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- Topic: French >
- "You are eating."
"You are eating."
Translation:Vous mangez.
82 Comments This discussion is locked.
What is most used: "Tu manges." or "Vous mangez"? In what situations should I use each sentence?
If you speak to your mother or to your son or to a friend of yours, you will use "tu"
otherwise, people you meet on the street, people you respect, people older than you, your doctor, your neighbor... will get a "vous"
This may be a difficult concept for me. English speaker don't really do this.
Thanks for the help.
2101
Actually, "vous" can be either plural or singular (polite form), as explained by Sitesurf, above, and CarolannWh, below.
Vous mangez is more proper & polite than tu manges which is more likely to b used around friends
Tu manges is informal more likely to be use than vous mangez which is formal
"en train de + verb in infinitive" is a fixed phrase meaning "in the process of + verb in gerund"
I chose "Vouse mangez." but it said it was wrong, while down below, it said that was a correct answer along with "Tu manges." am i not getting something?
In English, to mean that an action is in progress at the time you speak, you use the continuous verbal form, ie verb BE + action verb in the gerund form (-ing).
• you are eating means you currently eat
In French, this verbal form does not exist (directly translated “vous êtes mangeant” is incorrect).
Therefore, you can translate either “tu manges/vous mangez” or “tu es /vous êtes en train de manger”, where the construction verb être + en train de + infinitive correctly expresses the English continuous form.
You probably did what I did. I selected Tu Manges and Vous Mangeons, but the latter was wrong. Vous Mangez is would have also been correct, but that wasn't one of the options.
this is so weird it hasn't taught me what it means yet so this is not helping me learn.
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DuoLingo's style of teaching is by trial and error. You try something, it tells you whether you got it right or not, and if not, what the correct answer should be. It's a lot like the way we learn our first language. If you are expecting more in the way of preparation, you may be in the wrong place.
If you want to supplement your learning, check out the many lessons available at About.com: http://french.about.com/
If you look down the left side of the page, there are links to vocabulary lessons and grammar lessons and much more. It's a good place to go when you are puzzled over something you see here.
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This is directed at whoever is in charge of building/maintaining these lessons:
I think the problem is that we haven't been taught this "etre en train de" construction up to this point - and in fact, it doesn't seem to appear anywhere else in these materials other than this particular question. According to what we've been taught so far, the only correct answer is the one that begins with "Tu manges...". The answer that begins with "Vous etes en train de manger..." only appears on this question and nowhere else, at least that I've come across, and in this format (radio-button-selection options) there's no explanation for how this construction works.
So, as a learner, the solution would be to either reformat this question so that this "Vous etes en train de manger..." construction doesn't appear as a possible answer (because as far as we beginners know, it's a wrong answer and we have no information to tell us that it is a correct answer at this point, other than this discussion thread); or, include some instruction on this construction prior to this question, so that when we see this answer appear in the list of options, we'll understand why it's a correct answer.
French is confusing enough as it is without this extra confusion thrown in! :-)
My solution says 'Vous êtes en train de manger' is the right answer. And I have never come accros any of these words before in the beginners lessons. I really think 'Tu manges' should be the right answer. Please someone help as I am not able to score in this lesson. :(
If the English sentence is in continuous present: "you are eating", you can always translate it to a French present = "tu manges/vous mangez".
However, Duolingo also accepts and suggests the French way of expressing that an action is in progress at the time you speak: "tu es/vous êtes en train de manger", where "en train de + infinitive" means "in the process of + gerund".
There are two pronouns and 3 meanings in French, corresponding to the English "you":
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tu manges is familiar, what you use to talk to a member of your family, a friend or a colleague
-
vous mangez is formal, what you use to talk to someone you don't know, or you owe respect to, like a teacher, a policeman, a doctor.
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vous mangez is also the plural "you (all)".
I marked "Tu manges" and Duolingo said that that's wrong and the correct translations are: -Vous mangez -Tu manges.
I don't understand why Duolingo told me that I was wrong.
i marked 'Vous mangez' and they said i have to use 'tu'. How would i know where to use a formal verb and where to be casual?
