I wrote des vacances and du travail which was wrong, but I don’t know why. Can you explain since this error isn’t covered in this lesson explanation. I still have trouble with these articles. Thanks so much.
Look at these sentences:
Pour Noël, j'aimerais soit une tablette, soit un nouveau portable.For Christmas, I would like either a tablet or a new mobile phone.
Note that to say ''either...or...'' in French, we use soit...soit...
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 11 questions, 17 answers
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
In these cases, les vacances means the general term, i.e., vacation in general. Des vacances refers to specific vacations.
Liz asked:View original
Soit les vacances soit le travail
I wrote des vacances and du travail which was wrong, but I don’t know why. Can you explain since this error isn’t covered in this lesson explanation. I still have trouble with these articles. Thanks so much.
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LizKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Soit de l’argent, soit un cadeau
Why is it de l’argent which I thought meant some money. The lesson wrote: either money or a gift. So why was soit d’argent wrong? Thanks.
Asked 3 months ago
Hi Liz,
I think it is the old problem between using the definite article and the partitive.
De l'argent = some money, or a certain amount of money
l'argent = the money you are talking about
or all money in general as in ----> l'argent est sale, il faut faire attention
If the example was chocolate or money it would be -
soit du chocolat, soit de l'argent
both partitive
de l' + argent because of the vowel.
I hope I have understood your query...
Liz asked:View original
Soit de l’argent, soit un cadeau
Why is it de l’argent which I thought meant some money. The lesson wrote: either money or a gift. So why was soit d’argent wrong? Thanks.
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Sumesh Kwiziq community member
Place of soit
Un this soit is placed before infinitive
Where soit should be placed
Please elaborate about it
Asked 6 months ago
Hi Sumesh,
In the case of verbs, soit comes just before both choices just as it did with nouns.
e.g.
X doit soit faire ceci, soit faire cela = X must either do this or do that
Michel doit réparer soit la table, soit le buffet = Michel must mend either the table or the sideboard
Nous pouvons aller soit au théâtre, soit au cinéma = We can either go to the theatre or the cinema
so 'soit' goes directly before the item it refers to.
Hope this helps!
Sumesh asked:View original
Place of soit
Un this soit is placed before infinitive
Where soit should be placed
Please elaborate about it
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RobertKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Soit comma usage
In your first two examples I see: "soit du fromage, soit un dessert" and then "j'aimerais soit une tablette soit un nouveau portable." I've looked to no avail to find an explanation for the usage/non-usage of a comma in the two phrases. Could you please elucidate?
Asked 7 months ago
Hi Robert,
I am not an expert punctuator (not sure if the word exists, but if it doesn't it ought to!) but as there is an inconsistency with the sentence you mention not having commas, I will ask for it to be corrected.
Thanks for pointing it out...
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
I wouldn't obsess about the usage of commas too much. I think the rules aren't that strict and you use one where it is necessary to aid parsing of the sentence and make it easier to read.
Robert asked:View original
Soit comma usage
In your first two examples I see: "soit du fromage, soit un dessert" and then "j'aimerais soit une tablette soit un nouveau portable." I've looked to no avail to find an explanation for the usage/non-usage of a comma in the two phrases. Could you please elucidate?
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AndreaKwiziq community member
soit/soit ou/ou
Isn't ou/ou also an option for either/or?
Je voudrais ou le café ou le thé?
When can that be used?
Thank you!
Asked 1 year ago
Andrea asked:View original
soit/soit ou/ou
Isn't ou/ou also an option for either/or?
Je voudrais ou le café ou le thé?
When can that be used?
Thank you!
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MarnieKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Soit...soit
« Soit on passe le Noël chez mes parents...soit..ici ». Is it possible to say (paraphrasing)... « On passe le Noël soit...chez mes parents soit ici » instead of putting « soit » at the very beginning of the sentence?
Asked 1 year ago
Marnie asked:View original
Soit...soit
« Soit on passe le Noël chez mes parents...soit..ici ». Is it possible to say (paraphrasing)... « On passe le Noël soit...chez mes parents soit ici » instead of putting « soit » at the very beginning of the sentence?
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PaulKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Soit.....soit
May I please suggest adding some more examples to this lesson; for example, usage with verbs. Thanks.
Asked 1 year ago
Paul asked:View original
Soit.....soit
May I please suggest adding some more examples to this lesson; for example, usage with verbs. Thanks.
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JoseKwiziq community member
Why is "soit des vacances soit du travail" wrong as a translation of "either holiday or work"?
Asked 2 years ago
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonjour Jose,
Was there a question involved with your post? I do not find that type of question in the lesson.
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
The correct answer is "soit les vacances soit le travail". Here you are talking about vacation and work in general terms: either vacation (in general) or work (in general). "Des vacances" uses the partitive "de" and refers to (some vacations). Similarly for "du travail".
-- Chris. (not a native speaker)
JohnKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
The question is when do you use, for example, des vacances instead of les vacances, or du travail instead of le travail. In one of the examples we had du fromage but un dessert.
SerianKwiziq community member
I also put 'des vacances' here. I don't really see why it couldn't be 'some holidays' - i.e. Either you take some holiday, or you work
Jose asked:View original
Why is "soit des vacances soit du travail" wrong as a translation of "either holiday or work"?
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LisaKwiziq community member
liaison with soit...soit
Is there no liaison between soit and the word that follows it? None of the sound files seemed to include it, whether soit preceded un/une/en... Thank you!
Asked 2 years ago
Lisa asked:View original
liaison with soit...soit
Is there no liaison between soit and the word that follows it? None of the sound files seemed to include it, whether soit preceded un/une/en... Thank you!
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RichardKwiziq community member
after "soit" when should you use "de" and when do you omit "de
Asked 2 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Richard !
It depends on whether you're using a verb followed by the preposition "de" or not.
E.g. "Je me sers *d'*un outil." (I'm using a tool.) -> "Je me sers soit d'un marteau soit d'un tournevis."
"J'ai vu Paul." (I saw Paul.) -> "J'ai vu soit Paul soit Thomas."
"Tu as besoin *de* quelque chose." (You need something.) -> "Tu as besoin soit d'un crayon soit d'un stylo."
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
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LauraKwiziq team member
Bonjour Malcolm,
Yes, technically "soit" is the subjunctive of être, meaning "be." But the French conjunction soit ... soit needs to be understood as a set phrase. If it helps, you can think of if as "whether it be ... or it be ..."
TerriKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Where might I find the mini quiz for this lesson? I seem to have lost several mini quizzes today. Thank you, Terri
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