things to make it work for a while and nothing seems to work. I
can’t figure it out!
What’s your example of something you can’t figure out? There’s always
something that other people have repeatedly explained to you, and you
still can’t really understand. You get confused when you try to do it,
it’s like it doesn’t even make sense! You can’t figure it out. What’s
your example?
And the interesting thing is, we can use this expression for people as well.
Let’s say there’s someone in your office… a coworker. So one day this
person will say hello to you and ask how your weekend was, and then the
next day, he will just ignore you and it’s like you don’t even know each
other. You can’t figure this guy out. You have no idea why he does
that, what his motivations are… You can’t figure him out.
Or, let’s say one of your teachers in school seems to think your
answers to her questions in class are very intelligent, she says a lot
of nice things about you, so you’re very confident you’re going to do
well on the exams. But when you go check your grades, she has given you
an F. And she says that your answers weren’t clear and that you need to
learn how to express yourself. You can’t figure her out! What does she
want? You’re the same person she was complimenting in class. You didn’t
change your style. What happened? You can’t figure her out.
And, of course, when someone has finally understood how to solve a
problem, or how to make something work… They can say “I have figured
it out!” I have finally figured this out. Now I understand how this
works. Now I know what to do with it. I understand what it is for, and I
know how to work it. I’ve figured it out.
Here’s something very common in movies: one of the characters is going through some difficult times,
there’s something going on in his life and he doesn’t know what to do,
he’s feeling confused… And a friend says: “Don’t worry, we will figure
something out”. We’ll figure something out. That means, we will find a
solution, some solution. We will think of something. We’ll figure
something out. You know, something.
We’ll figure something out, or we will figure it out. We’ll figure it
out – IT is the problem, right? It’s the difficult situation you’re
talking about. We’ll figure it out. We’ll find a solution to this
problem, we’ll figure out what to do.
Alright, that’s it! Let us know what are the things you can’t figure
out yet. And if you were thinking about saying “English”, go easy on
yourself… It takes some time but you’re making progress without even
realizing it. Talk to you next time.
Key expressions
- I can’t figure this out
- I can’t figure him/her out
- I’ve figured it out
- We’ll figure something out
Glossary
pops up = aparece
you know what? = quer saber?
just go ahead = algo como ‘vá em frente’, ‘vamos lá’
more complicated than you anticipated = mais complicadas do que você esperava (anticipated tem mais o sentido de ‘previa’)
out of it came = dela (da máquina de suco) saiu
go easy on = pegue leve com
Bom dia Ana.
Gostaria apenas de expressar meus agradecimentos em bom portugues mesmo,pois tenho aprendido muito com seus Podcasts. Faço download de um por um, e tenho um pen drive cheinho deles. Junto com os Podcasts do Dr Jeff Mquilan, hoje ja consigo falar e entender 90 % do que ouço. Detalhe : Comecei mesmo estudar inglês há seis meses apenas e nunca frequentei escolas ou cursos de inglês.
Parabéns Aninha, e obrigado por deixar a nossa disposição todo o seu conhecimento.
Caso leia esse comentário e quiser me responder, poderia faze-lo no meu e-mail ?
Tenh uma ótima semana.
Marzio Oliveira
Hi Ana,
You’re completely right. I love watching sitcoms and “figure out” is an expression that they use a lot.
Talking about sitcoms. I’ve watched “The Big Bang Theory” and It’s so funny, but I’m tring to figure Penny out, because sometimes she seems that likes Leonard and other time she shows up with a new boyfriend. But no problem, I’ll keep watching and I’m sure I’ll figure her out.
Thank you for the podcast. Very usefull !
Hugs
Oh, yep! “Figure out” is so commom in sitcoms and books. I’m reading “Dear John” and I noticed that “figure out” pops up lots of times.
So, I can’t figure my boss out. He never lissen when we talk with him and always wanna things in him way. He is a difficult person to dealing with and I can’t figure him out the most of the time. I mean, he is a great manager and he did a lot of improves on the company but he doesn’t know how to deal with people.
p.s.: Ana, please, if I wrote something wrong, could you tell me?
Congrats again for your job here. I love your podcasts.
I can’t figure out the Relativity Theory! Can I say “I am figuring out the English language” ? See you later alligator!
Excelent!!
Thank you Ana Luiza!
Excelent!
Tem muitas coisas em inglês que para mim são “figure out”. Mas continuo aprendendo esta linguagem tão rica e universal…
Você tem contribuido para me auxiliar. Thank you Ana luiza
Hello there Ana Luiza, thanks for a lot of help, your podcast helps me so much!!
keep doing this execelent action !
see yo !
Zecca
very nice this website, to read and listen to the disciplines of English! very good!
CORRECTION:
This sentence: More complicated than you anticipated
Could be:
More complicated than you expected
Another doubt:
How would I say:
“Dar com os burros n’agua”
Tks
O loved your explanation. Thanks.
Thank you so much for this podcast it´s really important for us
Hi Ana Luiz:I’ve asked how would I say…Dar com os burros n’agua…
So…I can’t figure out how to learn all kinds of Phrasel verbs,some I’ve got them speaking or paying attention on movies,but others I really can’t figure them out!!!