It's helpful to utilize conjugation tables like this one: http://conjugator.reverso.net/conjugation-french-verb-manger.html
- Je mange (I eat)
- Tu manges (You eat)
- Il/elle mange (He/She eats)
- Nous mangeons (We eat)
- Vous mangez (You eat - plural or formal)
- Ils/Elles mangent (They eat)
Why the 'z' in "vous mangez"? why isn't it "vous manges"? in what words does the 'z' appears?
For the same reason that we say "I eat", but "he eats" in English. It's just that the conjugation of verbs in French is more complex than in English. You can use conjugation tables if you're not sure, such as this one: http://conjugator.reverso.net/conjugation-french-verb-manger.html
- je mange = I eat
- tu manges = You eat (you informal)
- il/elle mange = He/she eats
- nous mangeons = We eat
- vous mangez = You eat (you formal/polite or You plural)
- ils/elles mangent = They eat
Wow. I went though YEARS of French in college and was only one semester away from getting a minor in the language and they never taught the 'Vous êtes en train de manger' form.
No wonder I never felt like I was really learning the language while in school. They weren't exactly exhaustive in their lessons. Tuition wasted!
Can somebody please explain me why the sentence couldn't be tu es manges....m just a beginner...help please
Because in french, manges mean are eating. So you technically said "you is are eating" which is not grammatically correct.
"you are eating" is a continuous present, which does not exist in French.
Therefore, there are two ways to translate this phrase:
- with simple present: tu manges
- with an idiomatic phrase conveying the idea that the action is in progress at the time you speak: "tu es en train de manger", with "en train de + infinitive" meaning "in the process of + gerund".
Two correct answers, I choose one of the listed correct answers, it's marked as wrong even with the green check mark. This question should be fixed, or at least tell me what context the question is being asked. If I'm to use the 'respectful verb' at least tell me that or remove the "less correct" answer.
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I am constantly getting confused between when to use 'mange' and 'manges'. Any advice on how to remember?
- 253
"Manges" is the 2nd person singular form of the present tense of the verb "manger" - it goes with "tu" (you) and only with "tu".
"Mange" can be either 1st person singular, or 3rd person singular - it goes with "je" (I) or with "il" (he or it - m.), "elle" (she or it - fem.) or "on" ("one").
A good resource is a verb conjugation website: http://www.conjugation-fr.com/conjugate.php?verb=mangerx=0y=0
There you can see all the different possible endings (don't be scared, you won't be learning all of them for some time yet - ha.)
Cheers
what if i am using "tu" how am i supposed to get the difference between the command form "tu mange" and "tu manges"?
"tu mange" is not correct, it is the verbal form of "je" or "il/elle/on".
Generally speaking, all verbal forms related to pronoun "tu" end with an -s : tu manges, tu finis, tu prends, tu vois...
Note: a few ones end with an -x: tu veux, tu peux...
One main difference between french and English is that each pronoun has it's own form of verb conjugation, contrary to English were the verb stays the same except in third person and past tenses. I suggest when you see a new verb you check out that verb's conjugation to see how each pronoun modifies the verb.
In the vocabulary section you can look up the words you've seen and click them, at the bottom you see the conjugation table.
I used "manges" instead of "mangez," and it told me "You used the you form 'manges' instead of the you form 'mangez'." Why is "manges" incorrect here if they're both "you forms?" Is one used for "vous" and the other for "tu?"
One main difference between french and English is that each pronoun has it's own form of verb conjugation, contrary to English were the verb stays the same except in third person and past tenses.
I suggest when you see a new verb you check out that verb's conjugation to see how each pronoun modifies the verb.
In the vocabulary section you can look up the words you've seen and click them, at the bottom you see the conjugation table. http://duolingo.com/#/word/fr/manger/Verb
All verbs are conjugated in French, which means that for each 'person' (name, noun or personal pronoun), the verb form changes in ending.
Verb manger in present tense: je mange, tu manges, il/elle/on mange, nous mangeons, vous mangez (polite singular and plural), ils/elles mangent.
One main difference between french and English is that each pronoun has it's own form of verb conjugation, contrary to English were the verb stays the same except in third person and past tenses. I suggest when you see a new verb you check out that verb's conjugation to see how each pronoun modifies the verb. In the vocabulary section you can look up the words you've seen and click them, at the bottom you see the conjugation table. http://duolingo.com/#/word/fr/manger/Verb
both should be acceptable because "you are eating" could be directed to a group of people or a singular person.
