"Your friend is my enemy."

Translation:Dein Freund ist mein Feind.

August 3, 2017

15 Comments
This discussion is locked.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/E5Pepe

"Deine Freundin ist mein Feind."

Why it is not accepted?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/mizinamo

Deine Freundin ist meine Feindin is accepted.

If you're going to be specific about your friend being female, the list of alternatives expects you to specify "female enemy" as well.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/RikNijhuis

I would say that Gegner should work as well?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Arisened

i think gegner is more like opponent (as in sports)


[deactivated user]

    Der Freund meines Feinds ist mein Feind.


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/freemanjw

    Don't quite understand why Feind is not accusative case here


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/mizinamo

    "to be" is not a transitive verb that takes a direct object.

    You can't say that the enemy "is being been" by your friend.

    "to be" is a copula - a linking verb that links a subject to a predicate that says something about the subject.

    Such predicates are (almost always) in the nominative case in English. (And, traditionally, in English -- conservative speakers will say "it is I" and not "it's me".)


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/judithmack

    I know this is a frivolous question, but is there any connection between "Feind" and the English word "fiend"? They seem so alike. Did the two words have a common ancestor centuries ago?

    I know there's no connection now. Looking up the German for "fiend" I found words such as "Teufel" and nothing that resembled the English word "fiend".


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/mizinamo

    is there any connection between "Feind" and the English word "fiend"?

    Yes.

    Did the two words have a common ancestor centuries ago?

    That's right.


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/MattAshton3

    What case is this, and why is it Ihr?


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/mizinamo

    dein Freund and mein Feind are both in the nominative case.

    If you saw Ihr Freund -- that's the form used when speaking politely to one or more people; Ihr (always capitalised) is the possessive corresponding to Sie (always capitalised), the polite "you".


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/beatinbuddy

    I don't understand why Gegner isn't usable here with they both mean approximately the same thing.


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Arisened

    i think gegner is more like opponent (as in sports)


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/beatinbuddy

    The sentence "I have an enemy" accepted "Ich habe einen Gegner".


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/JohnAbele

    In WWII didn't they call an "enemy plane" ein "Feindflieger?"

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