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I'm translating a study in which adolescents were interviewed, and this is a quote from one of them. I understand what it means in German, but I'm having a very difficult time finding the right phrase to capture it in English. Any ideas?
The general idea is that this boy finds a girl attractive and when he says "die klär ich mir" it means he's going to hit on her and expects to be successful. It's very slang-y and not particularly respectful. Kind of like "I'm going to get her" but that sounds creepy and dangerous, which "die klär ich mir" is not meant to be. "I'm going to get her to be my girlfriend" is too formal and implies too much commitment. "Die klär ich mir" also doesn't seem to directly imply sex.
A couple of context examples from google: "Friend 1: Hast du die Neue gesehen? Bruder, klär sie dir! Friend 2: Ja, Junge, sie ist krass frech, aber ich bekomm sie noch, glaub mir."
"Mich hat grad eine geile 10. klässlerin gefragt ob ich single bin die klär ich mir"
"Und geh am besten nicht mit der Intention 'Die klär ich mir jetzt', an die Sache ran, sondern versuch erstmal ein nettes Gespräch zu führen"
Does leaving out one letter really make a difference? Welcome to my nightmare - the thumb-texting generation
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Old and in the way
19:13 Jan 25, 2017
Sugar went out with the Archies, although my generation still uses it..but we also still say chick in rare moments of nostalgia. In fact, chick is coming back into fashion. No cyberslaps today, Björn. Have a good night. You, too, Kelly.
I like it. And it would fit pretty well in my context, I think.
Of course, I just spent 15 minutes researching whether "bae" would be more appropriate for current slang than "babe," which made me feel old and out of touch... I think I have a friend's teenage daughter as a friend on Facebook. Maybe I'll have to ask her ;)
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
I've got my sights on her
18:06 Jan 25, 2017
That babe's mine
And don't worry about being dated, Tony, when you're 70 it'll be back in fashion.
Future D-I-L says it's arrogant, but not threatening and not too coarse. I suppose one way to convey it would be to replace "her" or "she" with a slightly demeaning term: "That's one honey I'll be hitting on". Although that probably dates me.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
@Björn & Tony
16:39 Jan 25, 2017
Of course! It's slang, so unless you have a picture/film with at least the past ten minutes of context leading up to when the term is used, as well as a character development in front of you, it's all guesswork. No, we don't disagree and yes, it's probably sexual and no, it's not overtly sexist. If my husband were to try it out on me, I'd most likely ask for an explanation (before I slapped him).
... who's a student, but he does put in a couple of supervisor shifts at the local youth club every week and plays basketball with multiple smelly teenagers, he says it's more common to hear "Die mach' ich mir klar". As Björn says, the "end game" is probably sexual (teenage boys - duh!), but the phrase itself is not overtly crass. I'll try it out on my wife when she comes home from work. Probably get a slap.
I don't think we disagree. As I said below, I'd use your answer. I merely wanted Kelly to keep in mind that the expression asked for may hint at more than what it seems to suggest at first. These kinds of expressions are really complicated to translate because it may even depend on the peer group you're part of. This group may have redefined the meaning of a word, something you can't readily discern from limited context.
The other interesting thing is how close you can keep to the original source if it involves certain areas that are somewhat prone to censoring in certain countries. Do you translate all connotations or do you omit something?
The stark difference in cultural acceptance of violence on screen is a good example. Having watched Batman 2 on the American base over here, I was horrified seeing all those little kids in the room watching Batman getting the cr*p beaten out of him. That is or at least used to be not a thing for German kids.
But I'll stop here, since this would rather be a discussion for the forum.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
it is more about boosting your ego.
15:49 Jan 25, 2017
EXACTLY! When a teenager (I'd assume at least 16 and older) says 'she's mine' he's boasting his irresistible qualities, the phrase could be predatory, hopeful, macho - but, in comparison to what USED to be said, it is not blatantly or literally so. Of course the context determines everything, but as Kelly cannot give it, I say keep it vague, universally interpretable and she can adapt it to her context.
"And I was also not trying to say that the comment is completely asexual."
To be clear: Ramey and Tony seemed to confirm the view that this doesn't have anything to do with sex and I merely wanted to prove based on some examples (involving sexual innuendo) that it can.
Let's say you're in a club with your best friend and he tells you: "Check her out... Die klär ich mir before the evening is over." Frankly, he's not considering marriage in two years' time...
You said adolescents. I think it'd have been better to specify an age range. As shown below, a 15-year-old might interpret it as getting a girlfriend; a 21-year-old might see it as another kind of invitation.
The other tricky part is: "denn ich verlasse mich doch nicht darauf, dass die Frau, die ich gut finde, sich wieder meldet [...] Wenn ich jemanden nicht verlieren will, spiele ich nicht solche kindischen Spiele, sondern lade sie zum Essen ein und mache sie mir klar" https://www.elitepartner.de/forum/frage/wird-er-sich-jemals-...
Even if it's about a relationship, it is more about boosting your ego. Like: "She's gonna fall for me, just watch."
