# to take a bath vs to bathe



## takiakos76

Hi!

Is there any difference in meaning between "to bathe" and "to take a bath"? 
(I mean the intransitive use here.)

To me it vaguely feels like it sounds slightly better to say "we bathed in the lake" than "we took a bath in the lake" if it's not about washing ourselves with soap, but simply hanging out in the water, throwing a ball to or splashing water at each other, etc.

Or do they actually mean absolutely the same?


Thanks,
Akos


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## Andygc

Hi Akos

This has been discussed before, and there are AE/BE differences. See

bath / bathe
bath/bathe (bathes-bathing-bathed)
to swim/to bathe/to have a bath


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## entangledbank

They are quite distinct, and you have the distinction right. Having a bath (BrE) and taking a bath (AmE) involve soap, a hot water tap, a flannel, and possibly a little rubber duck and some bath salts, and it's done at home. Bathing (from the verb 'bathe') is at the beach or in a lake. However, we could say Cleopatra bathed in asses' milk: it can be used for having a bath in a sufficiently old-fashioned context.

_cross-posted_: in fact, I think I contributed to one of those other posts


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## takiakos76

Andygc said:


> Hi Akos
> 
> This has been discussed before, and their are AE/BE differences. See
> 
> bath / bathe
> bath/bathe (bathes-bathing-bathed)
> to swim/to bathe/to have a bath



Yes, I had searched them through, but neither seemed to discuss *exactly* this difference, but rather get tangled up in discussions about the "to bath [BE] / to bathe [AE]" difference and other minutiae.

Anyway, what's still not clear (even after engtangledbank's answer) is: when you say "I'll *bathe* in the lake" -- does that sound old-fashioned (as the other articles seem to suggest), or normal everyday English?

I know you two are British, but does anyone know about any BE/AE differences *in this regard*?


Thanks!


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## Florentia52

I agree with entangledbank, except that an AE speaker would use a washcloth and not a flannel.


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## sdgraham

takiakos76 said:


> when you say "I'll *bathe* in the lake" -- does that sound old-fashioned



If you mean "go swimming," very much so .... if it ever was used that way. (AE)

One still wears "bathing suits," however.


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## Andygc

takiakos76 said:


> Yes, I had searched them through, but neither seemed to discuss *exactly* this difference, but rather get tangled up in discussions about the "to bath [BE] / to bathe [AE]" difference and other minutiae.
> 
> Anyway, what's still not clear (even after engtangledbank's answer) is: when you say "I'll *bathe* in the lake" -- does that sound old-fashioned (as the other articles seem to suggest), or normal everyday English?
> 
> I know you two are British, but does anyone know about any BE/AE differences *in this regard*?
> 
> 
> Thanks!


I'll bathe in the lake is archaic BE for to go for a swim in the lake. Similarly, bathing costumes and bathing trunks are now swimming costumes and swimming trunks. I don't think I've heard anybody much under 85 use bathe rather than swim.


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## Keith Bradford

But the present participle of *bathe *can still be used in as a noun.  _I enjoy sun-bathing...  This is a resort famous for its safe bathing_...  Pronounced "bathe-ing", i.e. a long "a" as in "bay".


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## Andygc

Yes Keith. We've been round the 'bathing' buoy before with our AE friends, and I know I've posted previously about the 'Bathing Water Directive'. However I was very surprised to find this





> The Seaside Awards have been running for a number of years now and are recognised by tourists as a clean and safe place to visit and bathe.


on the Allerdale Borough Council website - http://www.allerdale.gov.uk/environment-and-waste/seaside-awards.aspx . The grammar is deplorable, but for them to use 'bathe' for 'swim' is remarkable. On the other hand, both the gerund and the participle 'bathing' are used quite a lot - several seaside resorts talk about bathing.

The News Post Leader http://www.newspostleader.co.uk/new...-care-near-rivers-lakes-and-seaside-1-6657913


> Some of the region’s beaches are staffed by Royal National Lifeboat Institute Lifeguards this summer with safe bathing areas clearly marked with flags on the beach.


