"The boys are eating the meal."

Translation: Les garçons mangent le repas.

[pjeeer]

Is it really incorrect to say "Les garçons mangent le plat."?

[Sitesurf]

"meal" is "repas", "dish" is "plat".

[pjeeer]

Thanks.

[marielsitu]

I don't understand when to use le or du : I would say; Les garcons mangent du repas.

[Sitesurf]

"repas" is countable (3 meals a day= 3 repas par jour). So, the partitive case does not apply.

if the English is "the meal" you can be certain that the French will be "le repas"

[Naaira]

I said "les garçons sont en train de manger le repas" and i think is perfectly right. why is taken as wrong? thank you :)

[Sitesurf]

Please report it, your proposal is correct.

[Naaira]

:) yaaay hehe thanks but i m new here and have no idea of how can i do that, i ll have a look later though ;) this site is the best I have found to refresh my forgotten French so far, congrats!

[Sitesurf]

While you are working on a lesson (unless it is timed), you can access the discussion thread as soon as you get your mark (incorrect, in that instance). Then with a right-click open a new tab to read the thread. Then come back to the lesson tab and click on "report a problem" if the discussion thread has not already solved your problem. A menu will open and then you can tick the relevant issue and explain your proposal in the bottom box.

[pink324]

how come " garcon" has that squigle thing on the "c" ? is it really neccessary?

[Sitesurf]

This is a cedilla and it is required.

Please take a look at Rémy's explanations here: http://www.duolingo.com/comment/1355697

[Guavacino]

is it wrong to say les garçons mangent du repas?

[Sitesurf]

"un repas" is countable, you don't eat "some" meal as a piece of a meal.