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- "The beer is weak, the bear i…
"The beer is weak, the bear is strong."
Translation:Das Bier ist schwach, der Bär ist stark.
53 Comments
"The" in "The beer" has a hover-tool-tip that recommends "der", yet when I used it, it was marked incorrect.
"The" in "The beer" has a hover-tool-tip that recommends "der"
No! The hints never recommend anything!
As you have seen, they are far too unreliable for that.
They are "hints", not "suggestions", let alone "recommendations".
The system tries to show the most relevant hints near the top, but it easily gets confused, especially when one occurs twice in the same sentence but has to be translated differently each time.
You still have to learn German! You cannot merely piece together the topmost hint.
Learn nouns together with their article -- learn der Bär and das Bier, not just Bär and Bier.
It would be super helpful if Duolingo mentioned this in one of those loading screen tips instead of "Hallo means Hello"...
659
They could also include things like:
- Read through the comments before posting a question that's been asked (and answered) 37 times already.
- Copy and paste (or take a screenshot of) your answer into your post before you complain you were unfairly marked wrong.
- "Me too" and "Agreed" and "Thanks" count as clutter. Stop it.
- Try an online translation dictionary (like dict.cc or CollinsDictionary.com or Pons.com or linguee.com) before asking how to say "tall" or "eat" or other easy-to-find words.
- Translate.Google.com is NOT authoritative.
- German-to-English (and vice-versa) is not always simple word-for-word substitution. Sometimes (usually) grammar changes.
- IT'S AN ESZETT, NOT A BLOODY "FUNNY B"!!!!!
- Don't use all caps in your comments. (Unless you really mean to yell.)
Actually it always recommends the correct answer. But Überraschung tis time it didn't! It's a hint and should not always be used.
- 1325
Duo always recommends the correct answer for some situations. It is the student's job to figure out which correct answer applies to their particular situation.
- 659
Do you see the logical fallacy in saying "it always" does something and then immediately noting that "this time it didn't"?
- 19
Calling an acceptable usage of an adverb "logical fallacy" is abusive. In normal circumstances, it does recommend the correct answer. It's just that here, Duolingo made a mistake.
We don't always have to deal in absolute truth. Don't be a dick.
- 659
How's this for an absolute truth: DuoLingo does not always provide the correct word as a hint. That's not abusive, that's simple fact.
And your calling out something as abusive is rich when you quickly resort to childish and unimaginative name-calling. But, if that's your strongest argument, I guess I can't fault you for bringing what passes for your A game.
Then I'd argue this isn't an appropriate sentence for this level - especially when getting this wrong means losing a heart and potentially getting locked out of lessons for the rest of the day.
"Das Bier ist schwach" sounds super weird. You may say a beer is strong (stark) if it has a high percentage of alcohol and you may say it's "nicht sehr stark" if it hasn't but saying it's "schwach" sounds more like a colloquial way of criticizing the quality of the beer.
- 1325
Canadians say American beer is weak all the time. In fact, they hardly ever mention American beer without adding that it is weak.
Yes, but LottaSophie is still right. In German, you don't say "schwach" in connection with beer or any alcoholic beverage or coffee. They are either "stark" or "nicht stark" or may be even "dünn", but not "schwach."
- 1325
You seem to be correct. A search for Das Bier ist schwach on google puts Duolingo at the top of the list of uses of it so it can't be widespread.
- 42
Yeah some sentences in the lessons do not make any sense, but feels like they have been given to just help us practice the words and semantics. Some sentences in the animals section is outright hilarious.
Dulingo often suggests the incorrect form of "the"
Duolingo does not "suggest" things.
The hints are meant to jog your memory. You are responsible for selecting the correct form based on the gender of the noun (which you have to learn and memorise) and the case you need in the sentence.
Here you have Bier which is neuter and Bär which is masculine.
So you need das Bier and der Bär.
This is something you need to know.
The hints for "the" should have both das and der -- and you have to know that "the beer" is das Bier and "the bear" is der Bär. The fact that das is higher or der is higher is not a "suggestion".
- 659
That will work on some (most?) cell phones.
This article at the DuoLingo wiki provides details on various keyboard layouts/input methods.
BTW: "umlaut" has only a single "m".
