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- Topic: Spanish >
- "Una tienda de ropa."
428 Comments
827
This course is Spanish for people who speak English, but there is also an English course for people who speak Spanish, so all of the questions would be given to you in Spanish. The structure of the course is probably a bit different too, but I haven't checked it out yet.
827
Cool, I've seen a few people taking a course and the "reverse" one, and wondered how useful that would be. Thanks for the tip!
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It's very useful. I took it from French. After finishing this tree, I will take the English one as a Spanish speaker. I am Haitian.
1339
Hello. I put, "a clothing store", and it was accepted. My only suggestion is that you try to stop making the Spanish agree totally with your native language. I think that each language has its own peculiarities. Good luck, and all the best!
554
spiceyokooko Mmmm, maybe or maybe no..
It is, sort of, or somewhat of, a "literal" translation.
However, better to say that it IS the way that Spanish turns a noun into an adjective. "Ropa" is a noun in Spanish. But "clothing" is an adjective in this sentence.
Probably it is best to say it is "literally" a "clothes" or "clothing store." Or perhaps sometimes, it is best to stay away from talk of a "literal" translation.
623
If that argument were valid, they would never accept, "My name is Marco," for what essentially means, " I call myself Marco". Nobody says "a clothes store".
1339
I can't represent the entire English-speaking world, but I don't think I have ever heard anyone say "clothes store". The choice is always "clothing store", probably because it flows more smoothly from the tongue. Incidentally, "clothing store" also keeps the English in the same singular as the Spanish. And come to think of it, I don't believe that stores are ever modified in the plural. Yes, a book store sells many books, but nobody calls it a "books store". Shoe store; hardware store; paint store . . .
679
As a native speaker of American English, "A clothing store" is the common way to say it. Maybe 'clothes store' is from another region (UK, South Africa, ...)
967
Would you say "A dress shop" if you were going to a large department store, or a boutique that primarily sold men's clothes? I would think "a dress shop" would be more specific than they mean here.
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I agree, Carolyn, that a dress shop Is a place where one goes to buy clothing - at least that is how it is referred to in my neck of the woods (Canada) - the same as in the UK. This would seem to be one of those translations that varies, depending on one’s location. I have never heard of anyone going to a “clothes store” but perhaps there are places where that is the case.
132
Tienda should be able to be translated to a store (American english) or a shop (at least in Australia we say this). Does anyone else agree?
This is meant to be English language, not American language. At least you should accept 'shop', i.e., English, as well as the American store. In English a store means a storage place, not a shop.
1339
If that is what you typed, then I think that it was marked Wrong because you were supposed to express it in English, not Spanish.
1339
Hello, Lillillieva1. I think that if you were to say this to an English-speaking person you would be more or less understood. However, it is not the way that a native English-speaker would word the thought. As I understand it, Duo's goal is not to equip us to grunt & gesture our way to understanding, but to teach us to communicate with Spanish-speakers in a smooth and accurate way. Please know that I do not mean this comment in any kind of unkind way, just as a pointer to why Duo does what it does. All the best, and please stay safe.
407
I answered "A clothing store" and it was marked wrong. The "right" answer was "a clothes store." May 18, 2019
It is very unclear how the 'speak to duolingo' works. When I click the mic button it instantly tells me I am wrong, if I hold down the mic button and speak it still says I am wrong. If I just speak into the mic it doesn't pick anything up.
I know the mic works as im using it on other apps like discord and I gave duolingo permission to use the mic via browser settings.
1339
Hello. "Tengo" is a verb, meaning, "I have". "(una) tienda" is a noun, meaning "(a) store", or "(a) shop". I hope that this helps.
1339
I agree that it should be accepted. It is the translation that I have used consistently since I first encountered "una tienda de ropa". Is there any chance that your answer may have contained a different, even minor error?
1339
I am just a student, not an expert. I have found that it is important to keep in mind that what makes sense to those of us who speak English, often is not accurate in Spanish. Spanish is not English. Some things are the same, some things are similar, and some things are totally, completely different. We are trying to learn Spanish, and this means learning all of the above. "Una tienda de ropa" means, "A clothing store". At times, Duo has also accepted, "A clothes store". More and more, I am finding that the direct translation -- even though it may be word-for-word accurate -- is not as important as the MEANING. There is no profit in arguing with Duo. Instead, learn from it. At the same time, in the back of your mind, keep in mind that even Duo occasionally makes a mistake. Those are the times to remind ourselves that Duo provides an excellent instructional service, for Free.
