"At least, I think so."
Translation:Du moins, je crois.
30 Comments
On hover, "Enfin" is translated as finally, lastly, at last. Not at least. So I feel there's a mistake in the translation.
As already mentioned above, that is right that in most cases, "enfin" means finally, etc. However, it can take the restrictive meaning of "at least" in sentences like this one.
Can you explain why this is, at all? Like, etymologically? Just out of interest.
Actually "enfin" can have 3 meaning in spite of its simple construction "en" (=in) + "fin" (= end).
- It summarizes what was said before, often after an enumeration (list of things); it marks a logical conclusion, i.e = finally or at last.
--J'ai mis dans ma valise 3 pantalons, 2 pulls, 7 paires de chaussettes, ma brosse à dents et enfin mon chapeau (I put in my suitcase 3 pants, 2 sweaters, 7 pairs of socks, my toothbrush and, finally, my hat)
- It marks that something happened that had been awaited a long time, i.e "not a moment too soon" or at last!
--Il y a 2 heures que j'attends et tu m'appelles enfin ? (I have been waiting for 2 hours and you call me at last?) -- Le repas est prêt, enfin ! (The meal is ready, at last!)
3 : It brings a precision or a restriction, i.e "at least".
--Il a dit qu'il viendrait bientôt, enfin d'ici un mois (He said he will come soon, at least within a month)
Not much in my opinion, I use them interchangeably. You could say that "au moins" means "at least" and "du moins" means "rather", but really it is slim.
I wrote down "Au moin, je le pense", and got it wrong, with Duoling suggesting as correct answer "Du moin, je le pense". Is it alright for me to ask them to consider this one a correct answer?
There is a slight difference between "au moins" and "du moins" but if you wrote it correctly, both should be accepted.
You are not wrong, "enfin" also means "finally". Two meanings for the same adverb.
I tried "du moins, j'y pense" and it was marked wrong because of "j'y pense". Can anyone explain the difference between it and "je pense" or "je le pense"?
je pense = I think
je le pense = I think so (lit. I think that)
j'y pense = I think about it/him/her (y = à lui or à elle)
Could someone please explain why the various iterations of so - ainsi, donc or tellement - are not correct? And why the "je pense que oui" construction is? I'm just about familiar with "pense que" in the indicative form, i.e. followed by a subordinate clause as in the statement "I think [that] the earth is round". But I don't see exactly why "pense que" is more appropriate here than say "je pense ainsi". Any advice is appreciated. Merci.
I think so = je pense ainsi, but we just don't say it that way.
"donc" has a precise meaning: "therefore"
"tellement" means "so much" or "so many"
We just don"t use these words to agree about something, when you use "I think so".
"je pense" - "je pense, oui" - "je pense que oui" - "je le pense" - "je le pense, oui" - "c'est ce que je pense" - "je pense bien" - all are used as "automatic" phrases, depending on context and on the way each person expresses his/her thoughts.
Thanks for clarifying. Its a good lesson, although its a struggle to keep up with the exceptions. So this note will be useful to remember. What I'm still not clear on in these examples, or lets just say "je pense que", why is "que" necessary? Is it part of "pense que" or is there a rule here. Apologies in advance if the answer is an obvious one.
"je pense que" needs to be followed by something, either the single "oui/non" or a full subordinate sentence.
In other words, "je pense que" translates "I think that" only if followed by a complement: je pense que tu as raison = I think that you are right
By itself "I think that" = "je pense cela/ça"
So in this example "oui" or "non" is seen as a subordinate clause... ah, I see. Many thanks again.
"Finally, I believe" is a ridiculous translation for "At least, I think so"! The Frenchman who came up with that must have "boit trop de l'alcool" (I think that's right). What are they trying to teach us, French or mind-reading? :-P
must have "bu trop d'alcool"
Yes, back translated "enfin, je crois" can sound ridiculous, but it is possible, as a side meaning.
However, if you understand the main meaning of this short sentence, you will avoid ridiculous translations (finally/at least, I believe/think so).
When I put the cursor over "so", it says the translation is "si". That is why I wrote: Enfin, je crois si. But I was tricked to write a wrong answer.
It's no different that if you looked the word up in the dictionary. It's going to give you meanings. If the sentence is "He is eating" and you look up "is," it's going to tell you "est." But, of course, taking the sentence as a whole into account, you know it's "Il mange," not "il est mange."
