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- "¿Las señoras hablan inglés o…
"¿Las señoras hablan inglés o español?"
Translation:Do the ladies speak English or Spanish?
133 Comments
626
I answered " Do the women speak English or Spanish?" I got it wrong! DL suggested that I use "ladies" instead of "women". Seriously?
We are here to learn Spanish. If duo accepts women as translation for señoras. How will we learn the difference between "mujeres" and "señoras"?
"Ladies" in this sentence provides the formality that the Spanish "señoras" brings. If the original wanted "women", it would have said "mujeres." Yes, there is a difference in English between ladies and women.
Still marked wrong in June 2019. Come on, Duo, women and ladies are the same thing!
to call somebody a lady is more polite and formal than just calling somebody a woman, which is the difference
Not sure when this answer was accepted but I submitted the exact same answer and it was accepted on 10/28/2020. "Mujeres" also mean "women."
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Greetings, Elvensong14. "Mujeres" translates as "women". "Senoras (add accent)" translates as "ladies". Duo may be willing to relax the rules on this, but there is a difference between the two. All the best t you and yours.
How do you know it is not "Are the women speaking English or Spanish" instead of "Do the women...."
"Are the ladies speaking english or spanish?" is accepted, so your answer was probably marked wrong because duolingo wants you to use the word ladies instead of women.
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Only by the context. There is a tense which expresses something is happening now, that would be "están hablando", i.e. estar + participle. (I already finished the German-Spanish course and learned that there; English speakers know the concept of continuous tenses, they don't exist in German.)
it is not "are " because the women or ladies that "you" are speaking to are not speaking any language when you said that . but if they were speaking any language you would not even have to ask them GOOD LUCK christesp
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I know I was born in the stone age, but surely there is still a clear difference in the meanings of "ladies" and "women". To me, it is on the same level as the difference between, "Excuse me, sir", and "Hey, you!"
If I'm speaking about them, I'd mostly use them synonymously, but "ladies" comes across as more polite than "women".
You might address a group of women as "Good afternoon, ladies!", but would possibly get clouted with a handbag if you said "Hello women!"
The comments on this and some other topics show some basic flaws in this approach: (1) This is not an English course. Yet the user interface is in English. (2) This is not a translation course. But for most questions the students are asked to translate an English text into Spanish or re-write Spanish sentences in English. The problems are obvious. I don't know what percentage of the people using this course are fluent in English. Shortcomings on that side may make it difficult to accomplish the task. Translating a text means that you first need to understand the meaning. Then you put that meaning into the target language, preserving the style and level of formality or informality. That may mean that the structure of the original sentence changes.
But that is not how duolingo works. You are expected to translate the original text almost word for word. I have noticed that even moving the word "sometimes" (a veces) from the end to the middle of a sentence upsets the system. So, now I stick to word for word translation. I have also learned to use American terms instead of British English. I also pay attention to what preposition I am expected to use. I'm learning how to please the system - and I may even learn some Spanish in the process.
So, unless you know of a better free course, keep your head down and do as the Big Brother says.
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English is my first language and I translated this word for word and still got it wrong soo...
I said "do the ladies talk in english or spanish?", but got it wrong... what is the difference between talk and speak?
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The differences are subtle but real. When it is about languages, we use 'speak'. IMO your translation is reasonable but has a slightly different meaning. Check out https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/speak-or-talk
'Ladies' is used in the UK but is really becoming seen as a bit quaint. Most of the time people would say 'women'
Reported this and got feedback today that 'women' will be accepted as well as 'ladies'
Now it is going to take longer for those who don't know the difference between mujeres and señoras to learn the difference between the two words. Nice going, genius.
A consistent problem with Duolingo. Questions are not asked as questions (go back an listen to the audio). This sentence is "The ladies speak English or Spanish." The problem is amplified because there is no consistency to subject-verb placement in Spanish. Ugh. [and while we're at it, I read this as "Ladies speak English or Spanish" and not "THE ladies"]
I put "Are the ladies speaking English or Spanish?" And it was marked wrong. Just out of curiosity, how would you say "Are the ladies speaking English or Spanish?" In Spanish. Let me know. I feel like owl hunting tonight.
Am i missing something? Do the women speak English or Spanish? Was marked as incorrect.
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Los verbos están mal usados. En español no es lo mismo "hablar" que "estar hablando". La traducción de Duplingo es incorrecta. Las mujeres pueden hablar inglés, español, francés y ruso pero en este momento estar hablando en español. Duolingo confunde y traduce mal.
"Do the women speak English or Spanish?" - That was what I submitted and what was accepted today 12/3/19.
I realized that I didn't know the difference between ladies and women once I saw the correct answer. I know now though.
- 222
I would say "ladies" is patronising rather than "quaint", however it is useful to know what the most direct translation is, particularly if that informs what you might want to avoid
- 2013
Ewan83, Trust me, I'm glad I'm not a man trying to figure out what to call a woman these days! But to err on the side of respect is better than to show disrespect, IMO! I LIKE respect and polite behavior; I believe the world could use more of it! I don't pay a lot of attention to "politically correct" speech, personally.
