"The family is on vacation."

Translation: Die Familie macht Urlaub.

[MyDarlin1]

Why did they just teach me Urlaub and now only accept Ferien? I think DL needs many more 'pop-up' explanations to facilitate learning.

[madsleo]

I agree there should be more pop up explanations. Maybe it would make the app slower? Have the people behind Duolingo explained their thoughts?

[daniloleiter]

They accept Urlaub and Ferien

[mouss12]

'Die Familie ist auf Ferien'
not accepted!

[psychokat]

Why not: "Die Familie ist auf Urlaub"?

[Max714]

That does sound slightly weird, you will not find Germans use that.

[bwyatt94]

Yah but those Austrians, though!

[AlexMcMorran]

So is family always treated as singular in German? Because both 'The family is on vacation' and 'the family are on vacation' could work in English, but Duo didn't accept 'Die Familie machen Urlaub'.

[flying-elephant]

The plural of family in German is die FamilieN - you wrote the singular form (Familie) in your sentense with a verb for plural and that is why your sentense is not correct.

[A_Drunken_Sailor]

Yeah, I'd say the same is true in English. Family is pretty much always singular.

[Ngsihiu]

DUO gives "Die Familie ist in den Ferien" as one of the correct solutions. I wonder if anyone would be so kind to explain why it uses "in den Ferien"? Isn't Ferien neuter? And why the "in" instead of "auf"? I can't wrap my head around

[flying-elephant]

Ferien doesn't have a singular form, it's only plural - die Ferien.
In dative the plural 'die' transforms to 'den'.

[Ngsihiu]

Thanks!

[Amurrio]

Is it correct to say: Die Familie Urlaben?

[Ngsihiu]

Is that a typo? Also, Die Familie is treated as singular, given Urlaben is correct, it'd be something like urlabt(?).

[Amurrio]

Yes, it's my mistake. Die Familie is singular and should be urlaubt. Thanks

[fehrerdef]

this is not an existing verb in German (though it would probably understood as funny way to phrase it)

[morf23]

and why macht? is something in english like: the family makes vacation?
Is there any other way to say that the family is on vacation?

[deactivated user]

I do not understand this either. Can someone explain?

[Mehcdyoll]

Die Familie ist im Urlaub.

[leonie1st]

Oder: die Familie ist auf Reisen!

[fehrerdef]

"auf Reise(n)" ist nicht das gleiche wie "im Urlaub"/"in den ferien".

[yaliyev]

How would you say this with "Ferien"?

[Max714]

I'd go for "Die Familie hat Ferien."

[HelcioTJ]

Duolingo accepted "Die Familie macht Ferien." and also "Die Familie hat Ferien."

[A_Drunken_Sailor]

Why is the den required?

[ArvindhMani]

Could you tell us the whole sentence (with the den) that Duo suggested?

[andrey420]

I would rather say 'macht einen /der Urlaub'

[AhmadMashan]

They didn't accept that

[adishaines]

Die Familie ist im Urlaub is accepted

[Martin536115]

"in", "auf", "an" [Urlaub] -- it's a crap-shoot! (And I lost with "am Urlaub") Oh well, repetition will make the right one sound natural eventually.