In the B2 writing challenge "Pre-date stress"
"he'd taken out the garbage"
is translated
"il avait sorti les poubelles"
but isn't this just as valid:
"il a sorti les déchets"
The first assumes that the person is taking a trash can out (to the street) but the second (describing the situation in my house) assumes the person is taking (bagged) garbage out to the trash can.
If so shouldn't the excercise be updated?
Hi David,
For 'to take out the garbage/rubbish' , you would say, "sortir les poubelles".
You can use the words 'ordures ménagères' for household rubbish and 'déchets végétaux', for garden rubbish.
e.g.
Nous compostons tous nos déchets végétaux = We compost our garden rubbish
Les ordures ménagères sont ramassées tous les quinze jours = The household rubbish is collected every fortnight
Hope this helps!
No. In France they just say "Take out the trash cans" where in England you would say, "Take out the trash."
Logically speaking both are correct because you are taking out the trash which is IN the trash cans.
-- Chris.
But back to my original question, "sorti les dechets" is a phrase that many people use (just try Googling it - in quotes) with a meaning equivalent to "taking out the trash".
"sorti des poubelles" may mean the same, although it seems to me to mean "taken out the bins".
So it appears both are legitimate and, if one regards both meanings as being equivalent, both phrases ought to be accepted.
In the B2 writing challenge "Pre-date stress"
"he'd taken out the garbage"
is translated
"il avait sorti les poubelles"
but isn't this just as valid:
"il a sorti les déchets"
The first assumes that the person is taking a trash can out (to the street) but the second (describing the situation in my house) assumes the person is taking (bagged) garbage out to the trash can.
If so shouldn't the excercise be updated?
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