Southend http://www.southend.gov.uk/news/article/148/southend_beaches_awarded_seaside_awards


> This recognises and rewards beaches in England that achieve the highest standards of beach management and, in the case of bathing beaches, meet mandatory water quality.


Dorset  http://www.visit-dorset.com/things-to-do/beaches


> The soft golden sands and safe bathing waters make Weymouth a fabulous family holiday destination.


Restormel Lodge Hotel http://www.bw-restormellodgehotel.co.uk/attractions/seasidedestinations/


> Daymer Bay is a good place to sunbathe and is popular with families owing to its relatively safe bathing.


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## takiakos76

sdgraham said:


> If you mean "go swimming," very much so .... if it ever was used that way. (AE)



And what do you say if you don't actually swim? (E.g., you just sit around in the shallow water, talking, splashing water, jumping in the water, etc.)


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## Keith Bradford

takiakos76 said:


> And what do you say if you don't actually swim? ...



That's _bathing _too (from _bathe_).  I don't think the grammar police check on your swimming skills.


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## takiakos76

Keith Bradford said:


> That's _bathing _too (from _bathe_).  I don't think the grammar police check on your swimming skills.



Sorry for my being so thick, but is that archaic use or not then? It's still not clear. My assumptions:
- It's old-fashioned if you actually refer to swimming, but not if swimming itself is not involved (just being in the water)
and/or(?)
- No matter what the meaning, it's old fashioned in US English, and there you say "go swimming" even if you don't actually swim?

Thanks!


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## Keith Bradford

I'll let Americans speak for themselves, but in BE _bathe _isn't archaic, just less common than _swim_.  Perhaps it's because nowadays more and more people have actually learnt to swim, and take their baths at home?  So the word _bathe _has become a little orphaned ????


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## Andygc

I disagree, Keith.  I think it is very unusual to see the verb used to mean 'swim' other than as the present participle (as an adjective) or gerund. I don't think it at all likely that you will hear "we bathed yesterday" or "he was bathing in the sea". 'Bathe' is certainly well-used in other contexts: sunbathe, as you have already said, and, for example, "Attila was bathed in blood."

I do, however, agree that if a seaside resort advertises its 'safe bathing' that includes paddling, sitting and generally having fun in the water.


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## natkretep

takiakos76 said:


> And what do you say if you don't actually swim? (E.g., you just sit around in the shallow water, talking, splashing water, jumping in the water, etc.)


I would say _paddle. _From our dictionary:


> *paddle​2* /ˈpædəl/
> vb (mainly intr)
> 
> to walk or play barefoot in shallow water, mud, etc
> to dabble the fingers, hands, or feet in water


I think _bathe_​ to mean 'swim' is old fashioned.


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## Keith Bradford

Perhaps it's a question of geography.  The beach I just drove past this morning is so shallow, you'd have to wade out half a mile in order to swim properly, but that doesn't stop adults and children enjoying themselves up to their thighs in water. So I'd say "there were lots of people bathing".  _Paddling _means no deeper than their knees (note the repeated use of _foot _in the dictionary quote).

But look, if you don't want to use the word _bathe_, Natkretep, I certainly shan't force you.


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## Roymalika

Hi,

There is a water canal near my house. There's summer going on in my country nowadays. I usually go to that canal to *have(take) a bath/to bathe *to feel cool in the scorching heat of summer.

I don't swim. I just sit in the water - in the way I am half-sink. I rinse my body with water. I don't use soap.

Is it correct to use either "to have(take) a bath" or "to bathe" in this case, please?


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## london calling

Not if you don't wash yourself or swim. You just go to the canal to sit in the water and cool down.


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## Keith Bradford

I usually go to that canal to *have(take) a bath  /to bathe  *to feel cool in the scorching heat of summer.

If you don't use soap you're almost certainly not taking a bath. 

