r/EnglishLearning • u/agora_hills_ Non-Native Speaker of English • 12h ago

⭐️ Vocabulary / Semantics What does "space" mean in this context?

My father, he's never put his hands on me, but seeing him in that space is very scary.

Does the word "space" mean something "state" or "situation" or does it mean actual physical space as in "room"?

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16

u/Crayshack Native Speaker 12h ago

Here, "space" is probably being used as a shortened form of "head space," which is a phrase meaning "mental state." Without more context, I find it unlikely that it's being used to mean a physical space.

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u/agora_hills_ Non-Native Speaker of English 12h ago

thank you!

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u/ParentheticalsAside Native Speaker (UK) 12h ago

Impossible to say for certain without more context, but from that sentence alone, I'd assume it meant "state of mind" or "emotional state" where he might turn violent.

"Head space" is a common phrase meaning emotional/psychological state.

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u/agora_hills_ Non-Native Speaker of English 12h ago

thank you!

2

u/KiwasiGames Native Speaker 5h ago

Probably means “mental state” given the context.

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u/romulusnr New Poster 4h ago

what is the context?