Use of " just ".

Question

I think the word ' just ' often is used in a correct way. But specially in U.S. Is a not necessary redundance.

Example: " The use of just with exactly (it's just exactly what they want) is redundant and should be avoided: it's exactly what they want ". - igual2, Mar 13, 2013

Answer 1

Just has several meanings. Even in cases where it is somewhat redundant (and could validly be left off) it still plays a role in that it emphasizes.

This is the case in your first example. ¨it's just exactly what they want¨

You are correct in that one doesn´t need to say just on top of exactly, but it does emphasize. It lets the reader know that exactly truly means exactly, and is not just hyperbole. In fact, I will say that of the two possibly redundant words there, I might very well choose to leave out exactly. p.ej. Wow, it´s just the right size!

In your other case (Just going to bed) it could mean two things.

Petersenkid2 correctly points out that it could mean just, in the sense of only, or solamente.

The other possibility for just here, and the one that seems more likely to me, has a completely different meaning, and refers to time. Just in this case can be like adding mismo to ahora. It emphasizes the moment. I was just going to bed, when I heard a knock at the door. I was just leaving work when the phone rang again. I just arrived, as in Acabo de llegar.

There´s at least a 3rd case where we can say ¨We had just enough cake for everyone¨ which really means ¨We had barely enough¨ I think this is closest to Spanish´s ¨apenas¨

So, those are all examples that I hope help a bit. In general, yes, it can be redundant, just like very or muy, but it not totally redundant, and in general, is a common way to emphasize.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

En el caso de "I'm just going to bed", el uso de la palabra "just" no es una redundancia innecesaria. Indica que no estoy haciendo nada mas que ir a la cama. Usualmente es usada como una respuesta.

En mi opinión, en Español, puede ser un sinonimo de "simplemente" o "solamente".

Ejemplos: What are you doing? I'm going to bed.

Sencilla... pregunta / respuesta.

What are you doing? I'm just going to bed.

Mas complicada... como no te preocupes. no estoy haciendo nada. no me acuses de hacer algo malo, solamente voy a la cama.

Por supuesto, el tono es importante aqui tambien.

Answer 3

Another note on Just, which is much more subtle, but maybe worth understanding in English.

Stylistically, and emotionally, we often use it, along with the present progressive to communicate that we´re either being inconvenienced, or interrupted in some way.

For instance, if one is going to bed, or maybe has just gone to bed, and one receives an unwelcome phone call and would really prefer not to talk long and actually go to sleep, they might answer ¨Oh, hello, I was just going to bed¨

Similarly, if I´m in the process of closing my shop today, and I stupidly answer the phone one more time because I think it´s an important customer calling, but it turns out to be some annoying sales person or somewhat annoying customer, I might signal to them that I won´t be wanting the conversation to be long, by saying. Oh, I was just closing. or Oh, I was just leaving.

In both of those cases, one is emphasizing the moment explicitly, and implicitly letting the other party know that they are interrupting, and so they might want to not blather on for an hour.

Again, hope that helps.

I think that when you use it in the past tense, it is more likely to refer to time. "I was just going to bed when..." "I am just going to bed." In the present tense, I don't think the time element is there. - petersenkid2, Mar 15, 2013

Answer 4

Replanteo la pregunta con algunos ejemplos. Si lo que digo es: voy a la cama, supongo que es correcto traducirlo así: I'm going to bed. Pero con frecuencia oigo y leo: I'm just going to bed. Eso me parece una redundancia innecesaria. What do you think about it? But: What do you think just about it? Really? ¿Cambia el significado de la frase? How?