sakurazaki8759

[south valley]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[vague geyser]

So « fille unique » and « fils unique » can be used to mean 'only child' as in without siblings but I think in common usage you tend to hear « enfant unique » for that and « seul fils / seule fille » for 'only son/only daughter'

[unreal flare]

Technically, you weren't wrong, but duolingo gave you the choice to be precise, and you chose the general case.

Obviously your daughter is your child, but she's first of all your daughter, that's how you envisualize her within your mind so if you have the choice you should always check the most precise option

[hushed mulch]

I mean, Duo did give me the choice to be more precise, but how was I supposed to know Duo meant "only child" not "only daughter" in this case? I'm confused since the lady in the pic could've had one daughter (but multiple sons).

[unreal flare]

Because it said fille, it could have said enfants as bertie bear suggested it, but it didn't. It's like I'm asking what's your name, and instead of giving my your first name, you give me you first name, all your secondary names, and your last name

It does work, but that's not what I expect, and in this case, you could have said "child", but in your options, you also had "daughter" which is the most precise way to translate daughter,

but technically, you're obviously correct, it was just not the most precise answer you could have chosen

[hushed mulch]

Sorry I think you misunderstood me.

Question:
Elle est fille unique

My 1st try: She is an only daughter.
Duo marked it as wrong.

My 2nd try: She is an only child (as pictured).
Duo marked it as correct.

On my first try, I picked the most precise translation of fille, which is daughter, and Duo marked it as wrong.

[unreal flare]

You're telling me duolingo told the translation to "she is an only daughter" wasn't "elle est fille unique" ?

Then yes, duolingo is wrong

Sorry for the fuss, if I understood it the other way around.

You're right if you typed "Elle est fille unique".

[hushed mulch]

Yes! Coincidentally, I got the same question again today (but in reverse)

[hushed mulch]

Got the question again and answered "wrongly" to see if they marked it as wrong again:

[hushed mulch]

No problem. I was confused myself. Thank you for explaining this to me!

[unreal flare]

In that way around from french to English, perhaps it is a bit weird to say only daughter.