Mixing
Difference between le and un
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I am currently learning French in school and found this:
"Qu'est-ce que tu fais le weekend?"
"Je vais au cinema"
But I believe that it should be "Je vais a un cinema." since the listener does not know which cinema the speaker goes to. So, is there anyone who can tell the difference between the two sentences?
*I cannot type accent aigu and accent grave. Sorry for that:(
articles questions articles-definis
edited 29 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
asked 49 mins ago
Cynthia
82
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Cynthia is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I am currently learning French in school and found this:
"Qu'est-ce que tu fais le weekend?"
"Je vais au cinema"
But I believe that it should be "Je vais a un cinema." since the listener does not know which cinema the speaker goes to. So, is there anyone who can tell the difference between the two sentences?
*I cannot type accent aigu and accent grave. Sorry for that:(
articles questions articles-definis
edited 29 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
asked 49 mins ago
Cynthia
82
New contributor
Cynthia is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
to type é and è, try alt+130 and alt+138 ;)
– Flying_whale
30 mins ago
Merci beaucoup:)
– Cynthia
28 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I am currently learning French in school and found this:
"Qu'est-ce que tu fais le weekend?"
"Je vais au cinema"
But I believe that it should be "Je vais a un cinema." since the listener does not know which cinema the speaker goes to. So, is there anyone who can tell the difference between the two sentences?
*I cannot type accent aigu and accent grave. Sorry for that:(
articles questions articles-definis
edited 29 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
asked 49 mins ago
Cynthia
82
New contributor
Cynthia is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I am currently learning French in school and found this:
"Qu'est-ce que tu fais le weekend?"
"Je vais au cinema"
But I believe that it should be "Je vais a un cinema." since the listener does not know which cinema the speaker goes to. So, is there anyone who can tell the difference between the two sentences?
*I cannot type accent aigu and accent grave. Sorry for that:(
articles questions articles-definis
articles questions articles-definis
edited 29 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
asked 49 mins ago
Cynthia
82
New contributor
Cynthia is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 29 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
asked 49 mins ago
Cynthia
82
New contributor
Cynthia is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 29 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
edited 29 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
edited 29 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
1,557113
asked 49 mins ago
Cynthia
82
New contributor
Cynthia is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 49 mins ago
Cynthia
82
asked 49 mins ago
Cynthia
82
82
New contributor
Cynthia is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Cynthia is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Cynthia is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
to type é and è, try alt+130 and alt+138 ;)
– Flying_whale
30 mins ago
Merci beaucoup:)
– Cynthia
28 mins ago
add a comment |Â
to type é and è, try alt+130 and alt+138 ;)
– Flying_whale
30 mins ago
Merci beaucoup:)
– Cynthia
28 mins ago
to type é and è, try alt+130 and alt+138 ;)
– Flying_whale
30 mins ago
to type é and è, try alt+130 and alt+138 ;)
– Flying_whale
30 mins ago
Merci beaucoup:)
– Cynthia
28 mins ago
Merci beaucoup:)
– Cynthia
28 mins ago
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
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oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
In both English and French, certain places are considered have a kind of general version as well as a specific location.
Here are a couple in English:
Where did you get that book?
Oh, the library.
It doesn't really matter which library or which branch for you to use this sentence. You woudn't say "a library".
You're a fan of summer?
Oh, yeah. I love the beach.
Which beach, you might wonder? The answer would probably be all beaches. :) You don't love "a beach".
And the closest example to the one you asked about is probably the other answerer's "the movies", which I think is also a clever way to show the ambiguity of cinéma (the building or the show?).
There are finer differences between how English and French use le and un, but as you begin your journey of learning French, I wouldn't worry about them so much, including the last line of user168676's answer. For now, it's probably enough to see that the two languages are actually more similar in this case than they seem.
answered 20 mins ago
Luke Sawczak
8,59311241
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
"au cinéma" is the contraction of "àle cinéma"; in French "cinéma", as an institution, has for noun a noun that comes with an article, the article "le"; you have to say "le cinéma"; but, by the way, it is not différent in American English as you say in that language "to go to the movies" in the very same manner because of the same reason (but maybe you are not a US citizen). It is just a coincidence that in French you use the same word for the place where films are played (un cinéma) and for the institution. You can nevertheless use the form "Je vais àun cinéma." provided that every sunday you go to the same theater, and then people understand that you are talking about a particular place, always the same, where films are being played.
answered 28 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
In both English and French, certain places are considered have a kind of general version as well as a specific location.
Here are a couple in English:
Where did you get that book?
Oh, the library.
It doesn't really matter which library or which branch for you to use this sentence. You woudn't say "a library".
You're a fan of summer?
Oh, yeah. I love the beach.
Which beach, you might wonder? The answer would probably be all beaches. :) You don't love "a beach".
And the closest example to the one you asked about is probably the other answerer's "the movies", which I think is also a clever way to show the ambiguity of cinéma (the building or the show?).
There are finer differences between how English and French use le and un, but as you begin your journey of learning French, I wouldn't worry about them so much, including the last line of user168676's answer. For now, it's probably enough to see that the two languages are actually more similar in this case than they seem.
answered 20 mins ago
Luke Sawczak
8,59311241
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
In both English and French, certain places are considered have a kind of general version as well as a specific location.
