FR: Ils grattent avec leurs mains

[Maîtreaupôle]

In a recent post in the language forum the French sentence being translated is "Les légistes.......grattent avec leurs mains... The question asked is about the proper translation of "gratter". I wonder, however, about the grammar. I'm confused by the French "avec leurs mains". Why isn't it "avec les mains"? They'd hardly be scraping with someone else's hands.

 

[Maître Capello]

The definite article is used instead of the possessive only when the verb is pronominal. Otherwise you should use the possessive like in English.

Ils se grattent leur tête.
Ils se grattent la tête.
Ils grattent la tête. (who's head? )
Ils grattent X avec leurs mains.

 

[Maîtreaupôle]

The full sentence is "Les légistes se mettent à deux ou à trois, creusent, s'arrêtent, discutent, posent la pioche ou la pelle, grattent avec leurs mains, photographient, mesurent." Added to the context is mention of the work of the forensic pathologists being done at a mass grave. I can accept that you are correct in saying a hard rule of French grammar applies here; i.e., the definite article is used instead of the possessive only when the verb is pronominal.

However, I can't accept that any confusion is engendered concerning who's head? The context makes it perfectly clear that no one's head is being scraped: the earth is. However, if that makes no difference; i.e., using the definite article is still wrong; so be it. Thanks for the correction.

 

[Maître Capello]

However, I can't accept that any confusion is engendered concerning who's head? The context makes it perfectly clear that no one's head is being scraped: the earth is.

Since you hadn't provided the whole context, I just made up one to illustrate my point. In other words, "Ils" was not meant to stand for "Les légistes."

if that makes no difference

It doesn't.