avoir besoin d'argent

Le P.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

avoir besoin d'argent

First issue:

Interaction p 23 : Tu as de l'argent pour faire les courses? Non, j'ai besoin d'argent.

It explains "avoir besoin de uses de alone when followed by a noun used in the partitive sense" which must be the rationale for the response above.  

1.  Why isn't the question also partitive sense? Please help me make the distinction.

Second issue:

On p340, it says that avoir besoin de is one of a small number of verbs (it also includes s'agir de, parler de, se souvenir de) that require "de" before a noun object and gives the example

"J'ai besoin d'argent pour voyager" (no article before "argent") 

and also gives "Nous parlons du Canada en cours" (has the article); Il s'agit d'un voyage au Canada; On se souvient du passé là-bas.

2.  For all those examples on p340 except avoir besoin de, there is an article and I don't know why they differ.

I am becoming confused. Can someone help please?


Asked 2 years ago
CécileKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hi Le,

You might find this lesson and the Q&A at the bottom of it answers your query -

Avoir besoin de = To need (French Expressions with avoir)

 

Bonne Continuation !

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

What are the page numbers you refer to?

Le P.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Both page numbers are for Interaction: Langue et culture, 9th ed, St Onge & Powers (Cengage)

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Tu as de l'argent? -- Do you have money?
Non, j'ai besoin d'argent. -- No, I need money.

The first sentence is a standard case of the partitive article. So the question *does* use the partitive article (other than your post seems to imply). 

The second sentence doesn't use the partitive article because the phrase is avoir besoin de + noun. Another example of this would be avoir envie de + noun. Here, you omit the partitive article simply because the phrase doesn't call for it.

You use avoir besoin de + article + noun when you talk of a specific think and not the general. Nations are treated as specific: le Canada. Similarly, the other cases you quote:

On se souvient du passé au Canada. -- We remember the past in Canada. (a specific past)

avoir besoin d'argent

First issue:

Interaction p 23 : Tu as de l'argent pour faire les courses? Non, j'ai besoin d'argent.

It explains "avoir besoin de uses de alone when followed by a noun used in the partitive sense" which must be the rationale for the response above.  

1.  Why isn't the question also partitive sense? Please help me make the distinction.

Second issue:

On p340, it says that avoir besoin de is one of a small number of verbs (it also includes s'agir de, parler de, se souvenir de) that require "de" before a noun object and gives the example

"J'ai besoin d'argent pour voyager" (no article before "argent") 

and also gives "Nous parlons du Canada en cours" (has the article); Il s'agit d'un voyage au Canada; On se souvient du passé là-bas.

2.  For all those examples on p340 except avoir besoin de, there is an article and I don't know why they differ.

I am becoming confused. Can someone help please?


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