"Bags"
Translation:Les sacs
40 Comments
Actually, le/la/les can be used for general nouns, not just specific nouns, which in English translates without a "the." So, unless I'm missing something, "Les sacs" can mean "Bags (in general)" or "The bags."
I don't think I've run into a case where a generality made sense where they didn't accept dropping the article in English.
Duo ALWAYS REQUIRES it except this one example. I think they are wrong to require it, but since they do, they should be consistent.
No, it doesn't. I drop the article almost every time when coming across a generality and I'm never marked wrong. Could it be that you aren't differentiating between sentences that can be generalities and sentences that cannot (where the article will be required in English)?
Except in french you almost always need a article so bags in english can't be sacs in french it needs a article either des or les. You can't go around forcing rules from your native languages onto other languages. You can't translate everything literally.
If you disagree with the articles, then you disagree with French grammar. Every noun has an article. If it was "Bag", it would be "Le sac". As it is plural, it is "Les sacs."
1711
Hi, ThanKwee! Context, or rather the lack thereof, is the bane of Duolingo. My observation is that DL has indoctrinated us to interpret the definite article as "THE" in front of the noun whether generality or not and more-or-less successfully (Thanks to Sitesurf) helped us understand that "des" is the plural of "un" (if it's not used in the sense of "of the"). There may have been some exercises that applied these principles inconsistently but I can understand how some are puzzled about something that was pounded into us is now seemingly ignored. No reply needed. Keep up the good work!
You use les for plural objects. It is weird since in english we just say bags. But if it sounds weird to us, imagine how weird it sounds to the french when you just say sacs.
I think the article here indicates a "generic" term, as in "Bags often come handy". French disallows generics w/o articles.
Ok everyone all nouns must always be accompanied by an article (or some kind of modifier)- des sacs and les sacs are both correct. There is no context so it could be some bags or bags in general. But sacs is not correct because it needs a modofier
Just 2 minutes ago I translated "Les chaussures" as "Shoes" and was wrong. "The shoes" was correct. And now I translated "Bags" as "Les sacs" and that is correct... What am I missing? Why? Les this, Les that... Looks same to me...
I translated "bags" to "les sacs" and it was correct. But, shouldn't it be "des sacs"? This les/des thing is so confusing!
Yes, here from English to French, both are correct. But, if I say «les sacs» in French, that could be «the bags» and if I say «des sacs», that could be «some bags».
You can use at the ssme time but if you prefer sacs for carry things and bags to carry cosmetics and keys it is up yo you and the context. .
