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- Topic: French >
- "Une poubelle de bureau"
52 Comments
Even 'wastebasket' is kind of antiquated in 'Merica. I think most people here would just call it a trash can.
509
It's also called a wastepaper bin or basket in Australia and I suspect the rest of the Commonwealth.
I'm not sure I agree (I'm Australian) - It would have been called a "wastepaper bin" by my parents in the 90s, but paper is recycled these days. we call the small bins at work... wait for it... "bins". "office bin" and "desk bin", while both unnatural sounding, would be more likely to be used these days at my work than "wastepaper bin".
- 509
You're right about generally calling such items "bins" - I certainly do and we abbreviate things all the time - but I was thinking more of a specific type of bin which I presume a "desk bin" is. For example in our office we say recycling bin or waste paper bin to distinguish them from bins with another purpose and at home we say kitchen bin when we are talking about a bin with a specific use or in a particular room.
Er, no. In England English. Trash can in America, certainly. Here it's wastepaper.
- 860
I said "an office basket" and was dinged for it, and where I may have misinterpreted "bureau" in this case as office and not desk, here in my part of the US we certainly say basket or wastebasket. To me trash bin is something larger and holding items that would never be found in an office or at a desk., think restaurant kitchen or outside a business. Just as there are many varieties of English--UK ,NZ AU, to mane a few,--the US has so many regional differences that one cannot say that something is unequivocally translated as this or that. And specific usage would tend to make me say one thing or another as each specific situation required. Just my two cents.
- 602
In Germany we would call a bin in an office also wastepaper bin, I was confused from this sentence as well.
Me , too, but the comments here are priceless and I almost am glad DL marked it wrong or I never would have read all these funny entries that are so good for a laugh.
We must keep a sense of humor.Sometimes, one has to laugh at the difficulties in translating a simple word into another language without coming up with some really weird expressions. The good thing is that we are learning some vocabulary and basic sentence structure and appreciating the combined knowledge of so many talented linguists.
i put "office trash can" and was told to put "a" in front. Actually it should be "AN"
A bin of office? Is that like the badge of office, you get a special bin to mark your superior status?
How about the French expression? Can anyone tell us if "poubelle de bureau" is a common expression in France?
I think "poubelle à papier" or "corbeille à papier" is more common, but "poubelle de bureau" is actually used as well.
An office waste bin and I got it wrong as well! But I agree reading this page is priceless! Just read all comments again and have tears in my eyes. A desk bin. Classic. Bin for desks???
When does bureau mean desk and when does it mean office? Like many people on this thread, I answered 'An office wastebasket." Most discussions focus on the translation of 'poubelle', but, maybe it is the translation of 'bureau' that is screwing us up.
Shouldn't poubelle be in the Objects skill? I understand that the Places skill refers to real places where people can be...
"A desk bin" is not a concept in American English. It's a waste basket or waste paper basket, but actually, they hardly exist anymore in American offices. Recycling bins have replaced them in most offices, and that's where most of the waste paper goes.
Wastepaper basket, waste bin, dustbin, circular file! All are possible translations!!!
It is a wastepaper bin! In English that is what we call a 'dustbin for an office'.
- 115
A desk bin is NOT an acceptable term in British English. It's called a wastepaper basket or bin.
If "a desk bin" is accepted, then "an office garbage bin" should be too. Reported.
can this mean "a mess of an office", as in "it is a mess dealing with these people"?
Duo's answers are not American English. Neither 'desk bin' nor whatever the other one was are acceptable in the US. Duo should recognize the many different flavors of English.
I thought maybe it was a different usage of the would "poubelle" and made a stab at the possibility it meant a "desk drawer." I had to laugh at the answer, though, because I have a couple of drawers that may as well be bins. :)
I said, "A trash bin of the office". I've never heard of a "desk bin". The whole idea seems silly.
- 115
In the UK, we still refer to dustbin men, who come to collect our various general waste, dry recycling and compost bins fortnightly.
- 115
Well, that's just fine and dandy, but it's not a term any speaker of British English would use.
- 1857
I know. That’ s why I announced it. The standard answers have become boring so I always try new ones (and get many wrong). So I thought people may want to know. Thanks for your response.
But an office wastebin was not accepted also Dec 17, 2018. Go figure??
