"I like fries."

Translation: J'aime bien les frites.

[LoadedLimit]

Why isn't it just "J'aime des frites"?

"J'aime bien les frites" should be "I like THE fries a lot/much" etc. or am i wrong?

[Sitesurf]

It is the way French expresses that it is about fries in general.
In English, you skip the article.
In French, you use the definite article.

"Des" is not general, it is the plural indefinite article that English does not have.
"Des is the plural of "un" or "une", ie an undefined quantity of countable things.

[johans2103]

I continue without understand, beacuse "Des" is for general "Des pommes, haricots"etc, even frites" and the "Les" is for mmm.....i don't know how to say in english, but is for indicate something "Les pommes, haricots" means ones in particular, not whatever, like "Des",and when i say "I like fries" i think is like if i say "I like apples", not mean i like an particular apples, rather whatever else.

[Sitesurf]

All verbs expressing likes or dislikes (aimer, adorer, préférer, apprécier, détester, haïr) are constructed with definite articles le, la, l', or les.

[johans2103]

Thanks a lot...how do you say "I see" in french? Je regarde?

[Sitesurf]

I see = je vois

je regarde = I look at/watch

[zapoclicky]

Can it mean the same as in English. "I see" like I understand? I understand is "je comprends", right?

[johans2103]

Je vois, merci beaucoup :)

[jk918]

I like red wine's answer was j'aime du vin rouge. I type j'aime le vin rouge and I get it wrong. I like fries' answer is j'aime les frites. I type j'aime des frites and I get it wrong. Come now duolingo

[Sitesurf]

With verbs expressing likes and dislikes, the direct object is introduced by a definite article:

• j'aime le fin rouge (like/enjoy red wine, in general)
• j'adore les frites (love fries, in general)
• je préfère le vin blanc (prefer/like better white wine in general)
• je déteste les frites (hate fries in general)

"j'aime boire du vin rouge" is correct because "du vin rouge" is the direct object of verb boire, not of verb "aime". = I like to drink (some) red wine"

Therefore, "j'aime du vin rouge" is incorrect.

[Vancedroid]

I put j'aime mange des frites. Granted its not really what it asked for but isn't it more accurate? I only like fries so long as I'm eating them.

[InsMiranda]

Well, i'm pretty sure it is "j'aime manger" with an r in the end, and, as wzplainwd by other people, it is 'les frites" instead od "des frited", since when it is in a sentence with dislike/like, you ise thw definite instead. Did this make sense to you? Lol

[Sitesurf]

I like to eat uses the infinitive; in French, the infinitive is "manger".

[toddlucas]

I thought j'aime meant "I love" whereas j'aime bien meant "I like".

[sundari]

According to an earlier thread in the previous lesson, j'aime can mean 'i like' or 'i love,' but only with people, not with things. j'adore can mean 'i love' with either people or things.

Someone with better grammatical knowledge of French will be able to explain in more detail and nuance...

[sarah.77]

This is very confusing! All the previous translations made it clear to me that "des" is for general. Is fries a special case? Why isn't there any explanation?

[toddlucas]

It's the difference between speaking about something general and a specific case. For example, the difference between "I like animals" / «J'aime les animaux» and "I saw animals at the zoo" / «J'ai vu des animaux au zoo». The plural definite article and plural indefinite article actually have two purposes in this regard. Les can mean plural definite as well as an abstract group, where English would skip the definite article. Des can mean an indefinite group of something, where English uses 'some', as well as the indefinite plural, where English skips using an article altogether.

[Andreaoelkers]

I just read another post about aimer, that in order to say "I like something" you can only say J'aime bien. And that "J'aime something" means I love, not like. I chose J'aime bien les frittes as the only correct option, but duolingo said J'aime les frittes is also correct as a translation for "like". I'm confused. I have been wrong twice, whether I choose J'aime for things meaning "like" or when I do not choose it as a correct alternative. Any thoughts anyone?

[feraloidies]

Someone else here explained that aime can mean like/love when talking about a person, but only like when talking about an object

[Sitesurf]

Please go back to Basics2, Tips&Notes clearly explain the rules to translate "like" vs "love".

[tamsinclarke]

where/how does one find Basics 2?

[Sitesurf]

Go back to your own Welcome page, look at the "tree", scroll up to the top and you will find Basics2.

[NicolaeComan]

Pourqoi "les frites" et non "des frites"? Why "les frites" and not "des frites"?

[Sitesurf]

The direct object of all appreciation verbs (aimer, adorer, détester, préférer, apprécier, haïr) need a definite article.

The reason for this is that by their inherent meaning, these verbs prompt a generality:

• j'aime les frites = I like fries - in general (all of them, any kind of fries)

[PaulMwangi]

Why is there a bien in this sentence

[tru_lie]

There are two exercises in the group that say "i like fries". One the correct answer is "j'aime les frites"... the other is "j'aime des frites". Should the only correct one be "les" since we are not saying "a fry"?

[Sitesurf]

I am not sure you remember well, because "j'aime des frites" is improper French.

All verbs of likes and dislikes (aimer, adorer, préférer, apprécier, détester, haïr) need a definite article to introduce their object. The reason is that these objects are generalities and that generalities need definite articles.

• I like fries (in general) = j'aime les frites (en général).

[dotsimey]

You put it there, so stand in the corner naughty DL. !