"This is a simple hat."
Translation:C'est un chapeau simple.
72 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
A demonstrative pronoun meaning "this".
for "that" you get "cela", often contracted to "ça"
Nice, but it was never mentioned before. Then how could I choose it as a correct translation?
Exactly...it is frustrating! We seem to be penalized for not knowing new words surprisingly often. (But for such a good and free program, I guess I can overlook some of the bugs still in the Duolingo system. :)
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But that's how Duo works. Right from the first lesson they present words you don't know. Every word is new the first time around. They present the word with a drop down option for students to find the meaning. Then they test you on it. After testing you they repeat it later in the lesson and subsequent lessons in the same or different forms.
It's called spaced repetition testing. It's the most effective teaching method there is. The frustration for students in learning a foreign language is that some words in their pronunciation, appearance or their usage seem so ....well....foreign. A word or phrase will have a meaning that seems so disconnected from what is expected that it almost seems like cheating. The response is ....how could I know that.... As if you should have known the meaning of je suis the first time you saw it.
It's not a bug in the system. It's the whole point of Duo.
That frustration you feel is called learning as opposed to simply memorizing.
Thank you. The key is to remember that we are here to learn, not to score points.
Finally figured this out after much frusytration, but it works and is fun once one gets over losing hearts
Except there is no drop down menu when given multiple choices. If someone hasn't gotten the word before that gives them that option, then they get the question wrong. I can see your point, but frustration is ... well ... frustrating ... when we've been penalized for not knowing something on which we're getting tested, when it wasn't taught in the first place
Speak for yourself BrooksHart, I'm just here for the sweet XP and the little hearts!
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Getting a new word in multiple choice is pretty frustrating. Especially if it is a little tricky like maybe the first time you are exposed to a different tense or the meaning doesn't translate directly to English in the context given. You know, you check out the new word in a dictionary but the context produces a usage not in the dictionary.
Really, how could you know that? But then, think of all the easy ones.
All that you say is true, but OFTEN the new word is in a multiple choice - no drop down menu.
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Except for when it means you're at the end of the lesson and you have to start all over again
Just like making any 'mistake' it ensures you remember it the next time around.
Well said. I think Duolingo is great apart from it being Americanised English.
You got the "choose all the correct translations" version, didn't you? If you see "...un étrange chapeau " (an odd hat) or "...un chapeau sombre" (a dark hat), are you still concerned about what "ceci" means? Neither of those mean "...a simple hat". Not knowing what a word means does not compel us to guess. It compels us to learn.
Yes, it was choose all the correct ones.. and there was another correct one beside this one... so after choosing that one, didn’t expect there would be one more correct one
That is precisely what I was going to say. I don't mind getting something wrong as long as I learn from it. And I do find that I remember better when I am blindsided. I forget who it is who reminded me that this is how babies learn languages. They don't get a study manual in advance, but rather they get some words explained while others they learn through trial and error. So it is with DL. Some words we will learn by getting them wrong the first time.
If you lose all your hearts by the time you finish a lesson, I find doing a practice exercise helps reinforce the mastery of the new material.
Why is it that simple can be used as an adjective before or after the noun? Is there a different meaning for each?
We don't have any context here to give any hint on the nuance between "un simple chapeau" and "un chapeau simple", both of which being correct.
- "isn't this a black cat, over there?" = "n'est-ce pas un chat noir, là-bas ?"
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"no, this is a simple hat" = "non, c'est un simple chapeau". (=> it is only/merely a hat).
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"is your embroidered silk hat?" = "est-ce ton chapeau en soie brodée ?"
- "no, this is a simple hat" = "non, c'est un chapeau simple" (=> it is not sophisticated)
Sitesurf, thank you for your clear explanations. Your comments should be collected and placed as a guide book along with the course. It will be a pity to have them lost in discussion threads.
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Thanks, but it seems to me that when you translate this sentence from English, the un simple chapeau is incorrect because it means it only/just a hat, NOT it's a simple hat.
What you have translated is not correct, at least with a North American dialect.
"no, this is a simple hat" can only mean => it is not sophisticated
To say it is only/merely a hat you need to say "no, it is simply a hat"
This is very clear, thank you. However, in my idiolect, "This is a simple hat." has only the second meaning; the first meaning is given by "This is simply a hat." instead.
i don't think you are right... it is simply a hat is the correct way to put the the first sentence.
