that French partitive!

adrienne h.C1Kwiziq community member

that French partitive!

Just when I think I might have that French partitive sorted out, I fear not!  

" un petit pot adorable de la confiture à la framboise."  My thinking was that the container was named, "un petit pot" so why not "de confiture..." ?!

Asked 2 years ago
Tom A.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

The English is 'an adorable little jar of the raspberry jam that her grandmother sent her' - so it's a specific jam: 'un petit pot adorable de la confiture à la framboise que sa grand-mère lui avait envoyé'. If it were just 'an adorable little jar of raspberry jam' then think it would just be 'un petit pot adorable de confiture à la framboise'.

Jim J.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Hi Adrienne,

The pot contains "some" raspberry jam. So the article needs to express "some" of the jam.

Confiture is a grammatically feminine noun so we have "some" of this noun, therefore, de la confiture ..... where "de la" is the partitive article.

Bonne Journée

Jim

Jim J.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Tom is quite right, I failed to read the text completely. La (definite article) confiture with the preposition de (of) to express of the (de la) where the noun confiture is specific.

Jim

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

un pot de confiture -- a jar of (some) jam. This is a general reference to jam.
un pot de la confiture (que sa grand-mère lui avait envoyé) -- a jar of the jam (that her grandma had sent her).

adrienne h.C1Kwiziq community member

Thanks Jim, Chris and Tom.  On my second try, I recognized it as Tom explained.  It's funny how our brains work!

that French partitive!

Just when I think I might have that French partitive sorted out, I fear not!  

" un petit pot adorable de la confiture à la framboise."  My thinking was that the container was named, "un petit pot" so why not "de confiture..." ?!

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