Usage avec les quantités

Euletha D.B1Kwiziq community member

Usage avec les quantités

Bonjour! Thank you for this great lesson and video about using "en!" I have a question about whether or not it's acceptable to repeat the noun when it's in a quantity phrase. To illustrate, for the sentence Elle apporte une bouteille de vin, which one of these is correct, or are both acceptable: Elle en apporte une bouteille. / Elle en apporte une.  I have a similar question with the phrase "des tranches de." My guess is that since "des" is a partitive, the noun "tranches" wouldn't follow the verb because "en" replaces the whole "des" phrase, but I'm not 100% sure. So Il mange des tranches de gateaux would become "Il en mange" and not "Il en mange des tranches"? Or are both acceptable? 

Asked 5 years ago
CécileKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hi Euletha,

In answer to your first query -

Elle apporte une bouteille de vin?   Oui, elle en apporte une  ( the en replacing une bouteille

in your second query -

Il mange des tranches de gâteaux? 

you would say,

 Oui, il en mange des tranches ( en replacing  'de gâteau')

The occasions when you would use an additional quantity value would be to emphasise the amount.

e.g

Pierre aime le chocolat Oui il en mange des tonnes!  ( en= of it)

Vous avez des timbres chez vous?  Oui, j'en ai des carnets!  (en=of them)

Tu mange de la purée? Oui, j'en mange des kilos  ( en=of it)

etc.

There is a sister Kwiziq lesson on en and quantities which you might find useful too -

https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/the-adverbial-pronoun-en-means-of-them-with-quantities

Hope this helps!

 

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

It is certainly grammatically correct to repeat the quantity/unit again. Seems a bit superfluous, though. Maybe even like there would be another possibility to take, e.g., one flask but you took one bottle.

Il en mange. -- He eats from it.
Il en mange des tranches. -- He eats slices from it.

Again, it's fine to repeat "des tranches" but it does shift the emphasis a bit.

The opinion of  a native speaker would be appreciated.

Shrey R.A1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Bonjour Madame Cécile !

I went through your answer and learnt a new concept that one would use an additional quantity value to emphasise the amount.

Now, if provided with a sentence->

Voulez-vous boire une tasse de thé?-                   

 Oui, je veux en boire une. (Here, en replaces une tasse).

This implies that I want to drink one cup of tea.

But if one says- Oui, je veux en boire une tasse.(en replacing de thé). On what is the emphasis being made and how ?

Merci Madame et je vous souhaite une bonne journée!

CécileKwiziq team member

Hi Shrey,

You would say -

Oui, j'aimerais en boire une ( tasse)

 

Usage avec les quantités

Bonjour! Thank you for this great lesson and video about using "en!" I have a question about whether or not it's acceptable to repeat the noun when it's in a quantity phrase. To illustrate, for the sentence Elle apporte une bouteille de vin, which one of these is correct, or are both acceptable: Elle en apporte une bouteille. / Elle en apporte une.  I have a similar question with the phrase "des tranches de." My guess is that since "des" is a partitive, the noun "tranches" wouldn't follow the verb because "en" replaces the whole "des" phrase, but I'm not 100% sure. So Il mange des tranches de gateaux would become "Il en mange" and not "Il en mange des tranches"? Or are both acceptable? 

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