[mesmark]

A student was asking what the difference in nuance is between "done with..." vs "through with ..." I was a little stumped but came up with this:

"done with..." - simply finished with something, possibly for the time being (I might do it, need it or want it again)

"through with ..." - completely finished with something and I don't need it anymore

I had a few examples but for instance

"Are you done with the hammer?" - I want to use it for a bit.

"Are you through with the hammer?" - I want to put it away.

Or, are they completely interchangeable?

I told my student they were pretty much interchangeable but since she's very high level she wants to know about the finer nuances. Any help or thoughts on this are much appreciated.