1339
Greetings, Armnium. Cloth is the fabric, or material, used to make clothing. I can see how you might think that "clothes" is the plural of "cloth", but that is not the case. My opinion in the ongoing debate over whether "clothing store" or "clothes store" is the better answer is in favour of "clothing store". Grammatically, both are equally correct, and I know that there are people who do say, "clothes store", but I think that the majority of English-speaking North Americans choose "clothing store". I hope I have helped you with this question. All the best, and stay safe.
1339
Hello, bridg523249. I am just a student, not an expert, but it seems that in Spanish when an object is being defined as to kind, the word "de" is required. Una tienda DE ropa. Una sopa DE pollo. Un plato DE pescado. If my explanation is inaccurate, I would appreciate hearing from someone with more expert knowledge.
1339
Hello, RagingRed. A "cloth store" would be a store one would visit to buy cloth, or fabric. "Una tienda de ropa" is a "clothing store", a retailer selling items of clothing, such as shirts and dresses. I hope that this explantation is helpful. If not, I am glad to offer additional assistance, with the understanding that I, too, am just a student. All the best, and stay safe.
1339
Hello, Samuel138978. There are many of us who agree with you that "a clothes store" doesn't "sound right". But in fact it is accurate, just more awkward when speaking than "a clothing store". I think that Duo now accepts both answers.
1339
Hello, djemmeh_jamie. Your answer is close, but not quite close enough. Una tienda de ropa, in English, would most commonly be translated as, "A clothing store", or "A clothes store." I wonder if the fact that "rops" is a singular noun caused you to think that the English noun also should be singular. Actually, that is one of the reasons that I strongly prefer "A clothing store" over "A clothes store". Both mean the same thing, though. I hope this helps you.
1339
Hello, Cath641082. Without seeing your actual answer, I can't really be sure of the problem. I can tell you that on several occasions when this has happened to me, a more detailed, letter by letter inspection of my answer has always revealed some error that I have made. Sometimes, it has been no more than a single letter, but wrong is still wrong. I hope that you are able to resolve your particular case. All the best, and please stay safe.
1339
Hello, gradiva5. Duo previously has accepted both a clothing shop, and a clothing store. It would be helpful in figuring out the problem if you could copy-paste your actual answer, in case there was another issue. All the best, and stay safe.
1339
Greetings, Soficat1101. As a word-for-word transliteration (and sometimes that is all that we can attempt), your answer is technically correct. However -- and please take my word for this, as I am a lifelong, native English speaker -- no English speaking person that I have ever have encountered would choose this wording. Most common would be, "a clothing store", and less common would be, " a clothes store". My best advice to all Duo students is to accept that Duo is a reliable language authority. Occasionally, it may make mistakes. For the most part, though, it offers FREE language instruction, with an excellent overall standard. All the best, and stay safe.
1339
Hello, _ashir_23. Spanish has its own set of grammar rules. "A clothing store" is "una tienda de ropa"; A drum store is "una tienda de tambores"; "a cheese sandwich" is "un sandwich de queso". (There should be an accent on the 'a' in sandwich). I hope this helps.
1339
Hello, multilingo_183. "Cloth" is the fabric from which clothing is made. "Una tienda de ropa" translates as, "a store of clothing", more comfortably expressed as, "a clothing store". Some might choose, "a clothes store", but I (and others, I am sure) find this wording to be awkward. I hope that this has been helpful.
1339
Meshium1, please provide a little more detail. What is it not accepting? It is always a good idea when you want help, to copy-paste your exact answer.
1339
Yes, AArCQL, that is basically the same thing. I can only point out that where I live (Canada), I have never heard anyone say "shop". Here, it is "store". I also assume that much of the United States prefers "store". If you are finding that your answers are rejected on such reasons as these, perhaps you might fare better if you were to register for British English, instead of American English. As a Canadian, I constantly find it necessary to juggle the two. All the best.
1339
Greetings, cherry2156. I can understand your confusion. However, in English, "clothes" is not the plural of "cloth". "Cloth" refers to fabrics such as cotton, linen, wool, etc., which are used to make clothing (as well as many other things). And "clothes", of course, are the garments which we wear upon our bodies. I personally think that it is important to note that although "clothes store" is technically accurate, in my experience, more people would be likely to express this as, "clothing store". I hope this has helped. All the best.
