Learn French: Le document n'est pas parmi le tas, mais entre les livres. - The document is not among the pile, but between the books.

Le document n'est pas parmi le tas, mais entre les livres.

The document is not among the pile, but between the books.

Breakdown of Le document n'est pas parmi le tas, mais entre les livres.

not (used before the verb)

Questions & Answers about Le document n'est pas parmi le tas, mais entre les livres.

Why do we use parmi for the pile, but entre for the books?

This highlights the exact difference between these two prepositions. Parmi means 'among' a general group where the items aren't viewed individually. Entre means 'between,' highlighting the physical space separating distinct items. The document isn't just lost in the general pile (parmi le tas); it is physically sandwiched between individual books (entre les livres).

I thought parmi had to be followed by a plural noun. Why can we say parmi le tas?

It is true that parmi is usually followed by a plural noun (like parmi mes amis). However, you can use a singular noun if it is a collective noun—a single word that represents a group of things or people. Because le tas (the pile) implies a collection of multiple objects, using parmi here is completely correct.

Would it be wrong to say parmi les livres?

Not at all, but it changes the nuance. If you say parmi les livres, it simply means the document is somewhere in the general collection of books ('among the books'). Saying entre les livres emphasizes its exact physical position: it is stuck in the space separating the books from each other.

I have seen the word tas used differently before. Can it mean something other than a literal pile?