“MUM/MOM: Kids, stop fighting,”

Question

The answer is “MAMAN : Les enfants, arrêtez de vous battre,”, but it strikes me as strange that “Les” is there when “enfants” is directly addressing the children in order to get their attention. Could I just double-check with you that the “Les” should in fact be there?

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Brian,
In this context (exasperated mother with young kids / which one can become very quickly ;-) ), you would say 'LES enfants' and not 'enfants'. In fact, you always say 'les enfants' - see expressions below:
Les enfants, ça suffit ! = Kids, that's enough!
Les enfants, on écoute Papa maintenant ! = Kids, listen to Daddy now!
Les enfants, montez dans la voiture ! = Kids, get in the car!
Les enfants, arrêtez de courir ! = Kids, stop running!
I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you want some more (I have plenty more ;-) )
Bonne journée !

Answer

Hi Brian,I can imagine the situation clearly. In English, an exasperated mother may say "CHILDREN" in a raised voice, to demand their immediate attention. Not sure, but perhaps the french for this situation would be "LES ENFANTS" in a similar tone of voice.As an anglophone perhaps best to see what Cécile will comment on this point.Jim