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With respect, Samira, it may until you realise that on a language learning course the pronoun "I" (first person singular) is always in higher case no matter where it appears in a phrase or sentence.
About.com has good descriptions about the differences for temporal prepositions. Check it out if you're trying hard to grasp the minute differences like I have been.
I saw that you had posted this on a forum for a different question. It is highly informative and I second your recommendation.
Thanks for the link. I didn't even realize that there was such a difference. :(
You're never too old to learn a language! (Though it is a lot easier when you are younger) =D
idk know why people thumbed down your comment...I thought your little joke was funny
It depends. It seems that 'en' is used for how long an action takes, while 'dans' is for how long until something begins.
Is this how you would translate "In an age"? Clearly, that sentence wouldn't come up very much, but I feel that can be said about a lot of these sentences...
Although "des siécles des siécles" (or something very similar) is used in prayers and the like to mean "forever and ever" or "for ages and ages". That is the usage I am most familiar with, but "ages" was not accepted. Duolingo provides "age" as one of the possible translations for siécle, so it should be accepted, I think.
1722
It's true that "siècle" could be used as "age" in the sense of a very long period of time, according to Larousse. However it is that you may have heard that, it is more than likely an idiom and probably not a literal translation.
Agreed. Have clicked on the "my answer should be accepted" button a few times for this, yet to see any response.
Not sure why you've been down-arrowed for suggesting this. I tried it- okay it was wrong- but I tried it.
Je parle français et je ne comprend pas pourquoi mes mots ne sont pas acceptés
Just the same way. Duo chooses to accept "In" and "Within" as the same meaning. It is, after all a French language course rather than an English grammar course.
Well "In" and "Within" do have differing connotations. The contexts, though, are far too diverse for there to be any real semblance here in my mind. I may be wrong, I often am, but I think that in this task "In" and "Within" should suffice. Your solution should be accepted. There is no context. For me, One thing may have happened "In the century". OK? But many things may have happened at different times "Within the century". So, with such a lack of context your solution should have been accepted. Duo can not Have its cake and Eat it Jh4. Have lingots. JJ.
When using 'dans' in the context of time, it means the time before an event or action will take place. Thus, je pars dans une heure means it will be an hour before I leave or of course, I'm leaving in an hour.
I believe 'about a century' would be 'environ un siècle'.
Thanks for clarifying this, because the English translation could also be "in the span of a century".
Dans vs. en? I got marked wrong for using "dans" to say, "in November" a few questions ago. I'm sure I missed a note about this in an earlier lesson, but what's the difference?
"En un siècle" means that it takes a century, as in "Je pourrais le construire...en un siècle" ("I could build it...in a century", i.e. it would take me a century"). "Dans un siècle" means that it will happen after a century has passed, as in "Le réchauffement de la terre va nous tuer dans un siècle" ("Global warming will kill us in a century" or "a century from now").
Can dans not be used as within? i.e. I'm going to die within this century. Je vais mourir dans ce siècle.
Welp, I'm in no hurry. Lemme know when I can learn French without derping every other sentence
it sounds like "in a sec"but it means in a century.I will never say in a sec to someone who is french,because they'll think "in a century"
That's because it is wrong. A century is 100 years, but you can't just switch in the amount for the word. For example, you couldn't translate "dozen" to "twelve" even though they technically indicate the same quantity.
thank you for responding i can see your point of view, and will keep it in mind
