"You must pour only a drop or two of it."
Translation:Il faut en verser seulement une goutte ou deux.
37 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
Note that ne/ n' is always placed in front of the verb.
Despite the slightly questionable logic (in both languages) "tu dois en verser seulement une ou deux gouttes" is also accepted.
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En here is an adverbial pronoun replacing a part of the sentence that would normally be introduced by de.
Il faut verser une goutte de vin → Il faut en verser une goutte.
When you need to express a given a mount of something, it's common to use an expression with de:
une goutte de vin.
un verre d'eau.
une poignée de dollars.
- 1018
tu dois n' en verser q' une goutte ou deux c'est une traduction correcte en francais
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«tu ne dois en verser qu'une goutte ou deux» was accepted 2022-03-07 looks like the ne has to come with the first verb and the qu before the 1 drop
I thought adverbs had to go between the first and second verbs, so why is « seulement » after the second verb? Is « seulement » a special adverb that goes after the verb it refers to or is it something about the « il faut » construction, maybe?
- 1094
I fear that is a distorted way of looking at it, since it is possible for there to be three, four or even five verbs strung together, not just two.
The adverb is placed after the verb that it is modifying. In this case, that is "verser", not "falloir".
Only the first verb in the sentence (or clause) is conjugated, so if the adverb is not modifying the first verb it is placed after the relevant infinitive (which is usually the last in the string).
If the adverb is modifying the first verb, then the adverb is placed after the conjugated verb: ie the auxiliary verb for a compound tense or the main verb for a single-word tense. So:
"You are probably going to have to think hard about only pouring one drop of oil into the frying pan." → "Il va probablement falloir réfléchir sérieusement à verser seulement une goutte d'huile dans la poêle."
- 1294
In French, seulement is placed according to where the emphasis should be expressed by the speaker. I found these on the internet: https://french.kwiziq.com/questions/view/regarding-the-3-examples-using-seulement-1 And https://www.fluentu.com/blog/french/ne-que-seulement/
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construction bancale... il ne faut en verser qu une goutte ou deux (correct, mais pas forcément admis par Duo)
- 1094
DeepL thinks that both "Il ne faut en verser qu'une goutte ou deux." and "Il faut n'en verser qu'une goutte ou deux." are correct.
Is that true?
- 1094
Shouldn't that be "Il faut n'en verser qu'une goutte ou deux." ?
(And if not, why not?)
- 1094
That does not really address the issue of why.
"Il faut" is not the verb that is being "negated" here.
Surely "Il ne faut en verser qu'une goutte ou deux." is the equivalent of "Il faut seulement en verser une goutte ou deux." ?
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3 coeurs pour finallement réussir...et je crois maîtriser le français( que j utilise depuis 70 ans...)
- 770
This is the worst set of sentences in all the ones I've been doing on Duolingo for over a year. Several of the sentences are simply poor English. Secondly, we are not being given the correct example first before having to type something in French, so have no choice but to make a mistake. They haven't been well-thought out. Have found this a frustrating and unhelpful exercise and will be glad to move on to a better-constructed one! Sorry to moan - rant over.
- 1804
> Secondly, we are not being given the correct example first before having to type something in French, so have no choice but to make a mistake.
For certain values of "no choice" that include "working out the (small) number of reasonable options, then trying one". Normally there are only really one or two reasonable choices for a bit of vocabulary, or a question of "adverb before, or after"?
In the real world, no small number of native speakers would make the same mistake in speech, so you're unlikely to meet la belle dame sans merci for a first offence.
- 1094
You need a "ne" in there:
"Il faut n'en verser qu'une goutte ou deux."
Or maybe:
"Il suffit d'en verser une goutte ou deux.",
which is correct (IMHO) but I have not had the opportunity to try it out on Duo.
- 3999
Tu dois en verser seulement une goutte ou deux not accepted 7/14/21 although it was previously. Reported.
- 1804
Quite pleased with this one. I didn't know (or didn't remember - same thing) the French for either "pour" or "drop".
But then I worked it out - I know "renverser" is "to knock over or spill", so "verser" is a good guess for "pour". A "drop" though ... well Shakespearean or Chaucerian English used a "guttering candle" in several places, and when candles are on their last legs the ring of wax melts and drops of wax run away ... so does that point to "goutte" for "drop".
Hey, it works for me!
- 637
COME ON DUOOOOOO!!!!! The prompta CLEARLY STATE that one can also use "JUSTE" as a SYNONYM of only
- 752
My answer "Il faut seulement en verser une goutte ou deux" was accepted, but now I think seulement has to follow verser for the correct meaning. My answer means that the only thing you must do is pour a drop or two, and you must not do anything else.