1339
Hello, christine262025. English is indeed a confusing language, even at times to those of us who are born to it. You are correct in stating that "store" can refer to a place where merchandise is stored. In my experience, that has become an uncommon use, except in specific circumstances, such as your example of a factory store room. Even there, however, I think it would be more common to refer to the room as a Storage Room, and the sign on the door would probably be, "Storage". I believe that you are right in your statement that "shop" is used more in British English, and "store" is much more common in North American English. However, I am sure that both would be understood. I am Canadian, and when I first started studying with Duo, there was no option to select Canadian English as my native language. The only choices were British or American. I tried both, and soon found that American English is more similar to my Canadian English. My strong advice is to figure out which translations Duo uses and accepts, and just use them -- even when they do not seem to make perfect sense. Occasionally, Duo changes its range of acceptable answers and translations. Overall, following Duo's guidelines allows one to progress through the lessons, and learn more Spanish. All the best.
1339
Greetings, parin944271. I am not Duo, but I suspect that your answer was rejected because it is not a wording that most native English speakers would use -- except, possibly, in some rare situations, such as: "I need a store with clothes, and shoes, and furniture, and pet supplies, and . . ." But in common use, "una tienda de ropa" would be translated as, " "a clothing store", or (less often), "a clothes store". I hope that I have been able to help, and all the best to you and yours.
1339
Greetings, Gerard499426. I think that it is very important for each of us to understand and acknowledge that variations in meaning happen in different geographic locations. I do not challenge your statement that "a store is only a large shop." However, in my part of Canada (southern Ontario), the size of the facility is not a factor. Most of us refer to the place where we go to buy retail products is, "a store". It is true that some specialty retailers, such as pet shops, are by their own definition, "shops". However, it is equally true that a husband on his way to purchase pet food, would be just as likely to say, "I am going to the pet store to get some dog food." I have found it so very, very helpful to be open to differing meanings and translations, depending upon region. All the best.
1339
Hello, William599765. "A clothing store", as a translation for "una tienda de ropa" absolutely is correct, and should be accepted. If you are sure that there were no spelling errors that could have caused your answer to be deemed incorrect, then by all means report it. I do know that Duo originally preferred "a clothes store", but did eventually change to accept "a clothing store", which -- in my opinion as a lifelong speaker of English -- is a better choice. All the best.
1339
Hello, Sheia433415. I am not 100% certain, but I think that the reason goes back to the Ancient Latin origins of Spanish (and other so-called Romance Languages). This assigning of gender can be frustrating in other languages, too. If I rememer my high school German after so many years, the word that means the same as "la senorita" (please excuse lack of accents), is "das fraulein", and the gender of "fraulein" is NEUTER. Go figure. Best advice: do not waste brain power and frustration on this one. Just accept that it is what it is, and memorize it. I hope that this helps you.
1339
Hello, Erkesh15. I think it would be helpful if Duo were to add to its marking system a category that says, "This answer is technically accurate in translating the meaning, but it is NOT the way native English-speakers would actually speak." Another side to this question is the fact that there is a subtle difference between "a store with clothes", which could be a farm equipment store that also sells a few items of clothing, such as coveralls and straw hats, and "a clothing store", which most people could reasonably expect to be a store that has clothing as the primary merchandise category. I hope that I have helped. All the best.
1339
Hello, Noam58918. Unfortunately, this is my second attempt to respond to your query; my internet messed up, and I don't think that my first answer reached you. In any case, please see my answer to Erkesh15, shown above. The problem with your answer to the question is the same: that is, it is a technically accurate transliteration, but it is not the wording that a native English-speaker would use -- not, at least, in my experience, and I have been speaking English as my mother tongue for more that seven decades. You have done really well to understand the basic meaning of the words; all that remains is for you to grasp the word order and word choice that will allow you to converse smoothly with English-speakers. Keep up the good work. All the best.
1339
Hello, Cassi991579. I have encountered that several times . . . until I looked again and noticed some small error that I had made. If you can copy-paste your original answer, and post it, I will be happy to take a look. All the best.
1339
Hello, Ashu953492. Sorry, but I do not think that I understand your statement. "Una tienda de ropa" translates to "a clothes store", or (better), "a clothing store". If you have a question about this, I will be happy to discuss it with you. Please keep in mind, though, that I too am a student, and by no means an expert. All the best, stay safe.
1339
Hello, kausar787037. Very rarely I have had the same experience, where I am certain that my answer is correct, but Duo marks it as wrong. More often, it turns out that I have made an unnoticed error in spelling, or gender, or something else that just slips by me. Sometimes, I realize my mistage right after I complain to Duo, and then I feel like an idiot! My advice to you is to copy-paste your exact, original answer, and post it here on this forum where fresh eyes might be able to see if you did or did not have an error. All the best.