Like EugeneTiffany said above, I think Duo is trying to teach the difference between Señoras y mujeres.
I think you simply remove the question marks and change the inflection in your voice, Las señoras hablan inglés o español.
Las is definite article for Femlaes and Los is for Males, Right? Do we have for neuter?
In other questions. Are speaking, they use hablan. So why was my answer wrong. (Are the women speaking English or Spanish?)
You can use "Madam" when addressing a señora, but you wouldn't use it in the plural in English.
In the drop down and was an option. Speak English and Spanish was a MUCH BETTER CHOICE than speak English or Spanish. Geez Duo.
Howver, the sentence says "o" (or) not "y" (and). The dropdowns can be --- and often are --- misleading. They are computer generated and don't always suit the context.
You have the language names in the wrong order; it should be "English or Spanish" ("inglés o español").
It might seem a trivial difference, but the order is important to make sure people are correctly identifying the words.
Your translation refers to all ladies, instead of the ladies in question. You missed the article ("the ladies").
'Ladies' is 'they' not 'you'. 'Do they speak English or Spanish?' 'Who?' 'The ladies'.
Lady's (with the apostrophe) is the possessive of lady as in "the lady's. hat." The plural form is ladies.
Jon, there is no word for "those" in the Spanish sentence. "las" is just the definite article, not a demonstrative adjective.
"those women" would be "esas mujeres" (nearby) or "aquellas mujeres" ('over there').
See this page about demonstratives on studyspanish.com
Shouldn't I be able to use "las señoras" when referring to married women as the interlocutors, the sentence then being translated as "do you speak English or Spanish?"
The article, in this case, "las" is not used when speaking TO someone (or someones). However, you could ask "Señoras, ¿hablan Ingles o español?
I am not understanding why I had the question wrong for grammatical purposes. My response was Does the women speak English or Spanish
You can tap on somebody's Duolingo name in the comments and it will take you to their profile you can see a lot of things it tells you about that particular persons stuff like what language they are learning and you can see what league they are in. What friends they have. There is also a chart that tells you about your xp and compares you with the person who is looking.
Yes, it's very wrong. 'Madams' can be used in a completely different context, which I'll leave you to research.
if anyone is asking"are the ladies speaking English or Spanish right,here is the answer. so if you were asking them you would not even have to ask because"are" means they are doing something right now so if they are speaking a language you would know witch one it is or was if you speak English
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I am not an expert, but I think that the Spanish equivalent of your answer would be: "Senoras, ustedes hablan ingles o espanol?" (Please excuse the lack of accents and up-side-down question mark.)
I swear I looked for 'the' and couldn't find it. I couldn't move the correction screen to see if it was actually there though, so I might have just spaced it.
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Greetings. SInce my previous comment on this post, I have learned a bit. My current understanding yields a translation of, "Do the ladies speak Spanish or English?" My only ongoing question has to do with punctuation. In English, without proper punctuation, this sentence could mean, "Do the ladies speak Spanish, or do they speak English?" OR it could mean, "Do the ladies speak (either) English or Spanish?" The difference is in whether the ladies speak only Spanish, or only English; or, whether they speak English or Spanish, equally. "Las senoras hablan ingles o espanol?" means, "Do the ladies speak either English or Spanish?". "Las senoras hablan ingles, or espanol?" means, "Do the ladies speak English, or do they speak Spanish?"
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No, because the Spanish sentence puts English first - English or Spanish not Spanish or English.
I would recommend that you never use 'madams' in the plural as it has another meaning that would be extremely inappropriate here. This sentence isn't speaking directly to the ladies, it is asking someone else a question about the ladies. If question were being directed at the ladies, it would be, 'Do you speak English or Spanish, ladies?'
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No, not quite. As a form of address, with no actual name being used, the speaker would say, "Ma'am, do you need help?" (Just an example.) "Ma'am" is the accepted contraction of "Madam", or "Madame". But in Duo's question, the proper translation is "ladies". There will probably be objections from some who feel that there should be no difference between "ladies" and "women", but I am old-school, and in my mind there is a clear (sometimes very clear) difference. I hope that this explanation helps.
NishminCoo your suggestion - "son hablan" - combines two conjugated, personal, verb forms, something like saying in English "are speak".
As in English, the progressive/continuous tense in Spanish is formed using a verb + participle (gerundio). Spanish uses "estar" not "ser" as the conjugated verb so "they are speaking" could be translated as "están hablando".
See this ThoughtCo article on the Spanish progressive.
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I put spanish or english instead of english or spanish - does jt really matter as ling as i know which is which? Gr.
But how is DuoLingo to know that you know which is which, if you put them in the wrong order?
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This is the last question and it will not accept 'do you ladies speak english or spanish' so I cant procede.
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Greetings, RojoRogers. Can you show me the answer that you used? That is the only way for me to check for errors.
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Hello, Julie204804. So sorry, but especially in North American English, the two words do have different connotations. Aside from that, I am confident that no English conversation would include the question, "Do the madames speak English or Spanish?" Please take my word that "ladies" is the preferred translation here. All the best, and may you and yours stay safe in this turbulent time.