Here are a couple in English:
Where did you get that book?
Oh, the library.
It doesn't really matter which library or which branch for you to use this sentence. You woudn't say "a library".
You're a fan of summer?
Oh, yeah. I love the beach.
Which beach, you might wonder? The answer would probably be all beaches. :) You don't love "a beach".
And the closest example to the one you asked about is probably the other answerer's "the movies", which I think is also a clever way to show the ambiguity of cinéma (the building or the show?).
There are finer differences between how English and French use le and un, but as you begin your journey of learning French, I wouldn't worry about them so much, including the last line of user168676's answer. For now, it's probably enough to see that the two languages are actually more similar in this case than they seem.
answered 20 mins ago
Luke Sawczak
8,59311241
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
In both English and French, certain places are considered have a kind of general version as well as a specific location.
Here are a couple in English:
Where did you get that book?
Oh, the library.
It doesn't really matter which library or which branch for you to use this sentence. You woudn't say "a library".
You're a fan of summer?
Oh, yeah. I love the beach.
Which beach, you might wonder? The answer would probably be all beaches. :) You don't love "a beach".
And the closest example to the one you asked about is probably the other answerer's "the movies", which I think is also a clever way to show the ambiguity of cinéma (the building or the show?).
There are finer differences between how English and French use le and un, but as you begin your journey of learning French, I wouldn't worry about them so much, including the last line of user168676's answer. For now, it's probably enough to see that the two languages are actually more similar in this case than they seem.
answered 20 mins ago
Luke Sawczak
8,59311241
In both English and French, certain places are considered have a kind of general version as well as a specific location.
Here are a couple in English:
Where did you get that book?
Oh, the library.
It doesn't really matter which library or which branch for you to use this sentence. You woudn't say "a library".
You're a fan of summer?
Oh, yeah. I love the beach.
Which beach, you might wonder? The answer would probably be all beaches. :) You don't love "a beach".
And the closest example to the one you asked about is probably the other answerer's "the movies", which I think is also a clever way to show the ambiguity of cinéma (the building or the show?).
There are finer differences between how English and French use le and un, but as you begin your journey of learning French, I wouldn't worry about them so much, including the last line of user168676's answer. For now, it's probably enough to see that the two languages are actually more similar in this case than they seem.
answered 20 mins ago
Luke Sawczak
8,59311241
answered 20 mins ago
Luke Sawczak
8,59311241
answered 20 mins ago
Luke Sawczak
8,59311241
answered 20 mins ago
Luke Sawczak
8,59311241
8,59311241
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
"au cinéma" is the contraction of "àle cinéma"; in French "cinéma", as an institution, has for noun a noun that comes with an article, the article "le"; you have to say "le cinéma"; but, by the way, it is not différent in American English as you say in that language "to go to the movies" in the very same manner because of the same reason (but maybe you are not a US citizen). It is just a coincidence that in French you use the same word for the place where films are played (un cinéma) and for the institution. You can nevertheless use the form "Je vais àun cinéma." provided that every sunday you go to the same theater, and then people understand that you are talking about a particular place, always the same, where films are being played.
answered 28 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
"au cinéma" is the contraction of "àle cinéma"; in French "cinéma", as an institution, has for noun a noun that comes with an article, the article "le"; you have to say "le cinéma"; but, by the way, it is not différent in American English as you say in that language "to go to the movies" in the very same manner because of the same reason (but maybe you are not a US citizen). It is just a coincidence that in French you use the same word for the place where films are played (un cinéma) and for the institution. You can nevertheless use the form "Je vais àun cinéma." provided that every sunday you go to the same theater, and then people understand that you are talking about a particular place, always the same, where films are being played.
answered 28 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
"au cinéma" is the contraction of "àle cinéma"; in French "cinéma", as an institution, has for noun a noun that comes with an article, the article "le"; you have to say "le cinéma"; but, by the way, it is not différent in American English as you say in that language "to go to the movies" in the very same manner because of the same reason (but maybe you are not a US citizen). It is just a coincidence that in French you use the same word for the place where films are played (un cinéma) and for the institution. You can nevertheless use the form "Je vais àun cinéma." provided that every sunday you go to the same theater, and then people understand that you are talking about a particular place, always the same, where films are being played.
answered 28 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
"au cinéma" is the contraction of "àle cinéma"; in French "cinéma", as an institution, has for noun a noun that comes with an article, the article "le"; you have to say "le cinéma"; but, by the way, it is not différent in American English as you say in that language "to go to the movies" in the very same manner because of the same reason (but maybe you are not a US citizen). It is just a coincidence that in French you use the same word for the place where films are played (un cinéma) and for the institution. You can nevertheless use the form "Je vais àun cinéma." provided that every sunday you go to the same theater, and then people understand that you are talking about a particular place, always the same, where films are being played.
answered 28 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
answered 28 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
answered 28 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
answered 28 mins ago
user168676
1,557113
1,557113
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
Cynthia is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Cynthia is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Cynthia is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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to type é and è, try alt+130 and alt+138 ;)
– Flying_whale
30 mins ago
Merci beaucoup:)
– Cynthia
28 mins ago