"My brother wants to be an engineer."

Translation: Mon frère veut être un ingénieur.

[rainio]

Can someone explain why there are the two correct translations - one with an "un" and another without?

[Chantry]

Because you can technically say an engineer, but french professions don't require it.

[Paul_W]

Yes this is true and what they teach us throughout but then they throw this in for the sake of it, simply because it is also technically correct. But it's a most unnecessary point to prove. People want to learn, not to be caught out like some game.

[CincyHay]

what's frustrating is I have put un before other occupations and been marked wrong. Games are fine as long as the rules are clear.

[Paul_W]

Quite.

[eclairevoyant]

Ah, but the game is the only way Duolingo teaches us. Besides, a heart is a small price for clarification, I'd say.

[mwether]

I agree. Consistency is better than trickery

[pbnyc555]

Agreed. In another example using an article is marked as incorrect!

[jlseymour3]

I checked several grammar sites and they say that you should not use the indefinite article between the verb "être" and a profession. For example: http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/professions.htm
http://www.learn-french-help.com/indefinite-article.html

I will comment that this seems wrong and if it is technically correct ask that they (1) have a native speaker join this discussion and explain the rule and (2) correct the rest of the lessons to accept "un" or "une" between "être" and a profession.

[deactivated user]

I think that the un is accidentally slipped in once in a while. I'm pretty sure when talking about people's professions, there is no 'un'. It's just He is lawyer_...

[IustinBulimar]

I thought that as a rule we can't put "un". How is it?

[aliciamurray]

There should be no article here.

[dibidibidis_]

If the translation with "un" is also correct, why Duo didn't accept it in other examples?

[Anneguus]

why not 'devenir'?

[stabbythe]

I think because devinir is "to become" and etre is just "to be" ..

[feyMorgaina]

Yes, however to an English speaker "wants to be" and "wants to become" mean the same for the context of the sentence given here.

[jlseymour3]

Pretty close in common usage, but the meaning is not exactly the same - "to become" implies the process of becoming a lawyer - law school, bar exams, etc. "To be" is focused on the final state. Real life example - last night at dinner my daughter said she wants to be a lawyer. What she doesn't want is to go to law school or study for exams. :-)

[feyMorgaina]

Good point.

[SpanishDon918]

I thought the rule was that you didn't say 'an' unless it was qualified. For example, I want to be a great engineer. Okay, learning something now.