"Is your electric fan cool enough?"

[GoodTaste]

Son: I want an air conditioner in my room, mom.
Mom: Is your electric fan cool enough?
Son: Yes, but...
Mom: Later perhaps. Our economy is tight, you know.

Source: English scenario making practice by me.


The question here is where the expression "Is your electric fan cool enough?" sounds natural in English? How do you native English speakers say this? "Electri fan" sounds too formal to me.

 

[tedmc]

Son: I want an air conditioner in my room, mom.
Mom: Isn't your electric fan cool enough?
Son: Yes, but...
Mom: Later perhaps. Our [STRIKE]economy is[/STRIKE] finances are tight, you know.

Source: English scenario making practice by me.


The question here is [STRIKE]where [/STRIKE] whether the expression "Is your electric fan cool enough?" sounds natural in English? How do you native English speakers say this? "Electric fan" sounds too formal to me.

Electric fan is fine. How else do you call it?

 

[GoodTaste]

Native speakers have a lot of fancy ways to call it. You just don't know.

Why doesn't "economy" work there?

 

[tedmc]

Native speakers have a lot of fancy ways to call it. You just don't know.

Why doesn't "economy" work there?

Economy is the financial state of a country or a region rather than of people/a family.

 

[GoodTaste]

Economy is the financial state of a country or a region rather than of people/a family.

That is simply a very basic definition of the word economy.

In "our economy is tight", the word simply means "saving(s)".

 

[tedmc]

That is simply a very basic definition of the word economy.

In "our economy is tight", the word simply means "saving(s)".

I know where you are coming from in using the word "economy" for people. It works in Chinese but, unfortunately, not in English. Don't ask me why.

 

[GoesStation]

Is your electric fan cool enough? ≈ "Do we have to put it in the fridge for a while because its motor is overheating?"

 

[Tdol]

And Ted is right to make the question negative. It's sweaty in Tokyo at the moment and I use a fan rather than air-con. My mum would ask whether this wasn't enough.