I wouldn't agree with LondonCalling on the "swim" aspect: many bathers aren't swimmers, see #16.  But clearly some people think that "bathe" sounds old-fashioned without offering a handy modern synonym.


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## Roymalika

london calling said:


> Not if you don't wash yourself


But I did say I wash myself: I rinse(clean) my body only with water. I don't use soap.


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## london calling

Roymalika said:


> But I did say I wash myself: I rinse(clean) my body only with water. I don't use soap.


Ok, then 'bathe' works for me, but not 'take a bath'.


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## Roymalika

Keith Bradford said:


> If you don't use soap you're almost certainly not taking a bath.





london calling said:


> but not 'take a bath'.


For "to take a bath", are the following conditions necessary?
1) using a soap 2) being at home


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## london calling

Roymalika said:


> For "to take bath",


_To take bath is_ incorrect.


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## Roymalika

london calling said:


> _To take bath is_ incorrect.


I was editing my post as you replied. Can you please see my post again?


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## london calling

Taking a bath involves sitting in a bath-tub, not a canal.


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## Roymalika

london calling said:


> Taking a bath involves sitting in a bath-tub, not a canal.


Is the bathtub necessary for "taking a bath"? Here we don't use bathtubs. We sit under the tap of water in the bathroom, and clean our body using a soap.


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## london calling

That isn't 'taking a bath' in BE.


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## kentix

Bathe is not commonly used that way in AE. I don't know what to call what you do. It's not really swimming, it's definitely not paddling, which in AE is a swimming stroke. If you're not floating you're not paddling. Maybe you're just relaxing and cooling off in the water.


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## Roymalika

london calling said:


> That isn't 'taking a bath' in BE.


So there are two conditions for "taking a bath" in BE?
- using a soap 
- using a bathtub


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## natkretep

In BrE, you _have a bath_ or you _take a bath_ in a bath (or bathtub - in BrE this is more often just called a _bath_ than a _bathtub_). Soap is not obligatory. Some people put in bubble bath.

In BrE, you can also _bathe_ in a river or the sea or a lake or a pool, if you immerse yourself in water and maybe swim as well. I'm not sure what AmE speakers would say. Can you just say playing in the river?


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## Roymalika

natkretep said:


> In BrE, you _have a bath_ or you _take a bath_ in a bath (or bathtub - in BrE this is more often just called a _bath_ than a _bathtub_). Soap is not obligatory. Some people put in bubble bath.
> 
> In BrE, you can also _bathe_ in a river or the sea or a lake or a pool, if you immerse yourself in water and maybe swim as well. I'm not sure what AmE speakers would say. Can you just say playing in the river?


Thanks for answering,
Does "to bathe" work in this situation (post#26):



> Here we don't use bathtubs. We sit under the tap of water in the bathroom, and clean our body using a soap.


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## Myridon

Roymalika said:


> Thanks for answering,
> Does "to bathe" work in this situation (post#26):


I really can't picture it.  This is what "tap of water in the bathroom" means to me.  Other than the bathtub and the shower, we have small sinks.


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## Roymalika

Myridon said:


> I really can't picture it.  This is what "tap of water in the bathroom" means to me.  Other than the bathtub and the shower, we have small sinks.
> 
> View attachment 60026


See this picture please:

Replace "shower(device)" with the water tap, and imagine the person is sitting instead of standing. This the situation I'm talking about.


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## Myridon

You're taking a shower even though you are seated. The "shower device" is just a fancy tap.


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## Roymalika

Myridon said:


> You're taking a shower even though you are seated. The "shower device" is just a fancy tap.


But can I just say that the child is _bathing_? (I'm talking about the situation I described in #33)


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## Myridon

No, bathing means "swimming" or "in a bath tub" - at least partially immersed in water. The person in the picture is showering. 
(For what it's worth, I'd say that's a fully grown man.)


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## JulianStuart

Roymalika said:


> But can I just say that the child is _bathing_? (I'm talking about the situation I described in #33)


It is quite possible that in Indian English, the word "bathe" _is_ used as you suggest, but the posts indicate (and I agree) that it is not used that way in British or American English.


