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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

dünn besaitet sein

English translation: to be thin-skinned, high-strung, highly sensitive, touchy

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:dünn besaitet sein
English translation:to be thin-skinned, high-strung, highly sensitive, touchy
Entered by: Susan Welsh

18:21 Mar 26, 2015
German to English translations [PRO]
Medical - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
German term or phrase: dünn besaitet sein
A woman with cancer is trying to combat her lack of motivation, and says to herself: «Ich darf dünn besaitet sein.»

Thanks! I'm clueless here.
Susan Welsh
United States
Local time: 11:10
thin-skinned
Explanation:
My immediate gut-reaction would be to translate it as "I can allow myself to be thin-skinned". It's the opposite of being thick-skinned. For instance, you would say in German that someone "ist nicht gerade zart/fein besaitet" when they mean that the person is thick-skinned.
Selected response from:

Sanni Kruger (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:10
Grading comment
Thanks to Sanni and everybody. The contributions of "every right to..." and "can allow myself to..." from various people were also helpful to understand the whole sentence.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4thin-skinned
Sanni Kruger (X)
5 +2being highly sensitive
Silke Walter
3 +3to be touchy
gangels (X)
4 -1to be high(ly) strung
Elani Koogle
3to fall apart
Ramey Rieger (X)
3easily upset
Usch Pilz


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
being highly sensitive


Explanation:
Someone who has no defense mechanisms. Can easily be hurt, offended.

Silke Walter
Germany
Local time: 17:10
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): wenn es "zartbesaitet" heissen sollte, w2rde das hier passen
1 hr
agree  Gudrun Wolfrath
15 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
to be high(ly) strung


Explanation:
If the text calls for a more idiomatic option.

Elani Koogle
United States
Local time: 08:10
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  gangels (X): that's nervös/unruhig. You can be nervous without being zart besaitet
57 mins
  -> I would say that "high strung" means 'easily upset' and 'sensitive' as well as nervous. Just a thought. And a link to the definition: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-strung
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
to be touchy


Explanation:
every right to be touchy

That's one colloquialism to another

gangels (X)
Local time: 09:10
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  BrigitteHilgner
14 mins
agree  Susanne Rindlisbacher
50 mins
neutral  Ramey Rieger (X): Hi Gangels. I fully agree with the 'every right' bit, but am not so sure about 'touchy'.
11 hrs
agree  franglish
11 hrs
neutral  Trans-Marie: with Ramey
12 hrs
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
thin-skinned


Explanation:
My immediate gut-reaction would be to translate it as "I can allow myself to be thin-skinned". It's the opposite of being thick-skinned. For instance, you would say in German that someone "ist nicht gerade zart/fein besaitet" when they mean that the person is thick-skinned.

Example sentence(s):
  • I can allow myself to be thin-skinned

    Reference: http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/thin-skinned
Sanni Kruger (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:10
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks to Sanni and everybody. The contributions of "every right to..." and "can allow myself to..." from various people were also helpful to understand the whole sentence.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  EK Yokohama: Silke.mentioned "dünnhäutig" as a synonym for "hart easiest" (at 21 mins.)
1 hr
  -> thanks
agree  Gudrun Wolfrath
2 hrs
  -> thanks
agree  mill2
4 hrs
  -> thank you
agree  Johanna Timm, PhD
12 hrs
  -> thank you
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
to fall apart


Explanation:
I have every right to fall apart

Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 17:10
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 70
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
easily upset


Explanation:
one of many possibilities

Usch Pilz
Local time: 17:10
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 4
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