aalanna.

[tender basin]

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.

[spiral dune]

Le mien = Mine. French has articles before it though, so it's literally "the mine." Also worth noting that it's not "le main" if you were translating it as such.

[stone girder]

Omg! Thank you! I was thinking it was saying “It was the hand” I’m going to bed clearly can’t learn anymore 😆

[spiral dune]

((((hand is la main btw))))

[stone girder]

💀

[placid nest]

The article is there because it's replacing a noun. When she said 'that was mine', what she's really saying is 'that was my glass'. Thus, « le mien » agrees with that gender:
« Tu vois cette voiture-là ? C'est la mienne (Do you see that car there? That's mine) »

The article helps in disambiguating number because without it, « mien/miens » would sound the same. Read more here:
https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/how-to-express-mine-yours-his-hers-le-mien-le-tien-le-sien-etc-singular-possessive-pronouns

[stone girder]

Could I get some clarification on the articles used for “mien”?

Specifically in another context we are talking about a male characters apartment but they used “la mienne”.

“Bah, tu peux utiliser la mienne”

[placid nest]

Do you have a scene

Or some context

[placid nest]

la mienne = la clim (the AC)

« J'aimerais bien en avoir une, mais mon immeuble est trop vieux. »
'I would love to have one [air conditioner], but my building is too old.'

When we're dealing with quantities, we can replace the noun with « en ».
« Tu aimes mes montres ? Vas-y, tu peux en prendre une. »
'You like my watches? Go ahead, you can take one [of them]'

« tu peux prendre une montre –> tu peux en prendre une »

[stone girder]

Okay that makes more sense. Thank you. I watch this show completely in French then go back with English and French subtitles for comprehension and this is just the one I’m having a bit of trouble with. My French writing lags dramatically behind my reading.

[placid nest]

As to why French needs to do that, you'll find as you go about your French learning journey that French is a lot less comfortable with implying than English

[stone girder]

I guess I’m more confused as to how to know when to switch my article for a subject that is a bit weird in English

Like for us we would be talking about the apartment not the AC unit if that makes sense.

[placid nest]

Fair enough

[placid nest]

That's something you would understand through subtext

Emily's saying that she doesn't have AC and the guy's saying that she can use his, which is him subtly implying that she can come to his apartment to – in his own words – 'use the AC'

so even in the English that type of subtext still makes sense

'It's so hot today in my flat, my AC stopped working.'
'Well… the AC in my flat's still perfectly fine.'

To be fair, the French subtitles could have clarified that but translation subtitles (translation in general) have to strike a balance between faithful understanding and comprehension

[stone girder]

Yeah I think in about 10 more hours I’ll figure this one out so I can use it speaking. I’ve somehow made it to B1 reading in 4 months. I plateau for a bit sometimes. I appreciate the explanation.

[placid nest]

no worries