English is not my first language. I am confused between
Can we go there?
and
Can we go over there?
According to a Google Translate translation of both, the sentences mean the same. So why should one ever use 'over'?
vocabulary
English is not my first language. I am confused between
Can we go there?
and
Can we go over there?
According to a Google Translate translation of both, the sentences mean the same. So why should one ever use 'over'?
Best Answer
Some languages, such as Japanese or Spanish, have three pronouns for location to mean here, there, and some distance farther away. English does not. Along with other expressions, "over there" can fill in for the pronoun that means "farther away", at least in terms of visible physical distance.
Which is to say, when talking about physical distances (usually with locations that are visible from where you stand) "over there" may imply a greater distance than using "there" by itself.
The challenge is that "there" can also be used for figurative distances, so by itself it doesn't mean "relatively close". Example:
Furthermore, "over there" can also imply crossing over some object or barrier, such as the Atlantic Ocean:
Here "over" not only implies greater distance, but also that you have to cross over the ocean to get there.
To make things more confusing, sometimes "over there" simply emphasizes the direction of the location:
Anyway, this is probably not a comprehensive list of all the possible meanings for "over there". You may have to judge what the speaker means from context. Also, it is not the only possible expression to indicate distance or direction, as "out there", "up there", "down there", and various others can also mean the same thing.