How do you use "That's different" in a sentence?

You're putting pineapple on your hotdish? Well... that's different. They painted their house bright purple.' 'Oh. That's... different. He showed up in a tuxedo to a bonfire.' 'Huh. That's different.

That's different

American Slang Term American ★★★★☆ Common informal

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Meaning: A polite Midwestern way of expressing mild disapproval or confusion without being directly negative.

一种礼貌的中西部表达方式，在不直接否定的情况下表达轻微的不满或困惑。

Una forma educada del Medio Oeste de expresar ligera desaprobación o confusión sin ser directamente negativo.

直接的に否定せず、穏やかな不満や困惑を表す中西部の丁寧な言い方。

직접적으로 부정하지 않으면서 은근한 불만이나 당혹감을 표현하는 중서부의 공손한 표현.

When a Midwesterner says 'that's different,' they almost never mean it as a neutral observation. It's Minnesota Nice code for 'I don't like it' or 'that's weird.' The tone determines how negative the assessment is.

当中西部人说'that's different'时，他们几乎从来不是在做中性的评价。这是明尼苏达式礼貌的暗语，意思是'我不喜欢'或'这很奇怪'。语气决定了这个评价有多消极。

Cuando un habitante del Medio Oeste dice 'that's different', casi nunca lo dice como una observación neutra. Es el código de Minnesota Nice para 'no me gusta' o 'qué raro'. El tono determina lo negativa que es la valoración.

中西部の人が「that's different」と言う時、中立的な感想であることはほぼない。ミネソタ・ナイスの暗号で「好きじゃない」や「変だ」を意味する。声のトーンで否定の度合いが決まる。

중서부 사람이 'that's different'라고 할 때, 중립적인 관찰인 경우는 거의 없다. 이것은 '마음에 안 들어' 또는 '이상해'라는 미네소타 나이스 식 코드다. 어조에 따라 부정적인 정도가 달라진다.

Examples

You're putting pineapple on your hotdish? Well... that's different.
你要在热菜里放菠萝？嗯……那还挺特别的。
¿Le pones piña al hotdish? Bueno… that's different.
ホットディッシュにパイナップル入れるの？まぁ…それは変わってるね。
핫디시에 파인애플을 넣는다고? 글쎄… 그건 좀 독특하네.
They painted their house bright purple.' 'Oh. That's... different.
他们把房子刷成了亮紫色。''哦。那……挺特别的。
Han pintado la casa de morado chillón.» «Vaya. Eso es… different.»
家を鮮やかな紫色に塗ったんだって。」「あら。それは…変わってるわね。」
집을 선명한 보라색으로 칠했대.' '아. 그건… 독특하네.
He showed up in a tuxedo to a bonfire.' 'Huh. That's different.
他穿着燕尾服去篝火聚会。''嗯。挺特别的。
Se presentó en esmoquin a una bonfire.» «Hum. That's different.»
彼、ボンファイヤーにタキシードで来たんだよ。」「へぇ。変わってるね。」
그 사람 본파이어에 턱시도 입고 왔대.' '흠. 독특하네.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: polite disapproval, social situations

Tone: diplomatic, understated

✓ Do Say

Oh, that's different.
哦，那挺特别的。
Vaya, that's different.
あら、それは変わってるね。
아, 그건 독특하네.
Well, that's certainly different.
嗯，那确实挺特别的。
Bueno, eso es ciertamente different.
まあ、それは確かに変わってるわね。
글쎄, 확실히 독특하긴 하네.

✗ Don't Say

Don't assume 'that's different' means approval — the more emphasis on 'different,' the more they dislike it
不要以为'that's different'是在表示认可——'different'的重音越重，说明他们越不喜欢
No asumas que 'that's different' significa aprobación — cuanto más énfasis ponen en 'different', más les desagrada
「that's different」を肯定と思わないこと——「different」に力が入るほど、気に入っていない
'that's different'가 긍정이라고 생각하지 마세요——'different'에 강조를 많이 할수록 더 싫어하는 겁니다

Origin & History

This usage is a product of Midwest conflict-avoidance culture — the social norm of never directly criticizing someone or their choices.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Midwest — especially Minnesota