I put as the correct answer the first one. The exercise considered this sentence like wrong, but one of the correct options is the same that I signed. I didn´t understand.
First time I did this, I chose vous manges and it was wrong. Now I chose Tu manges and I am still wrong! Am I doing something wrong here?
I don't know what Duo suggests as correct answers on this one, but what I can tell you is that there are 4 possible translations:
tu manges or tu es en train de manger
vous mangez or vous êtes en train de manger
- pls read the rest of the thread for other comments.
the reason is that French is not a translation of English, and vice-versa.
you are eating would translate to vous êtes mangeant, but it is not correct French: the progressive present simply does not exist in French.
so, you are eating = tu manges OR tu es en train de manger
"Tu es en train de manger." Is this form of continuous really used in everyday French? Is it more common to say Tu manges or tu es en train de manger?
Context would tell: if someone phones you while you are eating your lunch, you may say "je suis en train de manger".
Un train is a train, in general, ie a transportation means, but also a group of things, like "un train de mesures" = a package / a series of measures.
"en train de" is an idiom meaning "in the process of".
Kenzi, my understanding is when you are just doing something right now like you are eating this moment, a French person would say "vous etes (I don't know how to type the circumflex on e yet, excusez-moi!) en train de manger" because the French language does not have the -ing form. you will not find it in beginners' lessons.
Tu es en train de manger exactly means that you are eating right now (en train de = in the process of)
The part that I do not understand is "en train de" in this sentence. I would have said "Vous mangez."
"être en train de + infinitive" = "to be in the process of + gerund".
Since the French language does not have continuous tenses, we use a phrase to replace them when we want to express that the event is in progress at the time we speak.
- you are eating = either "tu manges/vous mangez" or "tu es/vous êtes en train de manger"
Why did Duolingo not write "You (all) are eating", as they do in other languages? There mere absence of that "all" word made me choose the "tu" form (tu manges) over "vous mangez". PLEASE try to be more consequent, Duolingo! (I am studying Italian as well, where the "You (all) is ever-present in the early lessons. I'd say it is MORE needed here, in the French studies!)
- 2101
In English, the "all" is not generally included, even in parenthesis to show that it is plural. So the English "you" may be either singular or plural.
Vous can also be used when talking formally as well as plural. So I guess you can use it in this context.
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Any one of "Tu manges" or "Vous mangez", OR "Tu es en train de manger", or "Vous êtes en train de manger" should be accepted by DL. All are correct translations of the given French sentence.
You all have certainly learned it now, right? In the end, is the object to learn the language or to finish a lesson with full hearts? I'm fairly certain no one is going to forget this particular sentence after being blindsided by it. In my opinion, I think that is more effective than to give a specific lesson on it.
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Actually, no, I haven't learned it. I learned that I need to click that answer in order for it to be considered "correct," but not why, or how to use it to make new sentences. And I use the computer-based Duolingo mostly, not the mobile app, so "full hearts" doesn't usually apply - and that's not the point anyway. Pedagogically speaking, this is very weak (and I say that as I am a teacher myself).
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There are no lessons here, other than a few helpful hints that have fairly recently been added to the beginners' levels. The method of instruction is trial and error, pretty much the way we all learned our first language. DL just gives you sentences to transcribe or translate and you do the best you can. You are bound to make mistakes, and then you learn something from it.
Supplemental information is (somewhat spottily) provided on these discussion pages, and helpful people often post links they have found to more explanatory web pages.
A good resource is http://french.about.com/. There are links there to many, many lessons on both vocabulary and grammar, as well as other information.
- 421
Yeah, thanks. It's not like I'm an idiot or anything - I actually keep about a dozen other webpages open as resources while I'm "DuoLingo-ing" because I've learned (yep, through trial and error, other wise known as "the hard way") that DuoLingo doesn't teach things well at all. I need those other resources to actually learn - DL is just for practice and repetition. So in future, I'll keep in mind to not bother posting things here or suggesting improvements (because I do see a number of ways this could be improved, but clearly that's not the point).
