Learn how to use the French sentence “Il ne regarde que des films de science-fiction.” (“He only watches science-fiction movies.”) by discussing it with the ForumLanguage community.
Forum>Topic: French>”He only watches science-fict…
“He only watches science-fiction movies.”Translation:Il ne regarde que des films de science-fiction.December 27, 2020
December 27, 2020
12 Commentsmaryehamel796Hmmm… got tripped up by the “des” vs “les” as I read this as he only likes sci fi films in general not a specific group of them, i.e. some of them. Kinda like je n’aime que les fruits December 27, 2020DiscordddPlus683Je n’aime que les fruits is fine because it’s referring to all fruits. However, in this sentence, the movies are unidentified, so you must use an indefinite article.December 27, 2020Louradour5209I agree, it’s general so it means “des”. In a tv program which offers different choices, he may ‘ne regarder que les films de science fiction’ (among other choices he could have done). I believe there is a specificic rule with verbs like “aimer” which need ‘definite articles’ when generally speaking. Another example : j’aime les chocolats (and not j’aime des chocolats). December 27, 2020DiscordddPlus683Yes turns out there is a rule. With the verbs aimer, détester, adorer, préférer, et haïr, a definite article is required. Corrected my mistake, thanks!December 27, 2020–Roody–1263The best way to think of it is that des is the plural of un/une. You would say IL regarde un film de science-fiction. So the plural should be il regarde des films de science-fiction.June 3, 2021Z814doUDPluswhy can’t we use “seulement” instead of the ne que construction??????May 20, 2021–Roody–1263Go ahead. But apparently, our computer teacher feels it’s important for us to be comfortable with the widely used ne…que construction. So I think it’s important to go with ne…que instead of using seulement, which is really a crutch because it’s closer to how we say it in English.June 3, 2021Sue319488Plus1191I’m confused why it’s not ‘de’ rather than ‘des’ after the negative construction. Can anyone explain please?April 17, 2021DiscordddPlus683I can’t think of any examples that use a partitive construction (de) with ne + que. April 17, 2021Malcolm789674726In a similar phrase, ‘à’ is used, rather than ‘de’: Why? “Il ne regarde que des films de science-fiction.” BUT “Pauline ne regarde que des films à suspense.” for “Pauline only watches thriller movies.”July 21, 2021Jeuri141865I haven’t been able to find an explanation as to why, but ‘film à suspense’ seems to be a special case. As far as I can see, everything else uses ‘de’ or an adjective (un film policier, par exemple).November 15, 2021paste42Plus442pourquoi pas “il ne regarde des films que de science fiction”?December 30, 2021
12 Comments
maryehamel796Hmmm… got tripped up by the “des” vs “les” as I read this as he only likes sci fi films in general not a specific group of them, i.e. some of them. Kinda like je n’aime que les fruits December 27, 2020DiscordddPlus683Je n’aime que les fruits is fine because it’s referring to all fruits. However, in this sentence, the movies are unidentified, so you must use an indefinite article.December 27, 2020Louradour5209I agree, it’s general so it means “des”. In a tv program which offers different choices, he may ‘ne regarder que les films de science fiction’ (among other choices he could have done). I believe there is a specificic rule with verbs like “aimer” which need ‘definite articles’ when generally speaking. Another example : j’aime les chocolats (and not j’aime des chocolats). December 27, 2020DiscordddPlus683Yes turns out there is a rule. With the verbs aimer, détester, adorer, préférer, et haïr, a definite article is required. Corrected my mistake, thanks!December 27, 2020–Roody–1263The best way to think of it is that des is the plural of un/une. You would say IL regarde un film de science-fiction. So the plural should be il regarde des films de science-fiction.June 3, 2021Z814doUDPluswhy can’t we use “seulement” instead of the ne que construction??????May 20, 2021–Roody–1263Go ahead. But apparently, our computer teacher feels it’s important for us to be comfortable with the widely used ne…que construction. So I think it’s important to go with ne…que instead of using seulement, which is really a crutch because it’s closer to how we say it in English.June 3, 2021Sue319488Plus1191I’m confused why it’s not ‘de’ rather than ‘des’ after the negative