some who knows german?

Question

if you were going to say
she gives the people advice,
what would you use for advice?
DEN RAT, EINEN RAT, or just RAT?

my teacher said that you always needed the der or ein infront of the word, but it doesnt seem right in this case

please dont use a translator to give me an answer...

Answer 1

Depending on the circumstances all three versions may be correct.

Sie gibt den Menschen Rat. - more general. She's the one people are coming to when they need advice.

Sie gibt den Menschen einen Rat. - more specific. She gives a certain piece of advice. Means also that the advice is just given once.

Sie gibt den Menschen den Rat, etwas zu tun. - most specific, but not possible without a subordinate clause that explains what the advice is, so I wouldn't use it in your case here.

Answer 2

Sie gibt den Menschen einen Rat

actually, you're kinda right, you don't always need der or ein but most of the time you need it. however, for example it is
Er gibt mir Nachhilfe (He gives me private lessons)
and it is definately not
Er gibt mir eine Nachhilfe

Answer 3

Sie gibt den Leuten Rat.

it is "den Leuten" and not die Leute!
this is because geben is a dative verb and the sentence literally means: She gives TO the people advice."
That's 100% correct

You could also say:

Sie gibt den Leuten einen Vorschlag.
"She gives the people a suggestion."

Answer 4

Your teacher is not always right, and German is a language with many exceptions...... ;-)

Sie gibt die Menschen Rat.
Sie gibt die Leute Rat.

I'm Dutch and was born at the German border.

Answer 5

there is this system in google when you are at the homepage go to more then even more then twards the bottom right there is a translator

Answer 6

das Wort RAT ist Advice...richtig....urm.......
Sie gibt die Leute Rat

Answer 7

du bist eine schweine.