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- "Noch eine Flasche Wein, bitt…
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After a while on Duolingo, I realized it was a better idea to keep a German dictionary in a separate tab open and double-check new words. Noch seems to have several different meanings depending on context.
noch; adverb
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still; as in "Du magst mich noch." = "You still like me."
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nor; as in "Ich mag weder ihn, noch dich." = "I neither like him, nor do I like you."
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yet; as in "Ich bin noch nicht fertig." = "I'm not ready, yet."
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with ein/e/r/s: another; as in "da ist noch einer" = "there's another one"
In this sentence, "Noch eine Flasche Wein, bitte!" it would stand to reason that the best chosen answer is "another" due to "Noch" being followed by "eine" there, according to these definitions above. But it's all about being aware about the context, and as we're all newly learning the language, we obviously aren't as aware if we aren't more diligent in checking the definitions.
Seems like "just" in the hints would definitely be misleading, though.
This is a good point. Languages are complicated and a 'stupid' interface like Duolingo (which of course is incredibly smart in some ways - I just mean that it doesn't know the context when it gives hints) is never going to be able to properly prepare you for every iteration. Trial-and-error is just part of the process.
Think about a word like 'clip.' It can mean to separate ('clip the articles from the paper') or to attach ('clip the articles together'). Those are opposite! And then there's all the other possibilities. A clip holds things together, while clippers cut them apart. And a clip is also a device on a gun. And a clipper is a type of boat. And you can move at a good clip. If you just barely catch someone as they pass you in a game of football, you clip them.
Whenever I get frustrated with German, I just remember how crazy our own language is.
I'm not a native speaker, so take my suggestions as suggestions, and not fact.
- "Noch mehr Flaschen Wein, bitte!" - "More bottles of wine, please!"
- "Noch mehrere Flaschen Wein, bitte!" - "Several more bottles of wine, please!"
- "Noch einige Flaschen Wein, bitte!" - "A few more bottles of wine, please!"
My preferred translation would be the first one or the last one. Hopefully a native speaker will add their opinion(s) on it!