Formal semantics (natural language)

Formal semantics is like a game where we try to understand how we use words to talk about the world around us. We use a special language to follow the rules of the game, and this helps us to be really precise about what we mean when we say something.

Imagine you and a friend are playing a game where you have to describe pictures using only words. Your friend shows you a picture of a cat, but you're not sure what to say. You might say "there's a furry animal with pointy ears and whiskers," but your friend might not understand what you mean.

In formal semantics, we have rules that help us be more precise. We might say "the word 'cat' refers to a specific kind of animal that has fur, pointy ears, and whiskers." These rules help both you and your friend understand exactly what you mean, so you can communicate better.

But it's not just about describing pictures of cats. Formal semantics can help us understand more complicated things too, like how sentences work together to create meaning. It's like a big puzzle, and we have to figure out how all the pieces fit together.

In the end, formal semantics helps us understand how language works and how we use it to talk about the world. So if you ever want to talk about cats, or anything else for that matter, you'll be able to do it even better thanks to formal semantics!