107 Comments
He's not a real waiter, being a waiter and actor, sans article. He is just acting like a waiter. Whether he puts on a fine performance and acts like a good waiter or not, I don't know. But he is definitely not actually a good waiter or he wouldn't have to act like one. His main problem is his lack of an article. If he only had an article he could then be a waiter and an actor, both.
Anyone else think duolingo has a thing against actors? Between "the cops blame the actor" and "the actor is ugly"
Leaving out the "an" changes the meaning. "He is a waiter and actor" implies that he has one job which entails both waiting and acting (maybe a cabaret show?) Whereas "He is a waiter and an actor", means he has two separate jobs/careers. I.e. Like most actors, he is not getting enough work, so he waits tables to supplement his acting income.
i don't think they should penalise us for hour bad english grammer thats just to depressing. I'm trying two learn spanish hear people not lern how bad my english is. Dam it if i want two screw up another langwidge I will. edit:spelling
I hate when they count things wrong over little things like that. I left out the "an" and was counted incorrect as well!
I think they should. That's how I learn. If I get things right, even though I'm wrong, I won't pay as much attention to the correction.
I would agree except it does send you back to the start of the whole lesson....
This is another example of Duo choosing one particular (and for me previously unheard) word for something. I previously learned that "waiter" is "mesanero" or "camarero". I think that a good part of the Spanish speaking world does not use "mesero", so we should at least be presented with alternatives.
Good to see reports from the likes of yourself. I get sick of conjectures.
I feel a little lost on this one. In Venezuela, I think my wife's family used mesonero. However I looked it up and found innkeeper, host, and landlord. In a small establishment a host or innkeeper could also be waiting tables. So I am not sure where we stand on this. Anyhow, at 2AM I don't think I will wake my wife to check with her. Where was your exposure to the word?
Mesero was correct, mesonero was a typo. Mesero is correct everywhere in Latin America.
why is not "el es UN mesero"? directly translated it sounds like "he is waiter" I've seen lessons before that do this as well, but not all the time.
Spanish does not use the article when simply stating professions / occupations. The exception is when you are modifying it with an adjective. Consider the following...
"Él es ingeniero" = "He is an engineer"
"Él es un buen ingeniero" = "He is a good engineer"
You can find more on when articles are not needed in Spanish here...
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/omitting-articles-in-spanish.html
The reason it seems odd to you is because the language is Spanish. It is a mistake to expect to work like English.
knock knock knock Penny? knock knock knock Penny? knock knock knock Penny?
"Server" should also be accepted, don't you think? That seems to be the correct term these days.
I got it wrong because I did not type the "a" in front of waiter I thought I was learning Spanish here, not English
Others are learning English with the same material in the same time. But I got it 'wrong' too. The missing 'a' it is a minor thing and should just be mentioned, not counted as error.
Why is un/una left out of these sentences sometimes yet we are expected to know that it's supposed to be there?
Are spanish articles needed when describing jobs? In previous examples, saying, "él es un sacerdote" resulted in incorrect translations. In this lesson, I have already seen two forms of this sentence: one with articles saying, "él es un mesero y un actor," and one this one that does not possess any articles.
Spanish does not usually use articles with professions. Soy maestra - I am a teacher Él es pintor - He is a painter I do not know why the articles are included here.
Mesero/a is Latin American - I've never heard it used here in Spain, even by friends from that continent.
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I think that the DL Spanish course is very Mexican Spanish orientated. My spanish is really good as I've spent lots of time in Spain. I thought I'd look at the DL Spanish course for practice and to learn some obscure words. But the pronunciation is really strange to me, plus some words - maybe it's Mexican Spanush rather than mainland/Iberian Spanish? I think I might stop my DL Spanish and just watch Spanish TV instead
Why is "un" not required before mesero and actor? I just had a question prior that included them and translated the same.
Shouldn't their be a personal 'a' here? I got it wrong due to inserting it.
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I put he is an actor and a waiter. I just switched the two and it counted it wrong
So, is he so good of an actor that he is a waiter? Is this like a messed up metaphor?
That's like being a laborer when you know Joe Barbaro. It just don't happen.
= A and AN in english...... hijo y hija ( wrong ) , hijo E hija ; padre Y hijo (wrong ) padre E hijo ; un hombre sabio Y ilustrado (wrong) un hombre sabio E ilustrado , un hombre correcto Y interesante (wrong) un hombre correcto E interesante , etc.------ do you want to practice the spanish language?...... i want to practice the english . see you soon.
For those in the business, this is far more plausible than most realize.
He works in a dinner theater. I went to high school with him. Better waiter than actor, I'm afraid.
Nothing to do with the conversation here but DL says I'm 59% fluent. I imagine that I would be lucky to be 5% fluent
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Someone tell me what happens if you DO place an article before a profession, in Spanish. "El es un mesero y un actor." Would a Spanish-speaking person know what you mean? Would you get laughed at? Would it be a dead giveaway that Spanish is not your first language?
