This is an excellent question, actually! It is ordinarily "avoir besoin de/d'" except:
It's always "de" but with :
de le = du
de les = des
de un = d'un
de une = d'une
For example:
1. I need (I have need of) some overcoats. = J'ai besoin de manteaux.
2. I need (I have need of) THE overcoat I bought yesterday. = J'ai besoin DU manteau que j'ai acheté hier.
3. I need (I have need of) THE overcoats... = J'ai besoin des manteaux.
4. I need (I have need of) an overcoat. = J'ai besoin D'UN manteau.
Your example above would be the difference between:
1. I need THE names...
2. We need SOME names...
(picky, picky!)
Hmmmmm. I wouldn't use a translation site! Did you try both ways = entering the French for the English and then the English for the French? Try that and see what you get? You really can not depend upon translation sites anyway!
Sra (aka Mme)
I am so sorry, I know I have asked that question before but I still do not see the difference between those two sentences.
In my book it says:
"Nous avons besoin des nombres pour le commerce."
and then it says:
"Nous avons besoin de nombres pour désigner les dates, les heures...."
Why is it once "nous avons besoin DES nombres pour..." and then "nous avons besoin DE nombres pour...."??
When I put these sentences into the translater site, it gives me exactly the same as the book: once "des" and once "de".
I just can't see the differeence.
Thank you!
5 answers
In other words one (commerce) is more generic and the other(dates, times) is more specified?
No, I didn't try the translation site both ways but I'll do it now just to see what it comes up with. I know that these sites are not exactly great because they usually translate phrases word for word and often fail to recognize "sayings", etc.
Thank you again for being so patient with me!
No, I didn't try the translation site both ways but I'll do it now just to see what it comes up with. I know that these sites are not exactly great because they usually translate phrases word for word and often fail to recognize "sayings", etc.
Thank you again for being so patient with me!
I just cross-referenced these sentences.
When I put the French version in I got the following English translation:
1) we need THE numbers for the trade
2) we need numbers for the dates
One more word on "translation sites".
I once put in the sentence: "I have to get dressed now" and the answer was:
"je dois obtenir habillé maintenant"
I knew that this was incorrect(because it translated it word for word) and it was not until I rephrased it to:
"I have to dress myself now" that I received the correct answer "je dois m'habiller maintenant."
Thank you so much again for all your help!!!
When I put the French version in I got the following English translation:
1) we need THE numbers for the trade
2) we need numbers for the dates
One more word on "translation sites".
I once put in the sentence: "I have to get dressed now" and the answer was:
"je dois obtenir habillé maintenant"
I knew that this was incorrect(because it translated it word for word) and it was not until I rephrased it to:
"I have to dress myself now" that I received the correct answer "je dois m'habiller maintenant."
Thank you so much again for all your help!!!
See the difference then between "SOME" and "THE?"
Sra (aka Mme)
Sra (aka Mme)
Yes, i do. Thank you so very, very much!
1 answer