two dogs and a female dog.

chris w.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

two dogs and a female dog.

Why so mealy mouthed? Two dogs and a bitch, please.

Asked 3 years ago
CécileNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Hi Chris, 

Both bitch and female dog are given for 'chienne'.

Bonne Continuation!

Paul F.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Really? In English we don't usually distinguish between male and female dogs in general conversation. We would say "you have a nice dog", not "you have a nice bitch" which could sound a bit vulgar as the word is usually used in a derogatory fashion. But in French if you know the dog is female you might reasonably say "Tu as une belle chienne" (or if you didn't know the gender, you would just use the generic "chien"). So female dog is actually probably more of an accurate translation in context here. Sure, in veterinary or scientific conversation we might use "bitch" which is the strictly accurate term for a female dog.

chris w.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

No Paul. In colloquial Englisjh no one would say 'female dog' when we have a perfectly good single word, 'bitch', and in the context of their sex a male dog is just 'a dog'.  The options I was give for the translation did not include 'two dogs and a bitch', it was ' two male dogs and a female dog', which whilst bing trhnically accurate is not something anyone concerned about the sex of the dogs would ever say.

chris w.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

No Paul. In colloquial Englisjh no one would say 'female dog' when we have a perfectly good single word, 'bitch', and in the context of their sex a male dog is just 'a dog'.  The options I was give for the translation did not include 'two dogs and a bitch', it was ' two male dogs and a female dog', which whilst bing trhnically accurate is not something anyone concerned about the sex of the dogs would ever say.

two dogs and a female dog.

Why so mealy mouthed? Two dogs and a bitch, please.

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