Des vs les

Question

I'm still somehow confused on when to use des vs. les. For example, in the translation exercises,

"and boys can play with dolls" is translated to "et les garçons peuvent jouer avec des poupées".

But I thought it should be LES poupées because it's referring to dolls (in general). Is this a case of either one working?

Accepted Answer

Hi Natasha,
Imagine that you are in adult company with the children playing nearby (with dolls).
Your child wants to play but seeks permission to join in. You may say that he/she can play with "THE dolls" because it is clear which dolls are being referred to. Otherwise, 'des poupées' would mean 'some of the dolls' (de les) countable noun in a more general sense.
Hope this helps.
Jim