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Glossary entry

Dutch term or phrase:

aan het zoeken voor

English translation:

looking for

Added to glossary by Dave Greatrix
Dec 7, 2001 04:06
22 yrs ago
Dutch term

zoeken voor

Non-PRO Dutch to English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters conversation
The sentence is (recounting the details of a phone conversation): X heeft nog niets gehoord (from A or B). X is volop aan het zoeken voor Y, want X wordt hiervan spuugzat.
Now, my query is, does the 'voor' mean that X is spending time trying to get hold of A and B on Y's behalf or that X is trying to get hold of Y (in which case, why haven't they used 'zoeken naar'?)
Proposed translations (English)
4 looking for
4 +1 Spuugzat
3 +1 to search/look for
4 -1 on behalf
4 -1 X is sick of the situation

Discussion

Non-ProZ.com Dec 7, 2001:
native speakers these 2 are native speakers, and the conversation is being reported by a native speaker. Thank you to Chris for the explanation of 'want', because that makes it clear. It seems that Y is sitting on his backside waiting for X to hear something from A and B, rather than doing anything about it himself. Hence why I think 'voor' is being used to mean 'for (on behalf of)'.

Proposed translations

3 hrs
Selected

looking for

If you translate it as "looking for" it could mean either "looking for" ("zoeken naar") or "looking on behalf of". Problem gone!

X hasn't heard from A or B. X is busy looking for Y and is fed up of it.

Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "That'll do nicely! That's the option I've gone for - then I leave it up to the client to sit there wondering what the 'for' means!"
+1
20 mins

to search/look for

Could it be that this is sais by non-natives?

I think it must be a litteral translation of "X is searching/looking for Y".


There's something else that sounds strange: "want X wordt hiervan spuugzat."

want is not logical in this construction and it should be: is dat/die situatie... spuugzat.

"wordt... zat" means "gets drunk".

HTH,

Serge L.
Reference:

native speaker of Dutch

Peer comment(s):
agree Dave Greatrix
30 mins
neutral Chris Hopley : I don't think non-natives are involved. It's just sloppy conversation. The use of "want" in the meaning of "the result of this being that" rather than "because" is a native Dutch "mistake" and unlikely to be used by a non-native.
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
-1
29 mins

on behalf

Lucy,

Als we ervan uit mogen gaan dat de spreker zijn taal kent, wordt hier hier "on Y's behalf" bedoeld.

Groeten,
Carla
Peer comment(s):
disagree Dave Greatrix : would that not be "namens Y"?
21 mins
Something went wrong...
-1
50 mins

X is sick of the situation

X is looking FOR Y, not on behalf of Y, that would be "namens Y" The situation that X is sick of is of not hearing anything from A or B, so maybe Y can help.

Clear:o-
Peer comment(s):
disagree Carla Zwanenberg : in dat geval zou het voorzetsel "naar" gebruikt moeten worden zoals Lucy zelf al aangaf.
23 mins
I think Serge is right when he talks of non-natives.
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

Spuugzat

Hi Serge! This is obviously not used in Belgium. It has in this context nothing do with getting drunk, but basiclly to be "sick to the back teeth" A phrase that we would use in England amongst others.
Peer comment(s):
agree Serge L : I know the expression (to be sick and tired etc.) and mentioned "getting drunk"to stress that this translation wouldn't fit the context...
11 mins
Something went wrong...
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