Macho enough, I'd say :)
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Missed that
15:13 Jan 25, 2017
they were Google examples, I just assumed they were contextual. I'm gonna get her She's on my list I'll take her on Still, the simplest, vaguest and most accessible without context is: she's mine
Björn, you're right about it being extremely context-dependent, but there have definitely been some ideas given here that I think could work in my case. And I was also not trying to say that the comment is completely asexual. It definitely has sexual overtones, but as far as I understand it, it is not the same as saying that you're going to have sex with the person, although that *could* be involved. Kind of like "hooking up" - it can mean a whole range of things both in terms of activities involved and degree of commitment.
By the way, the P and C words have been popular among Germans before Americans had ever thought about using them publicly. I'd say British (or Jamaican) culture is closer in that regard.
I know, although I think that depends on context as well (age, situation, etc.). But somehow, the two don't readily connect, IMO. It's more like "die wickel ich mir um den Finger." In the absence of any further ideas, I'd not object using your answer. I only wanted to explain to Kelly that this one is a bit tricky. Her examples were not taken from whatever she's translating, but from online sources, so they're bound to be (slightly) different.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
By the way, Björn
14:58 Jan 25, 2017
She's mine does not imply going steady, it's a boastful claim, also non-committal. Slang, eben
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Hi Björn
14:57 Jan 25, 2017
PLEASE keep the sTRUMPet out of this! I took from Kelly's explanation that sex is NOT involved. But if it were, then 'I've got her number' would also do it.
This one really(!) depends on context, Kelly. And sorry, Ramey, but hey, you got a "grabbing" president now. That's how you should interpret it - as guys' talk.
It's like saying "Check her out," as franglish suggested (but that's only part of it) and deciding: "I'm gonna get that girl."
It's not about being yours or mine unless you're pretty young; it's non-committal.
And your second example proves my point. That one's just about, well, doing the nasty.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
The last example
14:27 Jan 25, 2017
seems to define it best. "Und geh am besten nicht mit der Intention 'Die klär ich mir jetzt', an die Sache ran, sondern versuch erstmal ein nettes Gespräch zu führen" "And don't approach her like she's (already) yours, try starting out with a friendly conversation."
I think in this particular context (sorry, can't go into detail for confidentiality reasons) "I'll check her out" is a little too non-committal. I agree that it could definitely be a good translation in some cases, though.
"Dibs" would I think only work when more than one person has expressed interest in the girl and one of them is calling dibs.
Not sure if this is too slangy, but I have heard it before: "dibs: To have the rights to something, to own something. I have dibs on that girl over there!" (Source: Urban Dictionary)
"I'm gonna check her out" hits the nail on the head, in my opinion. Why don't you post it as an answer, you'll get my agree.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
I'll check her out or check her out!
13:18 Jan 25, 2017
No, nothing sexual there, but not certainties, either. Hook up could mean he'll call, sms or make a date. So, he'll approach her but isn't sure of his chances. Check out has a few meanings - I'll check her out; he'll have a look and see if she's interesting enough to approach. Check her out!, is well, self-explanatory.
... the family suggested "hook up" or check out" - and sees no sexual connotations.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
@Wendy & Brigitte
13:01 Jan 25, 2017
I'm way overage but have tons of contact with the slang gang. If the text is devoid of sexual overtones, which are absolutely intolerable today, (women's Lib WAS succesful) then most English expressions are taboo. They're just too macho. The true wimp would say,'gee, she's nice' and the confident romeo would simply state, 'she's mine.' WITHOUT exclamation points or further ado.
it's not a common expression. I've never heard/read it before (that's due to my age and lack of children). Reading various comments/contexts, I get the impression that the person stating this is RATHER confident. My spontaneous idea: I'll get her! - but a quick check demonstrated that this is old-fashioned, too: http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://c8.alamy.com/co... Where are the youngsters contributing to this forum?
@ Ramey: As an extension of your idea, how about 'I'm going for her'. Not that I'm sufficiently au fait with today's jargon to know how much that insinuates!
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
also good!
11:04 Jan 25, 2017
It all depends on how specific the text requires you to be. If the intent is clear from the surrounding context, then 'she's mine' would suffice. 'klär sie dir' is more like 'go for it' as an encouragement. 'sie klär ich mir' she's mine, I'm gonna make her mine, she's gonna be mine. I'd trust your judgment.
True, but it's still an intention. If the process were finished I would expect him to say, "Die hab' ich mir geklärt, Junge!" Or something similar. The intent certainly *can* be there in the English "she's mine", like if two boys are talking and see a girl walk by and one says "Ok, she's mine" - like staking a claim. What about something like "I'm gonna make her mine"?
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Yes, that would work, too
10:46 Jan 25, 2017
although slang often leaves out the process. Die klär ich mir is stating a fact - overconfident as it may be!
Thanks for the welcome- I've been around proz for a long time but haven't posted in KudoZ before. This one has me stumped, though :) As for your suggestion "she's mine," I kind of like it - although it could also mean that the "klär-ing" has already occurred. Maybe "She's gonna be mine"?
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Hi Tony
10:25 Jan 25, 2017
I read it as 'die schnapp ich mir' - without sexual overtones. It's fascinating how the language has developed in this context. 'Die schnapp ich mir' has Stone Age, club swinging machismo, 'die klär ich mir' is more like clearing the way by sweeping all other competitors aside with one's charm, attractiveness, etc.