Bin ich der einzige, die das Bier mit dem Bär verwechselt? Ich glaubte, daß es "The bear is strong, the bear is weak."
The word "the" occurs twice in this sentence; in "the beer", it has to be translated das Bier, in "the bear"; it has to be translated der Bär.
Duolingo isn't smart enough to know which "the" has to be der and which has to be das, so it will show both der and das for both of the "the"s, in the same order.
You cannot rely on the topmost one to be "the right answer" -- they're hints, not answers.
So as long das comes up in the list of hints, it's fine.
Ah but it is. It's not that hard of an addition to check the words immediately surrounding the sentence, as proven by such logic in other courses. There's already enough of a database to determine if the user's input is correct, adding that same data in the hints is easy as pie. They just haven't got around to it yet in this specific course because there's a fucktonne more languages and courses to check.
I just report it and move on. Literally no reason to get into the comments over it. The comments are here for discussion as to the actual lesson, not technical issues.
How do you know when it is either "Der" "Die" or "Das"
You have to look up each noun in a dictionary and memorise the gender and the plural form.
any tips?
Sorry. No shortcuts, in general.
Gender and plural form are mostly unpredictable and simply have to be memorised.
OMG why does Duo not put the correct word first in the tips?!?!?! Grrr.
- 659
OMG!!! Maybe to push us to learning rather than parroting?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?
A "tip" is not intended to be the correct answer; it is intended to guide you to the correct answer.
why does Duo not put the correct word first in the tips?
Because it doesn't actually understand English or German.
So when it sees that the word "the" occurs twice in the English sentence, it's not smart enough to know which one goes with the der (Bär) and which one goes with the das (Bier).
So it simply puts both der and das into the hints for "the" and trusts that learners will be able to select the correct one.
They're hints, after all, not "suggestions" or "recommendations" or "answers".
Are you smarter than a computer?
I guess if we wanted to say "the beer is strong", we wouldn't use "stark" - or would we?
Could anyone explain in ' Das Madchen isst Äpfel ' if it was the apples , would it be 'den Äpfel '?
if it was the apples , would it be 'den Äpfel '?
No; it would be die Äpfel -- as the direct object, you need the accusative case, thus you would use the plural accusative article die.
den would be masculine accusative (wrong number/gender) or plural dative (wrong case).
I understand the number is more so it is not 'den' but 'die'. But gender wise too die is correct right?
There are no gender distinctions in the plural in German -- in a way, plural acts like a fourth gender alongside masculine, feminine, and neuter.
"Bier" and "Bär" sound exactly the same, so if ur not a native speaker how could you tell the difference between them?
The difference is similar to that between "beer" and "bear" in English, or "ear" and "air".
genau JuanitaXio! es muss heißen: der Bär ist schwach und das Bier ist stark. Also genau umgekehrt ... Sonst macht das keinen Sinn! Ich bin deutschsprachig.
- 1325
Then you didn't answer it correctly. I know you think you did but obviously you didn't.
- 659
Not if you don't work at it, it doesn't. You have to try, though.
A suggestion: spell your words correctly and use proper punctuation. Even in the comments. It will help put you in the right frame of mind for learning a foreign language.
What a stupid phrase to teach and learn!!! Why should i compare beer with bear and why beer is weak and why should i even care??????!!!!! YOLO Duo!!
- 1325
Get over yourself. All those words are commonly used both in German and English. The phrases themselves are also common in both languages. The juxtaposition of the two phrases helps reinforce understanding the gender differences in the attached articles.
- 659
You seem to be misunderstanding what is being taught here. Die Eule is teaching vocabulary, grammar, and short (idiomatic) phrases. There is no intention for you to memorize the sentences as pieces to plug into conversations. Study (understand) how and why the sentences are composed, and then create your own, relevant sentences.
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I put the same correct answar you put down . You should not put me wronge just to make me loose harts and pay
I put the same correct answar you put down .
Then it was marked correct.
Right?
Do you have a screenshot showing your answer and Duolingo's response? If so, please share it with us -- upload it to a website somewhere such as imgur and post the URL of the image in your comment.
Just complaining here, without proof, does not help anybody. It won't result in bugs getting fixed and it won't help you or others learn.