"It is a simple hat" can also indeed mean "it is a mere hat" and does not have to be rewritten with the adverb "simply" in order to convey that meaning. The word simple has many meanings and one is "apart from anything else, without additions or modifications"
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FANTASTIC explanation. NOW it makes sense. Two different meanings of simple. Merci beaucoup!!!
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Thanks a lot man. Your analyses are always spot on that I'm beginning to suspect that you work for the owl. :D. But are there specific rules and exceptions to the said rules that one might need to know when it comes to adjective placement?
How can you differentiate between "it is" and "this is", though, in French? You seem to use "c'est" for both...
If you are really showing the hat, you can say "ceci est un simple chapeau"
Are there rules about adjectives that go before the noun and those that go after? I saw the answer above, which is complicated, so is there an easier way to figure it out?
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Beauty, Age, Number, Goodness (and badness), Size is a guideline that helps. Adjectives that fall into these groupings usually go in front.
The B.A.N.G.S. practice allows you to quickly categorize adjectives as to their placement. It is just a helpful device that has plenty of exceptions because it does not cover the many rules that govern proper placement. This has the unfortunate consequence of encouraging the belief that positioning is rather arbitrary, where placement actually is part of communicating meaning and intent. Relying strictly on B.A.N.G.S. will reduce your ability to capture the full meaning of those uses.
The best way to get an understanding of adjective placement and other issues is through reading the comments pages attached to each Duo exercise. That is how Duo works.
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It depends on what your intended meaning for simple is.
If you want simple to refer an inherent quality of the hat in some subjective, figurative way, that would fall under Goodness/badness and place it in front. EG: it is a simple/mere hat.
If you wanted to classify it in some literal, objective way, that would place it after the noun. EG: It is a simple hat (that is free of decorations, striking colors etc.)
As you can see, you need context. The statement it is a simple hat does not give enough context to provide a guideline.
@northernguy and sitesurf. The English sentence is neither ambiguous nor complicated. The English adjective 'simple' has a clear meaning: uncompounded, elementary, not complex. In the given English sentence, 'simple is not an adverb. Proper translation must adhere to the single possible English meaning. It must not get involved in the irrelevant French word order placement.
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peterschei2
This is a simple car. Of course, it is anything but a simple device.
The first part of that line is classifying the car into the particular simple category of cars compared to other categories of cars.
The last part of the line refers to the inherent feature of a car which is that it is a very complicated thing to build, own, operate and maintain. Therefore, by its very nature it is not simple. The inherent qualities of the device are not simple.
English speakers routinely leave it up to the listener/reader to figure which meaning is intended. They do that because most of the time they don't consider the difference important enough to devote attention to it. If the reader/listener is concerned they can just ask for clarification. French speakers do otherwise. Many times they use position of adjectives to convey meaning.
You are correct. English speaker/writers do not routinely distinguish between the possible uses of adjectives like simple. That does not mean there is no difference to be had.
French speakers can present that difference easily. English speakers can not do so as easily. In fact, many English speakers do not even see the difference because of the way adjectives are used in their language.
Some French adjectives, by their nature, will always appear in front of the noun. Some French adjectives will always be placed after the noun. Some few French adjectives can be placed in front or after the noun. Sitesurf says that only about ten percent of French adjectives are normally able to be in either position.
The issue for students here is that whatever English speakers think about a particular adjective, French speakers have conventions about how they are used. They do so even if those conventions draw attention to uses that some English speakers do not themselves employ.
@northernguy (and sitesurf.) NG, your argument raises several interesting ideas but misses the important point.. The sentence in question concerns 'a simple hat.' It has nothing to do with the complexity or not of automotive vehicles. Your first three paragraphs are thus irrelevant (NG, in American English those paragraphs are properly characterized as a 'red herring,' i.e. sophistry.)
Your fourth paragraph indicates you did not understand what I wrote. A native English speaker, as I am, knows that there is only a single meaning to the English sentence, 'This is a simple hat.' You mistakenly imply multiple meanings in your 4th paragraph. In fact, In English the sentence can never mean 'This is only a hat'' ('C'est un simple chapeau'") because you've changed the adectivej. simple to the adverb only, (Only can function as either an adverb or an adjective.)
The point you may have missed is an important principle: When translating from English to French, the English meaning must be preserved! Going in the other direction, the French meaning must similarly be maintained. In other words, the content/meaning of the primary language must be reflected in the secondary language.for an adequate translation. The essential English meaning must therefore conform to the proper word order in French that preserves the meaning.. I am puzzled that excellent bilingual French speakers (perhaps you?) confuse English meaning with French word order.
