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ten minste om niet

English translation: at least free of charge

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Dutch term or phrase:ten minste om niet
English translation:at least free of charge
Entered by: Marc Van Gastel

12:25 May 17, 2004
Dutch to English translations [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Dutch term or phrase: ten minste om niet
"De leverancier neemt, indien een consument of bedrijf dit wenst, bij de levering van een nieuw product, een soortgelijk afgedankt product dat hem wordt aangeboden, ten minste om niet in."
This construction is unfamiliar to me (blush!), though the explanation is probably quite simple.
Christopher Smith (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:37
at least free of charge, for free
Explanation:
The supplier is requested to accept any similar used object, at least for free. Meaning that he will accept similar old items at least free of charge, or even, pay for them.



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Note added at 48 mins (2004-05-17 13:14:06 GMT)
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Just an additional word on the construction, simplified to make it understandable :
\"De leverancier neemt (If blablabla) een product (om niet) in.\"

The verb is \"innemen\", meaning to accept, take in (for free);but it could be a bit hard because it is split so far apart.



Selected response from:

Marc Van Gastel
Belgium
Local time: 20:37
Grading comment
Many thanks to both of you for your explanations of this construction and thanks to others for their comments. It was difficult to judge between them, and in the end it was Sietske's comment (that it is not unusual for retailers to knock something off the price for traded in goods) that made the difference. I had to get around this rather laboriously in my text, with: "The supplier has the option of paying for the scrapped item, but under no circumstances should he charge for the service."
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +4at least free of charge, for free
Marc Van Gastel
4 +2Free (c harge)
jarry (X)


  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
at least free of charge, for free


Explanation:
The supplier is requested to accept any similar used object, at least for free. Meaning that he will accept similar old items at least free of charge, or even, pay for them.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 48 mins (2004-05-17 13:14:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Just an additional word on the construction, simplified to make it understandable :
\"De leverancier neemt (If blablabla) een product (om niet) in.\"

The verb is \"innemen\", meaning to accept, take in (for free);but it could be a bit hard because it is split so far apart.





Marc Van Gastel
Belgium
Local time: 20:37
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 2
Grading comment
Many thanks to both of you for your explanations of this construction and thanks to others for their comments. It was difficult to judge between them, and in the end it was Sietske's comment (that it is not unusual for retailers to knock something off the price for traded in goods) that made the difference. I had to get around this rather laboriously in my text, with: "The supplier has the option of paying for the scrapped item, but under no circumstances should he charge for the service."

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  alphabetty
22 mins
agree  Kate Hudson (X)
27 mins
neutral  jarry (X): I think that 'at least' does not add anything to the English. See my comments below.
1 hr
agree  winterjasmij (X): ik denk dat het 'tenminste' hier wel functioneel is, omdat het bijvoorbeeld in de electronikasector niet ongebruikelijk is om extra korting te verlenen op de aankoop van een nieuw apparaat bij de inlevering van een afgedankt, maar nog werkend oud apparaat
4 hrs
  -> Juist, ook heel veel inleveracties, ook een deel recuperatie voor recycling etc.
agree  Mirjam Bonne-Nollen
5 hrs
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Free (c harge)


Explanation:
Om niet literally means for nothing.

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Note added at 10 mins (2004-05-17 12:35:44 GMT)
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Sorry, that should be free (OF charge).

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Note added at 1 hr 28 mins (2004-05-17 13:53:20 GMT)
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I think the \"tenminste\" in this sentence means that the supplier will accept similar old items without charging for them, and not that he might pay for them. I therefore think that the translation of \"tenminste\" by \'at least\' here is not idiomatic or even clear in English. It is in fact superfluous (tautology).My suggestion would be to translate the phrase as \'trade in the ... without charge\' and not mention the \'at least\' bit at all.

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Note added at 1 hr 33 mins (2004-05-17 13:58:22 GMT)
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Strange, I was the first to answer this question (9 minutes as opposed to vangastel\'s 10 munutes) and yet it appears as the second answer. ??

jarry (X)
South Africa
Local time: 20:37
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 46

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway: Mr Van Gastel is first because he claims to be 100% sure-translators who are not 100% sure that they are 100% right (wouldn't it be great to be so certain? :-) ) are now listed after-I always leave room for doubt-even if it is into my own language.
3 hrs
agree  Tina Vonhof (X): Could it be that 'tenminste' is out of place and belongs with 'product', i.e., 'at least one similar discarded product'?
3 hrs
  -> I don't read that into the sentence. If that were to be the case, I somehow feel that there should not be a comma after "aangeboden" but after "ten minste". But this is now beginning to look like a guessing game.
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