1339
Hello, ph.EWZB7H. I am not sure what you mean. If you can explain in a little more detail, I will be happy to help as much as I am able. All the best.
1339
Hello, Lena765358. Sadly, I agree that Duo probably would not accept "A shop with clothes." My understanding is that Duo tries to teach us not only the most accurate translation, but also the wording that is most likely to be accepted in common conversation. In this case, as a lifetime speaker of English, I can say with some confidence that most (all?) English-speakers would be very unlikely to talk about "a shop with clothes." Best advice: identify Duo's preferred answer, use it, and be assured that at some point in future lessons, you will have an "Aha!" moment, in which the reasoning behind Duo's choices suddenly becomes clear. All the best.
Indeed. In fact, a situation where I would say "A shop with clothes" (una tienda con ropa) would be one where I was differentiating it from a clothing store (una tienda de ropa). Consider the following conversation:
- Can we stop along the way somewhere for me to get new pants? I just tore mine.
- You want me to find a clothing store?
- No, I just need a shop with clothes. A Walmart or Target is fine.
So I agree, "a shop with clothes" should not be accepted for una tienda de ropa.
1339
Hello, Christel159767. If you can copy-paste the exact answer that you submitted, I might be able to help. Sometimes, a very small mistake can slip past, and Duo will reject the answer on that basis. And sometimes, Duo is wrong (but not often.)
1339
Christmas Greetings, BillieDuff1. If your answer was submitted exactly that way, then I cannot explain the rejection. My only suggestion is to scrutinize your actual answer letter by letter, checking for any small error that might have caused the problem. If you still see no reason for the rejection, then report it. I do most strongly suggest that if in the future you have questions about your answers, please copy-paste your actual answer, so that those in the forum can review it for you in its original form. All the best to you and yours.
1339
Hello, Selena394253. I am, as you are, just a student. However, my understanding is that a "clothing store" is different from a "store with clothes", in the sense that a store "with clothes" could be a store that sells many different kinds of merchandise, and happens to include some items of clothing. On the other hand, a "clothing store" is a store which mainly sells clothing. It may or may not sell other kinds of items, but its primary class of merchandise is clothing. I hope that this explanation has been helpful to you.
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Sorry, JanPeina, but it is wrong. Please see my response to a similar query, just above. All the best to you and yours.
1339
Hello, ArtbySaree. Yes, I agree that your answer should have been accepted, UNLESS you had an error in spelling, etc. However, having said that, I do think that for most North American English speakers, the more commonly accepted translation is, " A clothing store." All the best.
Nay. 'ropa' means a garment, clothing, clothes - i.e. the items you wear.
It's not used for cloth. There are other words for cloth. See https://www.spanishdict.com/translate/cloth
33
Yes, cause in Spanish you say a store of clothes. So just like you can't drop the "of" you can't also drop the "de".
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Hi Dani_M_ Why can you say an item without the "de" Eg "Una camisa verde" And not: Una camisa de verde ?
967
Verde is an adjective, it's modifying the noun. Ropa in the original case is a noun, so it can't be used to "modify" the noun tienda.
620
In norwegian we say clothes store. Maybe not if you translate it to english but other languages it works just fine.
967
Of course there are languages in which "clothes store" works. English is not one of them, so they should not be teaching it as correct.
967
Why are there no longer as many options for reporting? This is not a good English sentence, and I wanted to report it, but I can't.
623
Because no native English speaker would say that. Certainly not in the US, Canada, Australia or the UK at least. Maybe there is some island colony somewhere where the English is a little funky anyway, but no native English speaking country where I have lived, traveled and/or have family would say it that way. It sounds terribly awkward.
623
I've lived in 10 US states and every region except New England... and I've never heard it used that way. It's orally awkward. I mean, you either have to take some extra time to work your tongue through all those adjacent consonants or it comes out sounding like, 'close store' or 'closed door'.
2 reasons: first, "ropa" doesn't mean cloth - it means clothes or clothing. Second, "a cloth store" is not a phrase we would use in English. If you really mean cloth, then we would say a fabric store/shop. If you (correctly) mean clothes we would say a clothing store/shop. You have to do more than translate literally - you need to find the closest equivalent an English speaker would actually say.
