My mother tongue is Hindi. I was watching an English movie when I came across the below sentence. Although it is a dual language movie and that helps me to understand English and improve my vocabulary, there is one sentence that I cannot understand.
And after searching on Google, now I am here.
What's the difference between:
You better take this.
and:
You take this.
"You better take this" is a common colloquial form of "You'd better take this", i.e. "You had better take this".
"Had better" is an idiom which functions as a modal auxiliary, meaning something like "should" or "need to". Literally it means something like "It would be better if you took this", but it is not really analysable in modern English.
You better take this.
This means, "You had better take this." In English, we use contractions. When we say, "You had," we simply say, "You'd." However, the way the "d" in "you'd" sounds when said against the "b" in "better," makes it almost inaudible. As a result, many English speakers end up saying and even writing, "You better."
What it actually means is: "You ought to take this," or, "It would behoove you to take this."
You take this.
This isn't something people would generally say as a sentence. We don't say "you" beforehand. When using the imperative voice, we simply say, "Take this." Occasionally, people will add an enunciated "you" before the imperative of a verb, but it's not standard fare. It's only done to make some kind of special emphasis.
It would be said like this in the present indicative. In the present indicative, though, it wouldn't be telling someone to take it.
you better take this
is advise.
you take this
is an order.
The difference has nothing to do with the word 'had'. It's whether or not someone who has the authority to give you orders is giving you a choice here.
Better indicates an opinion is being expressed. Without it, you are being told what to do.
Using the word "you" before the word "better" seems to imply that the person being spoken to needs to be directed in some particular way. Thus doing away with the persons ability to choose to do it or not. It is a challenge to do whatever needs to be done according to the one speaking or receive some sort of reprimand. It is threatening (to some) and possibly dis respective as well. It is or can be offensive in that it almost seems to assume that the person being spoken to does not have the sense necessary to make a right decision and so, they need (my)guidance.
