Are these sentences correct?
1. Je veux des vêtements en lin.
Les or des in this case?
2. Je veux la table pour mon cousin qui habite aux États-Unis.
Is there a contraction between "qui" and "habite"?
I'll send this to our French expert, SraJMcGin.
1. les for specific clothing = THE but des for some
2. no
Sra
I'll flag this and come back later in case you have additional questions.
Sra (aka Mme)
1. To determine whether to use "les" or "des" in the sentence "Je veux des vêtements en lin," you need to consider the context.
- Use "des" when you are referring to an unspecified quantity or a general concept. In this case, if you want some linen clothes, but you don't have a specific number or type in mind, "des" is more appropriate.
- Use "les" when you are referring to a specific quantity or a known set of items. If you have a specific set of linen clothes in mind, for example, a particular set that you saw earlier, then "les" would be more suitable.
2. In the sentence "Je veux la table pour mon cousin qui habite aux États-Unis," there is no contraction between "qui" and "habite."
- "Qui" is a relative pronoun that means "who" or "which." It introduces a relative clause that provides additional information about the noun "mon cousin" (my cousin).
- "Habite" is the verb "habiter" conjugated in the singular third person present tense, which means "to live."
- There is no contraction between "qui" and "habite" in this case. They remain separate words.