construction. Can anyone explain please?April 17, 2021DiscordddPlus683I can’t think of any examples that use a partitive construction (de) with ne + que. April 17, 2021Malcolm789674726In a similar phrase, ‘à’ is used, rather than ‘de’: Why? “Il ne regarde que des films de science-fiction.” BUT “Pauline ne regarde que des films à suspense.” for “Pauline only watches thriller movies.”July 21, 2021Jeuri141865I haven’t been able to find an explanation as to why, but ‘film à suspense’ seems to be a special case. As far as I can see, everything else uses ‘de’ or an adjective (un film policier, par exemple).November 15, 2021paste42Plus442pourquoi pas “il ne regarde des films que de science fiction”?December 30, 2021
maryehamel796Hmmm… got tripped up by the “des” vs “les” as I read this as he only likes sci fi films in general not a specific group of them, i.e. some of them. Kinda like je n’aime que les fruits December 27, 2020
maryehamel796
Hmmm… got tripped up by the “des” vs “les” as I read this as he only likes sci fi films in general not a specific group of them, i.e. some of them. Kinda like je n’aime que les fruits December 27, 2020
Hmmm… got tripped up by the “des” vs “les” as I read this as he only likes sci fi films in general not a specific group of them, i.e. some of them. Kinda like je n’aime que les fruits
December 27, 2020
December 27, 2020
DiscordddPlus683Je n’aime que les fruits is fine because it’s referring to all fruits. However, in this sentence, the movies are unidentified, so you must use an indefinite article.December 27, 2020
Je n’aime que les fruits is fine because it’s referring to all fruits. However, in this sentence, the movies are unidentified, so you must use an indefinite article.
December 27, 2020
December 27, 2020
Louradour5209I agree, it’s general so it means “des”. In a tv program which offers different choices, he may ‘ne regarder que les films de science fiction’ (among other choices he could have done). I believe there is a specificic rule with verbs like “aimer” which need ‘definite articles’ when generally speaking. Another example : j’aime les chocolats (and not j’aime des chocolats). December 27, 2020
I agree, it’s general so it means “des”. In a tv program which offers different choices, he may ‘ne regarder que les films de science fiction’ (among other choices he could have done). I believe there is a specificic rule with verbs like “aimer” which need ‘definite articles’ when generally speaking. Another example : j’aime les chocolats (and not j’aime des chocolats).
December 27, 2020
December 27, 2020
DiscordddPlus683Yes turns out there is a rule. With the verbs aimer, détester, adorer, préférer, et haïr, a definite article is required. Corrected my mistake, thanks!December 27, 2020
Yes turns out there is a rule. With the verbs aimer, détester, adorer, préférer, et haïr, a definite article is required. Corrected my mistake, thanks!
December 27, 2020
December 27, 2020
–Roody–1263The best way to think of it is that des is the plural of un/une. You would say IL regarde un film de science-fiction. So the plural should be il regarde des films de science-fiction.June 3, 2021
The best way to think of it is that des is the plural of un/une. You would say IL regarde un film de science-fiction. So the plural should be il regarde des films de science-fiction.
June 3, 2021
June 3, 2021
Z814doUDPluswhy can’t we use “seulement” instead of the ne que construction??????May 20, 2021
why can’t we use “seulement” instead of the ne que construction??????
May 20, 2021
May 20, 2021
–Roody–1263Go ahead. But apparently, our computer teacher feels it’s important for us to be comfortable with the widely used ne…que construction. So I think it’s important to go with ne…que instead of using seulement, which is really a crutch because it’s closer to how we say it in English.June 3, 2021
Go ahead. But apparently, our computer teacher feels it’s important for us to be comfortable with the widely used ne…que construction. So I think it’s important to go with ne…que instead of using seulement, which is really a crutch because it’s closer to how we say it in English.
June 3, 2021
June 3, 2021
Sue319488Plus1191I’m confused why it’s not ‘de’ rather than ‘des’ after the negative construction. Can anyone explain please?April 17, 2021
I’m confused why it’s not ‘de’ rather than ‘des’ after the negative construction. Can anyone explain please?
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