Fate vs. Destiny: American English Vocabulary

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[Music]  

Hi everyone. I'm Jennifer from English with  Jennifer. Do you believe in fate? Do you  

believe you can shape your destiny?  First, let's define these two words.  

"Fate" can be a countable noun when we  refer to things that happen to a person.  

We can use the word "fate" to comment that a  particular outcome could be better or worse.  

I couldn't imagine a better fate.  That's a fate worse than death.  

Such a tragic fate. Do you recall who Amelia  Earhart was? She was a famous pilot who broke  

world records. Supposedly, she crashed into  the Pacific Ocean along with her navigator,  

but her fate remains unknown. We don't  know what happened to her for sure.  

"Fate" can be an uncountable noun when we refer  to the power that controls our lives. It's like  

a predetermined plan that the universe has  for us. People who believe in fate say that  

we can't change it. You can't fight fate, man.  It's fate, guys. It's not fate. It's a mistake.  

Sometimes we look back on the past, and we  think that fate led to a certain outcome.  

Fate brought them together. It  was fate. It was meant to be.  

Many consider the word "destiny" to be a  synonym for "fate." The meanings overlap.  

Like "fate," "destiny" can be a countable  or uncountable noun. But with "destiny,"  

there's a focus on the future. It  is your destiny. It is your destiny

I'm your density. I mean...your destiny.

[Music] We can talk about shaping our destiny or  having a sense of destiny. It's also common to  

use the passive structure: be destined to do  something/ be destined for something. Do you  

feel destined to be poor? Do you feel destined to  be rich? Maybe you feel destined for big things,  

great things. Or perhaps you always knew that you  were destined for a career in business or fashion.

The kinds of expressions that people use  reflect their beliefs. If you feel that  

you have no control over a situation,  you can say, "It's out of my hands"  

or "Que será, será." And yes, we say this with our  American English accent. Que será, será. It means  

"whatever will be, will be." Doris Day made this  saying famous in a song. You can find it online.  

It's out of my hands. I'm sorry. It's it's  out of my hands. My philosophy of life has  

gotten me through some very rough times.  Let me share it with you? Que será, será.  

When people accept that a bad outcome is coming  or already happened and they can't change anything  

at this point, they may say, "It is what it is."  Well, what can you do? Whatever, at this point.

It is what it is. There's also a saying  with a swear word, which I won't say aloud,  

but you may see this on a mug, on  a t-shirt, or a bumper sticker.

If someone is a person of faith, it may be  natural for them to say "God willing" when  

they talk about their hopes for the future. They  hope that they will be spared problems. They hope  

to avoid problems so that they can have their  desired outcome. God willing, we'll get the loan.  

Their children are in college and should finish  in the next couple of years, God willing,  

The speaker means they hope that God will  allow these events to unfold favorably.  

Clearly, I have had a very serious  accident, but I will recover, God willing.  

Without any reference to religion or faith,  you can always talk about luck. I have another  

video on that topic. I'll put the link  in the video description. But for now,  

I can share one expression from that lesson:  knock on wood. Have you heard it? For example,  

"Knock on wood, we'll get the loan." Or,  "Hopefully, we'll get the loan. Knock on wood."  

This refers to the superstition of  knocking on wood three times for good luck.  

If we're lucky. Oh! Knock on wood.  So, what's your position on fate?  

Do you believe that things happen for a reason?  Do you believe you can shape your destiny?  

Let me know in the comments. And if there is such  thing as fate, then may fate be kind to you all!  

You're forging your own path, making your own  destiny. Isn't it time to make your own destiny?  

We'll end here. Please remember to like and share  the video if you found the lesson useful. Remember  

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