I answered "Does the ladies speak English or Spanish?" I was marked wrong, can any body help me?
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Greetings, Melrizza. You were very close, but you needed to use the plural form of the verb: "DO the ladies speak English or Spanish?" I hope that this helps you. Please stay safe in these uncertain times.
I wrote "are the ladies speaking in english or spanish" and Duo marked it wrong.....How?
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Hello, GetrudeAgy. Yes, I can fully understand your frustration, when the difference seems to come down to just two letters (en). However, Duo's question properly translates as, " Do the ladies speak English or Spanish?" That is different from your answer, as I am sure you will agree. As for myself, I do feel that there remains some ambiguity here. "Do the ladies speak English, or do they speak Spanish" is still different from, "Do the ladies (who are from France) speak (maybe) English, or (we hope) Spanish?" I hope that I have helped, and not merely added to the confusion. All the best.
I think you mean 'right' answer. Maybe you had a small error that you didn't notice.
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I am sorry that you feel that way, Richie835810. However, the two words are different in both languages. "Mujeres" translates as, "women", and "senoras" (apologies for lack of accent) translates as "ladies". Put aside for the moment, please, your feelings about the equivalency of "ladies", and "women", and try to consider them as different WORDS, just as "cats" and "kittens", or "rocks" and "stones" are different words. They have similarities, but they are not identical. If you really want to progress in learning Spanish with Duolingo, then my best and most heartfelt advice is to try to give up your grasp on what you hold as accurate English, and embrace Spanish, as presented in the Duo lessons. Not perfect, but pretty close, and also . . . free. All the best, and please stay safe.
I might be grammatically incorrect in English for saying "do" when using plural words.
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Hello, HeavenliBl. You did not provide your actual, complete answer, so I can only guess that you may be referring to, "Do the ladies speak English or Spanish?" This sentence is correct, with the exception of the ambiguity resulting from a lack of punctuation. This could cause the reader some confusion as to whether the question being asked is, "Do the ladies speak English, or do they (on the other hand) speak Spanish?" OR, "Do the ladies speak (one or both of) English or Spanish?" My point here is that punctuation is important. I hope that I have been able to help you. Merry Christmas, and please stay safe and well.
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Greetings, Sangho418300. Please see my answer (above) to HeavenliBl, as I think it will also answer your query. All the best in the New Year.
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New Year greetings, tylawalton. I am pretty sure that "madames" is French. I have not encountered it in any of my Spanish lessons. All the best in 2021.
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Hello, joEPQ9. Your query is not very detailed, but I assume that you are troubled by the objection to your use of "women", when the correct word here is "ladies". Putting aside all societal standards and judgments, the simple fact is that these are two different words. "Cups" and "glasses"; "plates" and "platters"; "weeds" and "flowers" . . . they all have some degree of similarity, but they are not the same. I hope this helps. All the best.
Why isnt "madams" accepted? I choose that word because duo used it to translate señoras in a previous exercise.
madam is not generally used as a synonym for woman/lady.
It is a polite form of address e.g. "Excuse me, madam...": this may be how you have seen Duo using it.
Otherwise, it may refer to a woman who runs a brothel. In British English it can describe a young girl who is "too big for her boots" e.g. "She's a right little madam".
See e.g. the definitions of madam in Cambridge Dictionary and Merriam Webster
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Hello, Wilytalk. I am just a student, like yourself, but I am a lifelong speaker of English. It is my opinion that the word "madams" has very limited use in everyday English. In the context of this question, it is my opinion that "ladies" is the only appropriate translation. All the best.
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Hello, Robert433029. I am so sorry that you are struggling with this. We all have certain things that seem particularly difficult. If you can tell me what part of the question is causing problems for you, I will do my very best to help you to deal with it.
I wrote " does the ladies speak English or Spanish" and i failed it.. Gosh why... Its really becoming frustrating. "don't and do not' mean the same thing.. but i still fail it when i use either
Yes, 'don't and 'do not' mean the same thing, but the sentence isn't negative and you put 'does', which is singular. 'Do the ladies....?'
If you are using the continuous/progressive form, you need a conjugated form of the verb be + a participle, ending in ing, not an infinitive. So, you would have to say 'Are the ladies speaking...?' NOT 'Are the ladies speak...?'
'does the ladies speak' is not grammatically correct (in standard varieties of English, at least) because does is a singular verb form and the subject, the ladies, is plural. You need to say 'Do the ladies...?'.
'Does' is a singular verb, but 'señoras' is plural. You need to say 'do'.
in english you can ask the question "the ladies speak English and Spanish? and do not need to have the Do at the start if the voice is raised at the end
Unfortunately, those who use the discussion forums can't alter Duolingo's programme. If you have a problem with the audio, please use the 'Report' button to advise them.
Women/ladies? Come on, both should be accepted with a correction advice as they do with typos at times.
I answered the question correctly and got it qrong. A portion of my previous answer was in front of my answer.
