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- "I have a few books."
"I have a few books."
Translation:Ich habe ein paar Bücher.
66 Comments
Because the key word here is "few", not "some". By using the word "manche", the statement becomes "I have some books."
The correct translation would, therefore, need to have either the word "wenige" or the expression phrase "ein paar", both of which mean "a few".
Note: The word "paar", when uncapitalized and used together with its definitive article in the expression phrase "ein paar", is an adjective/pronoun meaning "a few".
Hope this helps.
Haben Sie Spaß-Lernen, Jeder! :@D
170
Probably German "ein paar" would correlate to English "a couple", whereas English "a few" would correlate to German "einige" better
Paar is a noun meaning a pair.
So ein Paar Schuhe would be a pair of shoes.
But we often use ein paar to mean not specifically "a pair" (i.e. exactly two that belong together), but "a few, a couple" (a small number, not necessarily two, but perhaps between three and eight or so).
In that metaphorical usage, paar is written with a lowercase letter. But the ein before it still stays neuter singular to match the noun Paar; it doesn't turn plural or change for gender.
Often not even for case -- I would say mit ein paar Büchern rather than mit einem paar Büchern.
595
If you were talking about a pair, leaving out the bit about the books, it would be "ein Paar". Here, "paar" is used to help describe the books, as part of the descriptive phrase "ein paar".
690
""They have few books."
Translation:Sie haben wenige Bücher."" This Doulingo's own translation. So go figure! "Wenige" is not exactly same as "ein paar"
633
I get the difference between Paar and paar, and I understand it's ein Paar because Paar is neuter. But I'm still confused at to why it's also ein paar when 'paar' is an adjective. Aren't adjectives usually just 'extra' words, that have no affect on genders? Is paar the only one this way, there's no real reason, I should just learn it? Or are there other adjectives that do this?