"De quem é a tartaruga?"

Translation:Whose turtle is it?

September 4, 2013

20 Comments
This discussion is locked.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/whitebox

"Who's turtle is it?" should be accepted as the english translation.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Paulenrique

Whose turtle is this/it?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/whitebox

Sorry, stupid mixup. Thanks buddy.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Asamations101

I would just report it as wrong in english


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Granny_Patti

I wrote 'who owns the turtle', but it wouldn't accept that. I haven't met 'de quem' before now.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/1287468653268965

Obrigada paul enrique


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/garovan

I tried with: Whose the turtle is? and with the Pulenrique suggestion but both are marked as wrong answers


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Paulenrique

Literal translation. Not correct English.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Albertyac

"Whose the turtle is" is erroneous. That sentence is different from what Paulenrique suggested. The pattern in English is: Whose __ is this/it?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Mason.Glassett

"Whose turtle is this" is more commonly used


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/nrware

I responded "Who's turtle?"; how would my response be translated?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Chiew9
  • 1744

It is quite a common error, even among some native speakers. Even though they sound the same, their meanings are different. ♦ Who's = Who is. Who's calling? Janet! ♦ Whose denotes possession: Whose pen is this? Mine!


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Paulenrique

Quem é a tartaruga?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Cailean_Seoilidh

Can I just put the "é" at the end of the sentence and say "De quem a tartaruga é"? It's a lot easier to say. I find switching from pronouncing "é" and "a" hard without either having to pause in between or messing up the word after.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Paulenrique

People will understand you, but a native speaker would say "De quem é a tartaruga?"


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Cailean_Seoilidh

And my goal at this moment is to understand and be understood. So I don't entirely care if I sound less than perfect. I can accomplish that later. It'll take to long for me to learn to speak Português Brasileiro perfectly from the start.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/O_Homem_Porco

what if someones name is turtle? "quem e tartaruga?" or "quem e paul enrique?" ""who is turtle? or "who is paul enrique?" or do you still need the "o" or "a" ?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Paulenrique

Just note the word here is "whose", not "who". In this case you should always use the article: De quem é a tartaruga?

  • Quem é Paulo Henrique? = Quem é o Paulo Henrique?
  • Quem é Tartaruga? (a nickname, for example)

https://www.duolingo.com/profile/theOneandOwenly

The English translation is awkward. "Whose is the turtle" is not the way a native would ask the question.

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