79 Comments
As far as I know there is no plural form of 'fish' in English (1 fish, 2 fish, all the fish). Just saying...
Actually, when talking about several species of fish, the group can be referred to as fishes.
Fishes is a perfectly acceptable word. FOR EXAMPLE: Your friendship with Margo Roth Speigalman? It sleeps with the fishes.
That, and "My friend fishes" are the only times I can think of where "fishes" makes sense.
Fish is uncountable when reffering to culinary fish, as in our food. But when you're referring to the living fishes, as in species, fishes are indeed countable.
There is a difference between these two meanings of "fish", similar to flesh versus meat (though both are uncountable), pigs versus pork etc.
I love how comments like this start discussions about almost anything! Haha when I read it, it makes me feel smart xD
How do you hear the difference between singular and plural here? Have I missed some sound, some sort of a clue?
I missed this, too, but I'm pretty sure it's because it sounded like "de" instead of "du". If it were "du" it would be singular, but since it was "de" which is "des", then it's plural.
Is de seperate from des meaning de is of and des is some? Thats what i believe so far but im just started actually speaking french.
You can always here it in the article "des," which sounds like DAY. You think you might of heard "de," which sounds like DEH.
the actual french for that sentence is "manges-tu DU poisson?" "poisson" in this case is unnumbered and is used like bread (du pain) or milk (du lait)
Would this be a valid way to ask someone if they WOULD eat fish? As in "Do you eat fish?"
I'm no French expert, but I think that "Manges-tu les poissons ?" would be better. "Les" can either mean plural the or in general, as in "Do you eat fish in general," while "des" usually means some, as in "Are you eating some fish."
Also, in French there is no difference between "Eats" and "Eating," you just have to figure it out from the context.
I think you're right. 'Les poissons' should be accepted for 'do you eat fish?'
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Hmmm can we have this confirmed? I thought le/la/les was only used for general when used with appreciative verbs like aimer and détester?
...Okay, I found this explanation often given by French user SiteSurf on Duolingo:
"manger/eat and aimer/like do not work the same way.
manger, prendre, couper, laisser, mâcher... are action verbs, so you can always eat, take, cut, leave, chew... a certain quantity of a mass thing (ie, uncountable), ie "some of a mass". for those, you use the partitive construction with preposition de + definite article: du (=de+le), de la
aimer, détester, apprécier, haïr, préférer... are appreciative verbs and they naturally introduce generalities, so if you love meat, it is not an "undefined quantity" of meat that you will love, but meat in general, all kinds of meat (pork, beef, lamb...). for those, you use definite articles le, la, les.
So to sum it up: j'aime le poivre et je mange du poivre = I love pepper and I eat (some) pepper"
Well, it would work if you add est-ce que to the begining of the question if you type "tu manges" to be "est-ce que tu manges" and it will have the same meaning of the first question which is >are you eating< but if you don't want to add est-ce que you will have to write "manges-tu".please notice that it doesn't work with every question. Hope that helped you and i am sorry for the possible mistakes because i am not a native english speaker.
I believe that SaintRidley is wrong. Tu manges is a way of asking a question in French (correct me if I am wrong, but manges-tu is more common?). However your sentence is still wrong because it should be "des" poissons since it is plural. "tu manges des poissons?"
No i think you can understand it but not proper cause i have not been taught this way. Manges tu- du poisson
What is the difference between manges-tu des poissons and manges-tu du poisson?
Up until now duolingo has always taught me "du poisson", now it is using "des poissons" even though it specifically said previously that uncountables use "du"...
I made the same mistake, by typing "You are eating some fish?" but I guess that isn't the same question.
What's the difference between "tu mange des poissons?" and "mange-tu des poissons?" and also, in what situation do you put the action in front of the "you"?
How about "do you eat fish?" Is it with the "est-ce que" at the beginning? Do all yes/no questions need that?
why does it put manges-tu whats the difference between manges-tu and tu mange?
I typed exactly " manges-tu des poissons?", and it shows that i'm wrong. I don't get it.
Can't we say Tu manges des poissons? I am an Arab , so actually I confuse between English grammar and French's
The correct answer in English is "do you want to eat some fish?" This should be accepted.
How is "manges-tu" translated as are you? Is there a vous form for manges-tu, as in mangez-vous?
Can this also be a way of asking someone if they want some fish? Or would that require using "voulez-vous"...?
What is the differnce with will you eat some fish and do you want to eat some fish
because that is not how french works it is very direct and its just the way their system works. oh and because manges describes the entire sentence leaving out are you having fish! So the "?" mark at the end makes your question or answer i mean more proper! etes tu a poisson that makes no sense to me! Manges tu de poisson does! Merci et bonniut!
Is 'Did you eat fish' a valid answer(I got it wrong)?I can't seem to differentiate between the tenses in french...
because in french it is the proper way to speak it! You start with the verb and then the question very acceptable! Just accept it in your head and you will be fine!
no it is not just accept it and you will learn it to be common and very much correct!
Whats with the tu? Im reading through the thread and no one seems to have answered that.
Ok man in french you start with the verb first just accept it for what it is and you will understand it. It is simple. So in English it is right but in french it is not so the proper is Manges-tu de possion? Or is it could be but never used is manges vous de possoin? DO NOT USE THIS ONE IT IS NOT COMMON SO IT IS NOT PROPER!