I believe your last paragraph is misguided. In translation, meaning is paramount. French word order conventions are important only when they accurately convey the Engish meaning.
Fun debating with you. Pete
pronoun "ce" is only used with verb "être": "c'est" or "ce sont", more rarely with verb "pouvoir": "ce peut".
"ce" is more often an adjective (= this/that) in front of a masculine noun starting with a consonant: "ce chien"
"ceci" is a pronoun (replacing a noun, like "this thing") that you can use as a noun, ie as subject or object: "ceci est un chapeau" (this is a hat)or "je veux acheter ceci" (I want to buy this).
In this sentence, with verb être, you have a choice: "c'est un chapeau" or (more emphatic) "ceci est un chapeau."
is it correct to assume that 'ceci' comes from 'ce ici' meaning 'this here' hence contracted to 'ceci' or simply 'this'
Ceci = ce + ici = this here
You use it when you want to emphasize that you are talking about the item close to you and not the one that is farther away.
ce is usually translated to this or that. But when you see ceci, you know it is definitely this.
Cela = ce + là = that (there)
Cela refers to something that is not close and is always translated as that
the dropdown list doesn't work on mobile thats why i cant finish this lesson
What phone do you have? I am not sure why it is not working for you. It works well on my App. I have an Android phone.
Sitesurf answered that question 3 months ago (2 months before you asked). I find it helps to read the discussion first and then ask a question only if it has not been answered.
Why can simple be put before and afterwards? I thought adjectives always had a set location
Reading the discussion before posting your question is usually one of the quickest way to get answers to questions you may have, and saves you having to post a redundant question. Please see the explanations provided in the thread.
If difficile is placed in front of chapeau, then why is simple placed behind?
If you had read the discussion before posting your question, you would have seen Northernguy's explanation. So please refer to the entire discussion for an explanation.
It has to do with the meaning implied. Simple in English and French can have the literal meaning of plain or the figurative meaning of ordinary/not more or better than/not special.
If you want to describe a hat that has no ornaments and is just plain, you would say un chapeau simple.
If you want to say "a simple hat" in the sense of "a mere hat" in French, then it is un simple chapeau
Because both forms translate to a simple hat, then either French form would be acceptable as a translation of the English phrase. The decision on which to use depends on the message the speaker is trying to convey. You as a listener would only be able to tell from the context in which it is said. In a case like this where there is no context, then either order will do.
BTW, if you would take time to read the discussion before posting a question, you are likely to find that your question has been answered already, and it would save you having to ask a redundant question.
According to the BANGS rule, I thought it should "c'est un chapeau simple" but i was marked wrong because i should have also marked "c'est un simple chapeau" I don't know if anyone can answer this because this discussion seems to be talking about something completely different...
The discussion is not talking about something different. In English as well as French, "simple" can have the meaning "plain" or the meaning "nothing more than".
In English you would say "a simple hat" when you mean a plain hat (ie, the literal translation of the word "simple"). If that is the sense you want to convey, then in French, you would write "un chapeau simple".
In English you would say "a simple hat" when you mean "no more and no less" (ie, the figurative translation of the word "simple"). If that is the sense you want to convey, then in French, the word order changes and you would write "un simple chapeau".
So in a multiple choice question, when going from English to French, you would have to choose both French sentences because in English we use the same sentence to convey the two different ideas, so both sentences are good translations of the English one unless the context is known, which it isn't when the sentence stands alone.
@lucylucy21, you can read more about how meaning can override all you know about the BAGS/BANGS rule at the following link: http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/adjectives_4.htm
Incidentally, I know the N in BANGS stands for new/old but I just realized this is included in the A = age, so methinks BAGS is a better acronym. This is especially important since new can have the figurative sense of "first time owned/seen/...etc" which may have little to do with how old something is and so the adjective placement would change as follows (actually even the word for "new" would change):
My new car (brand new on the market, never used) = ma voiture neuve
My new car (second-hand purchase but new to me because it is the first time I have possession of it) = ma nouvelle voiture
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Most people who include the N in BANGS intend it to mean number not new/old.
Personally I prefer BAGS.
You guys can also use the alternative - c'est i used that and got it right . ce est is not correct therefore you have to remember that c'est also means this is . but then again most people like the hard route of course. As i do at times
Oui, but with differences in meaning. Please scroll up to my post of... 2 years ago.
celui-ci est un simple chapeau/chapeau simple = this one is a simple hat