"You are eating the boys' fries."

Translation: Tu manges les frites des garçons.

[VortyJr]

WHY!? It seems like it's juggling du, de and des. Could anyone explain that?

[maialeaf]

"Du" is for singular masculine nouns, "de la" is for singular feminine nouns, and "des" is for plural nouns.

[VortyJr]

Thanks, have a lingot!

[ZephaniahF2]

I am experiancing this exact same propblem

[Bendybot]

I get that there's multiple fries. But there is only one boy. Why is it des garçons?

[deactivated user]

There are multiple boys. Check the possessive apostrophe placement:

• the boy's fries ~ the fries of one boy
• the boys' fries ~ the fries of more than one boy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zx9ydxs

[ZephaniahF2]

Thank you very much! Thats handy

[juggernaut1875]

I understand why you are looking for "les frites". However, if the boys ordered fries and you didn't and you were eating their fries, I could say "You are eating the boys' fries" (regardless of the fact that you weren't eating all of them) . Translation Tu manges des frites des garcons. This makes both translations correct. No?

[n6zs]

Somewhere along the line you may have been persuaded that using "les" means all of them. It does not. Break it down. Whose fries are you eating? The boys' fries. There is no partitive here. How do you say "the boys' fries"? Les frites des garçons. Compare: the boy's fries (les frites du garçon).

[Keisha769044]

Why cant it be manges des

[maialeaf]

The literal translation of "Tu manges les frites des garcons" is "You are eating the fries of the boys." "Des," in this situation, means "of the." If you were to use "tu manges des," it would translate to "you are eating of the..." .

[NetAndyCz]

Tu manges les frites des garcons is You are eating the fries of the boys

Tu manges des frites des garcons would mean You are eating (some) fries of the boys

[shari494276]

7 Oct 2018 Thank you so much maialeaf. I also got confused with the usage here. It helps to back translate. Very good explanation.

[Edie5200]

Thanks for the clarification. Now it makes sense.

[VijaySaibo]

I made the sentence with 'Vous' and went wrong

[n6zs]

"Vous mangez les frites des garçons" is also accepted.

[ChristineG782005]

Why not les garcons?

[n6zs]

"Les garçons" does not show possession. It is "les frites des garçons", i.e., literally, the fries of the boys.

[AshleyCove6]

I dont get why it is les frites and it is the boys and not the fries

[n6zs]

Try reading the other comments on this page. I think you will find your answer there.

[alex546141]

Vous mangez does not accept

[Valine17]

Should it be vous or tu?

[janeemc]

I put "Tu manges des frites du les garçons". The correct translation looks to me like the fries of some boys. So similarly, how would you say " you are wearing a boys shirt," as in a shirt designed for boys generally rather than belonging to a particular boy.