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## natkretep

An Indian friend has reminded me of the different washing arrangements in India, and how _bath_ and _bathe_ have been generalised in South Asia to refer to washing one's body. The same word would be used in Indian languages to refer to Western-style and Indian-style washing. So these pictures would illustrate 'bathing' in India, whether in the open or in the bathroom.









None of these would count as _having/taking a bath_ in BrE or AmE, but they would in IndE. A more general term like washing oneself might need to be used in non-Indian contexts.


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## Roymalika

natkretep said:


> An Indian friend has reminded me of the different washing arrangements in India, and how _bath_ and _bathe_ have been generalised in South Asia to refer to washing one's body. The same word would be used in Indian languages to refer to Western-style and Indian-style washing. So these pictures would illustrate 'bathing' in India, whether in the open or in the bathroom.
> View attachment 60061
> View attachment 60062
> View attachment 60060
> None of these would count as _having/taking a bath_ in BrE or AmE, but they would in IndE. A more general term like washing oneself might need to be used in non-Indian contexts.


Thanks for answering,
Could you please tell me what "bathing" is in BE? Should a person be partially immersed in water in order to be "bathing", as Myridon (AE) says above? If yes, can I say that the person (in your third picture) is "bathing", as he is in the water?


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## Glasguensis

You can be partially immersed in water - if you are standing the water would need to be about 1m deep (for an adult), or if sitting much less : perhaps as little as 10cm.


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## natkretep

Glasguensis said:


> You can be partially immersed in water - if you are standing the water would need to be about 1m deep (for an adult), or if sitting much less : perhaps as little as 10cm.


Yes, that sounds about right. During the war bath water was rationed to 4 inches. BBC - WW2 People's War - A Wartime Kid's Personal Story


> The weekly bath night meant that Mum had to bring in the galvanised iron 'tin' bath from where it was kept - hanging on the fence in the back yard (there wasn't room enough to store it inside the house). The bath was laboriously filled, bucketful by bucketful from the copper, which had previously been filled by the same method from the cold tap. The gas ring of the copper had to be lit an hour or so before the bath was required.
> The water depth of a bath was regulated by the government at four inches (100mm). This was to save both gas and water.


I was also told by someone who went to public school they weren't allowed more than 6 inches.

The main thing about _bathing_ (with the 'ah' vowel) in BrE is that you need to be _in_ a bath (bath-tub). _Bathing_ (with the 'eh' vowel) in BrE could be anywhere with water.


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## Roymalika

Glasguensis said:


> You can be partially immersed in water - if you are standing the water would need to be about 1m deep (for an adult), or if sitting much less : perhaps as little as 10cm.


Is the person in the third picture in #38 "bathing", as he is partially in the water?


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## Glasguensis

Roymalika said:


> Is the person in the third picture in #38 "bathing", as he is partially in the water?


Yes, to me that could be described as bathing.


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## Roymalika

Glasguensis said:


> Yes, to me that could be described as bathing.


Thanks. To be sure, are we taking about the verb "bathe" here or "bath"?
And is it necessary to use a soap while "bathing"?


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## Glasguensis

We are talking about the verb *bathe*. This verb refers to immersing oneself in water. One may or may not clean oneself whilst doing so (generally not). 

When we *take a bath*, the implication is that the objective is to clean oneself. Soap is often involved but is not a precondition.


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## Wordy McWordface

I would only use the verb to "bath" (pronounced to rhyme with "path") as a transitive verb e.g. "I bath the baby". I'm not familiar with the distinction between 'bath' and 'bathe' made at the end of post 41.


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## velisarius

I _bath_ a baby and _bathe_ a wound. I used to bathe my eyes when they were sore, but nowadays I use eyedrops. (Apologies if this point has been made before in this rather long thread.)

I don't often have cause to use the verb _bathe, _and perhaps never need to use it intransitively. I don't talk about "bathing" in the sea or in a pool, because I hear it as decidedly old-fashioned.


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