"L'appartement était confortable mais peu chaleureux."
Translation:The apartment was comfortable but not very warm.
15 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
Given DL's sentence and translation, would 'L'appartement était confortable mais un peu chaleureux.' translate to 'The apartment was comfortable but a little warm.'? This is what I thought the sentence meant until I saw DL's translation.
The idea is that "un peu xxx" does not mean anything toward the upper end of the scale--just the opposite. So when we say "a little warm", it suggests that it is in fact a bit too warm. That is not the meaning of "un peu chaleureux", rather it is "not very warm". Think of it as having "little warmth".
I wrote "The apartment was comfortable but a bit warm". DL corrected it as "The apartment was comfortable but little warm", omitting the article "a" and demanding "little" instead of "bit." Go figure.
Here is my answer: The apartment was comfortable but a bit warm. The translation is in the negative, which does not appear in the French sentence. The suggested solution was the apartment was comfortable but ONLY a little warm. Where is only!?! I actually think their computer is the problem and this is right, but I have reported my errors and have received no reply. I think this app is just getting to big.
You have the opposite meaning. The appearance of the article "un" actually reverses the meaning.
- mais un peu chaleureux = but a bit warm → actually too warm for you
- mais peu chaleureux = not warm at all → only a little warm, more cold than warm
This is a tricky grammar point, and it's not something you would hear everyday. Perhaps the choice of translation "only a little warm" is not precise enough.
I have reported my errors and have received no reply.
This is typical because we're a team of five volunteers and there are millions of French learners. We do a lot of error clearing in bulk. If your report is ever incorrect, you will not receive a reply. If your report is correct, you may get an email about it.
673
Hey George, you guys(and girls) are amazing!!! Keep up the good work. I cannot believe how much work y'all put into this French program. It is very well structured and it seems to me that the Moderators answer questions promptly. I still cannot believe this program is FREE! Realize that many of us appreciate you even if you do not hear from us! Thanks again.
This is a very surprising answer. I hope we get to drill on this phrase because I am not going to remember it without practice.
The construction peu chaleureux seems to be the same as peu profond, which means not very deep, or shallow. Anyone agree with this?