"Les carottes et les haricots sont des légumes."
Translation:Carrots and beans are vegetables.
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Thank you George. I believe that, in English, the distinction between "The carottes" and "Carottes", etc., as to whether it refers to a generality, or to something specific, doesn't matter very much and depends upon context for clarity.
"The carrots and the beans are vegetables." and "Carrots and beans are vegetables." In English, either translation works correctly, and either translation can refer to a generality or to a specific situation.
I'm pleased that Duolingo has made both translations valid.
It must be done through context. For example, if you have apples, carrots, beans and bananas in front of you, the sentence would refer to the specific objects: "Out of these four different things, the carrots and the beans are vegetables." If this sentence came out of the blue, then you can presume it's a general statement. It all depends on context.
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Previous task was translating "des haricots and du pain". The translation was given as "beans and bread". Why is "les carottes et les haricots" also "carrots and beans" (no "the")?
How do you know which form to use?
Wait a minute! Any previous time if I did not write "THE ..." I was marked wrong. The only time the noun alone was permitted was when "de/du/ des" was used. Why is it "the" omitted now?
The only time the noun alone was permitted was when "de/du/ des" was used.
Not true. When you make a statement of generality about a subject, use the definite article.
- Dogs are cute. = Les chiens sont mignons.
- Apples are fruit. = Les pommes sont des fruits.
- Life is beautiful. = La vie est belle.
The article "des" is simply the plural of "un" or "une", and is not used for statements of generality.
- I am eating apples. = Je mange des pommes.
- Prisoners escaped yesterday. = Des prisonniers se sont échappés hier.
Yes, I understand that. What I'm saying is that my answers were marked wrong if I didn't translate Les + noun as The + noun. If I translated as Noun (without the The) I was marked wrong. Now the sentence is translated in the way I'd been marked wrong previously. Inconsistency while I'm at an early learning stage is frustrating.