Naive

Xatufan   Friday, August 13, 2004, 01:04 GMT
In my dictionary it says that you can say "naive or naïve, also naif or naïf".

I will start saying "naïf", because as my dictionary says "naïf" is the least spoken of 'em all.

It has less "clients" or "customers", so I will start using that word. If I don't, the word will be sad, because I didn't choose it.

Will people understand me if I say naïf or naif, instead of naive?
Xatufan   Friday, August 13, 2004, 01:06 GMT
I'm sorry for the weird words, "naïf" is "naif" with the two points above the "i".
Random Chappie   Friday, August 13, 2004, 01:34 GMT
Sorry, but I don't understand.

I usually say nah-EEF (referring to a boy/man) or nah-EEV (referring to a girl/woman).
Ailian   Friday, August 13, 2004, 03:51 GMT
Native speakers should be able to understand you, if only because of context clues. Most native speakers can make out words from hearing just a few sounds (they're remarkably resilient like that!). As for non-native speakers, who knows? I know some who are able to understand people speaking broken English or English with a strong accent and non-standard pronunciation and those who are unable to understand anyone but those with similar accents and the "neutral" American and/or British accents yet nothing outside.
Mi5 Mick   Friday, August 13, 2004, 05:45 GMT
I never use "naif" in English; always "naive". It's like how many people never use "actress" but "actor" for both males and females.
Damian   Friday, August 13, 2004, 07:38 GMT
[nai'i:v] at all times, irrespective of gender
Random Chappie   Friday, August 13, 2004, 18:47 GMT
I know, I know. I'm just an odd stickler for French grammar and pronunciation when it comes to French words in English. It's been a long time since I last wrote "bureaus"; I always write "bureaux" now.
Xatufan   Saturday, August 14, 2004, 01:59 GMT
I have a similar example: blond(e). What are the differences between "blond" and "blonde"?
mjd   Saturday, August 14, 2004, 04:13 GMT
Blond: male

Blonde: female
CG   Saturday, August 14, 2004, 13:54 GMT
I get really annoyed with publishers who don't pay attention to these things. The amount of times I have found sentences like "he had blonde hair". AAAAh.
Mr. Correct 'em   Saturday, August 14, 2004, 22:15 GMT
number of times
Ailian   Sunday, August 15, 2004, 22:50 GMT
CG, that annoys me as well. ;) And his use of "amount of times" in that sentence sounds perfectly natural in my dialect, Mr Correct 'em.
Random Chappie   Monday, August 16, 2004, 06:21 GMT
What's your dialect, Ailian? (And here I was thinking that you were a Chinese man from Beijing; silly me!)