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- "Tá ceithre lítear ann."
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Is "there are four liters there" acceptable, for instance, in response to a question like "how much milk is in that store?" As far as I can tell, "ann" is translated as "there" in Duolingo frequently.
Is the 'in it' essential? I put 'there are 4 litres' and it was marked wrong.
Because of the multiple uses of ann, 'There are 4 litres' should work, in the sense that it means "There exists 4 litres" (without context, you can't know). However, given how Duolingo likes literal translations, the 'in it' would be a better use of ann.
would it not make more sense to all both : in it /there as correct answers rather than marking "there" as red/wrong.?
"ann" is "in it".
"ionam" - "in me"
"ionat" - "in you"
"ann" - "in him/it"
"inti" - "in her/it"
"ionainn" - "in us"
"ionaibh" - "in you (plural)"
"iontu" - "in them"
"ann" is also used for "there", where it overlaps with "ansin", which also means "there".
There’s a belief that Duolingo is literal. If that were true, you should be able to say, “Four liters are in it,” but Duolingo also tries (and regularly fails) to use the American English overuse of “that” and “there,” so it makes sense that you tried what you tried, but this is one of those things that you have to “get wrong” to get right. It sounds like you understand what’s meant.
I've no idea what sort of chip you have on your shoulder about "the American English overuse of “that” and “there,”" but there's nothing "American English" about translating tá ceithre lítear sa chuisneoir as "there are 4 litres in the fridge", even though there isn't an ann or an ansin to be seen.
But if I was to ask Cé mhéad lítir atá sa chúisneoir? or cad atá sa chuisneoir? or an bhfuil aon bhainne sa chúisneoir?, you can't just answer tá ceithre lítear, you have to say tá ceithre lítear ann, and you can translate that as either "there are four litres" or "there are four litres in it", but you can't translate it as "there are four liters there", because ann doesn't mean "there" in that context.
As stated above by SatharnPHL:
"ann" is "in it".
"ionam" - "in me" "ionat" - "in you" "ann" - "in him/it" "inti" - "in her/it" "ionainn" - "in us" "ionaibh" - "in you (plural)" "iontu" - "in them"
"ann" is also used for "there", where it overlaps with "ansin", which also means "there".
489
Can't "Tá ceithre lítear ann." be translated as both "There are four liters in it." and as "There are four liters there."
