2007-08-11 07:44:24 · 20 answers · asked by semivalue 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
If singular, why "God bless you." instead of "God blesses you."?
If plural, why "God is almightly" instead of "God are almightly."?
2007-08-11 08:03:52 · update #1
Singular. "Bless" in "God bless you" is subjunctive. The sentence is not trying to say "God blesses you" as if it were just a matter of fact. It's more acurately "May God bless you," but we tend to drop the "may." Subjunctive doesn't get used much these days in English, but you still find it in very old espressions: peace (or 'may the force'!) be with you, truth be told, long live the queen
2007-08-11 08:04:02 · answer #1 · answered by ooooo 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋
I agree. Lets try this slogan: Bird bless America. No that just does not sound right. I know, Hamster bless America. Nooo that does not ring a good tone either. My little brain is working here, I got it, we will change it completely around to something different like: "We Americans hate ignorance and are superior". That sounds good (better than Hamster Bless America) but I think it is a little to long for a slogan. I know, "We Americans hate Everyone and have swell Atheist". That's Perfect as it is to the point and has no hidden agendas. Do you not agree?
2016-05-19 23:01:03 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
g/God is neither singular nor plural. God is just g/God. The expression 'God bless you." is actually an incomplete sentence. It could mean "I direct God to bless you." or "I ask that God bless you." But in essence it just means "I think you deserve to be blessed by God."
And that's why it's not God blesses you. It is not describing what has happened or is happening or does happen. It is recommending what should happen.
2007-08-16 14:13:46 · answer #3 · answered by treebird 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
GOD bless you is short for May God bless you. This is a well wish for GOD's goodness to be imparted towards the object (you). Said all of that to say singular.
2007-08-11 11:27:37 · answer #4 · answered by Soul Flower 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The actual phrase is "May God Bless You".
So, it is singular, not plural.
Nowadays, people drop the ''may'' and just say "God Bless You".
Someone above gave the right answer, similar to mine.
2007-08-11 08:08:55 · answer #5 · answered by winterlotus 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it's singular and the reason for "bless" instead of blesses is because the person is asking for God to bless the person.
2007-08-18 18:00:25 · answer #6 · answered by possonian 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
both - but one or the other for more narrow minded people
but what you are really asking about here is verb-subject agreement
singular form is "is" - God is great.
plural form is "are" - Greek gods are great.
"God bless you" is used as a directive phrase - you are telling someone something
"God blesses you" means something else, which is easy to understand if you expand the statement to "God blesses you with many things."
P.S. make up your own mind about God and don't listen to anyone else
2007-08-11 10:02:28 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
God is not singular or plural or feminine or masculine. It is an 'IT', an entity not a person. Nothing with our form of world!
2007-08-18 14:20:08 · answer #8 · answered by kayneriend 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
people believe different things
Christians, Jews, and one more group that i don't remember all think that there is 1 god.
and then the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Indians, Some of the Asians, Native Americans, Africans, and all of the other groups in the world think that there is 2 or more gods.
hope that helps!!!
Snowboarder25
2007-08-19 05:01:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what religion you are. To christian God is a trinity, of God, the son[ jesus] and the holy spirit, yet those are all brough together to make one. So he's a singular.
2007-08-11 07:55:22 · answer #10 · answered by Ally... 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