- Forum >
- Topic: French >
- "Cette commerçante propose de…
"Cette commerçante propose de belles choses."
Translation:This shopkeeper offers beautiful things.
28 Comments
2454
I used "suggests" because I thought of a different context or scenario, being shopkeeper myself. My answer was not accepted so I simply reported it.
Well, there is another verb for “suggests”, I would use « suggère », but « propose » can also mean “suggests”, so I am glad that you did.
When I heard the French I head the "de" and knew the next could be either "belle chose" or "belles choses", but I don't know how to differentiate. Since "des" for plural "choses" is still changed to "de" before the adjective "belles" it's unclear.
- 2271
Remember that the "des" before a plural noun is simply the plural of "un/une". I.e.,
- singular : une belle chose
- plural : de belles choses (where "des" changes to "de" because the adjective is before the noun)
- 555
From my understanding Des is used for some when there's no adjective before the plural noun:
Des choses
De is used before any plural adjective:
De belles choses
http://www.french-linguistics.co.uk/translation/keywords/de.html
I would also like an answer to this question, if anyone has it -- I wrote the plural (since shopkeepers generally flood one with offered objects) but was wondering if the singular was also acceptable.
« Proposer » is not a verb that requires a preposition after it. So « des choses » is the French indefinite plural “(some) things” and in front of an adjective it becomes « de belles choses », but the singular of “some” would be “a” (or “an” if there were a vowel following.) So, you would not use de belle chose here as it would be « une belle chose ». That would definitely sound differently.
https://dictionary.reverso.net/french-english/proposer
https://www.thoughtco.com/introduction-to-french-articles-1368810
Thank you All into Learning! Great explanation! I am still challenged by the French des.
- 2271
"Des" has seemingly been understood as "some" due to an unfortunate display of an optional interpretation. In fact, "des" is only the plural of "un/une". There is no actual counterpart for this in English.
- The plural of "un livre" is "des livres". The plural of "book" is "books" (not "some" books).
Some people may use the word "some" here but when used in this sense, it is almost always omitted in English. Consider these others ways that the English word "some" is used
- a subset/portion of a larger collection
- a little, to a small degree
- some, as in "some people", e.g., "some have called him a great man".
- to show anger, e.g., "some people!"
- to show delight, e.g., "that was some dinner".
- and more ....
If this is the only difference from the correct answer, you could try reporting it. In English we don’t often bother to say some though, unless we are stressing it and then there is another French word that could be used.
I thought that "some beautiful things" was also an accurate translation. Am I mistaken?
You could report that, if it is the only thing that is different from the accepted answer, as another alternate correct translation. I cannot verify though as you did not give the complete sentence that you entered. Keep in mind that in English we don’t often add some unless we are stressing some and in that case there is another French word which would be used to stress some.
If "proposer" does not mean to suggest and it means "to offer", So what is the meaning of "offrir"? And even what is the different between "proposer" and "offrir" in the meaning of TO OFFER?
- 805
"Proposer" as "suggest" would be used in the context of doing something, i.e., followed by a verb phrase. In the context of shop items, "offer" is a better fit.
I think there may be other French words that are closer to that:
« négociant » or « marchand »
https://dictionary.reverso.net/english-french/merchant
You could try reporting it. Perhaps someone else had reported it for a different sentence. I personally would not use “merchant” when I mean shopkeeper, but others might.
https://dictionary.reverso.net/english-french/shopkeeper
See a merchant can be « marchand » and a shopkeeper can be « marchand » as the word has more than one meaning.
It looks as though “merchant” can certainly be used for storekeeper,
Not every French expression translates literally to English. Even though "proposer" is used and not "vendre", the natural English phrase is to say the the shopkeeper "sells" beautiful things, not "offers".
It is also natural to use the verb for “sells” in French which would be « vend ». So “proposer” would not mean “to sell”, but rather “to offer” or “to suggest” or “to propose” something to someone.
Did you report it? Keep in mind that in French there is also another verb “suggère” for that as well.
- 2271
"Proposer" as "suggest" would be used in the context of doing something, i.e., followed by a verb phrase. In the context of items in a shop, "offer" is a better fit.
In the UK we would say 'the shopkeeper has beautiful things' the word 'offer' would suggest that these things are at a reduced price in a sale
“Propose” means more than just “has”. The shopkeeper is suggesting beautiful things. The shopkeeper is trying to influence you to buy them. So, “offers” is possible. They might be on sale or they might be special and worth the customer’s time. I think “suggests” and “proposes” should also be allowed for this.
Retailer is more specific and would be “commerçante détaillant”. https://dictionary.reverso.net/french-english/commercante