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Greetings, Prachigopa. Please show me a copy of the answer that you gave, and I will try to help sort it out
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Hello, h_._.r (I hope I got that right). Both are accurate, and acceptable. The thing to remember is that English is not a universally standardized language. Where I live, "clothing store", would be the preferred answer. But in other areas of the English-speaking world, "clothes store" is no doubt equally accurate. I think that we all need to remember that Duo is a great service that is not perfect, but is Free.
1339
Greetings, Jaber838689. As a word for word transliteration, your answer is technically accurate. However, I am a Canadian-born, lifetime English-speaker, and I have never heard a clothing store called anything other than a "clothing store". Duolingo is teaching us to use the language in a conversational way. I find it helpful to focus less on whether or not my answer is technically accurate, and more on whether or not it is the way in which ordinary people would communicate. I hope that you find this opinion helpful. All the best to you and yours, and stay safe.
1339
Hello, AnidaPathan. Is there something about this question that I might be able to help you with, or are you just . . . experimenting here?
365
Ropa means clothing, there is no need to make it plural. Saying "tienda de ropas" would translate to "clothings shop".
203
I put clothes but i was typing with my apanish keyboard so it auto corrected to something else
1339
I can offer only my opinion. While your answer is an accurate literal translation, it is not a reasonable version of conversational Spanish. If you were on your way for a day of shopping, would you really say, "I am going to a store of clothes."? More likely, you would say, "I am going to a clothing store.", or "I am going to a clothes store." Duo can be tricky. Sometimes, you just have to try to figure out what answer Duo wants. At the same time, your knowledge of the vocabulary is excellent.
If you think on it deep enough, it does, and it works the same way in your own language too (as well as many others), because "morning" is usually the origin for words describing "tomorrow" :)
In English: to+morrow. Words "morrow" and "morn" come from Old English "morgenne", the same root as the German "morgen" = "morning".
Why does it make sense? Because when is the next morning (la mañana) you will encounter? Well, it will happen tomorrow (mañana) :)
In a similar way, the words for "yesterday" in many languages are related to the word "evening". For example in Polish "wieczór" = "evening" and "wczoraj" = "yesterday".
Why is that? Because when was the most recent evening that you encountered and currently remember? Well, it happened yesterday :)
1339
There is a definite lack of consistency in Duo's scoring. Maybe it depends on your location. In any case, every time I have encountered "una tienda de ropa" I have rendered it as "a clothing store". This has never been marked as wrong. Occasionally, Duo suggests "another correct answer", which usually (always?) is, "a clothes store". To my way of thinking, speaking, and hearing,while that is of course accurate and correct, it is also awkward. Could be just my conditioning.
1339
Greetings. Really sorry, but in my almost 72 years in English Canada, I have never heard of any retailer identified as a "clothe store". I am not saying that there is no other corner of the English-speaking world where it could be used. But in thousands of conversations, TV shows, movies, books read . . . no, not once. Sometimes, getting through the lessons successfully is just a matter of figuring our which of several possible answers is the one that Duo wants. All the best, and in this time of corona virus pandemic, stay safe.
766
I wrote "A clothes' store." DL wrote that I had a typo. Can someone point out what my typo is?
1339
I suspect that the "typo" is the apostrophe after your final "s". Duo seems to lean toward "clothes", rather than "clothing" which in my unschooled opinion is the better translation. But "clothes' " is an indication of possession, and is not indicated here.
554
But in my experience, few people would call a clothing store a "store of clothes."
I have a store of clothes (clothes stored) in my clothes closet. But they aren't available for sale. I don't think many people refer to Target or Pennys as stores of clothes .
"Hi, Honey. I'm going the store of clothes to shop" sounds very strange. ("Suena muy raro.")
I typed "store of clothes" into Google, and it gave me mostly "clothing stores."
Remember that the "literal" translation may not be the best, or even a good, translation.
How would you translate: "me llamo..." (I call my self..").
Try these. These are all Spanish phrases that should not be translated literally. (I have given the appropriate translation.):
"a voz en grito" – loudly, at the top of one´s lungs.
"cuando las ranas críen pelos" - “When pigs learn to fly”.
"dormir como un lirón" -- "to sleep a lot; sleep like a dog."
"en cueros " -- "in the buff", naked.
"meterse en el sobre" – To hit the hay/go bed.
"ni soñarlo!" – In your dreams!/No way!
1339
Yes, sorry, but "cloth" is incorrect. Has to be clothes or clothing, or maybe garments. Good luck.