8 replies to this topic

[YuehanHao]

I am sometimes scolded by my wife when she gets annoyed with me, “你真是的."  At least I think those are the correct characters.

I sort of have a feel for what this means, but I wonder if anyone could help me by offering a translation to English.

谢谢，

约翰好

[L-F-J]

perhaps "you're really.....", dare not say!

[Hanlink]

The characters are correct. It is a very mild, even polite rebuke (since it leaves out any possibly implied profanity). Depending on the circumstances and the tone in which it is said, the meaning could well move from humorous to extremely irritated and it is that which would probably dictate the translation into English. Either way, you would not translate with a profanity. I would start with: "You really are [too much]", which is quite a close translation to a  "Good heavens, man" or an open "Oh, no!" It depends what fits.

[L-F-J]

真是的 is an interjection of annoyance or frustration. translate it as you'd see fit.

[roddy]

I find myself thinking of it as the 'what are you like . . . ?' in (British, I guess) English. It's kind of playful, doesn't really express any actual failing - you're not being told you're an idiot, or disorganized, or slow on the uptake - it's just general low-level and not very important irritation. It's used when you can't find your keys, not when you can't find the baby.

[Curtass]

"You're such a -"
"You're so - "
"You're really - "

Something along those lines.

[aprilz]

"How can you do this to me (or somebody else)!" I think 是 here is closer to the original meaning "这样", so 你真是的 can be translated into: 你真的做了这样的事!

[HedgePig]

As you know, Chinese is an extremely compact language and so when your wife says "你真是的", it can be translated more or less as:

"You are low-down, two-timing, conniving, untrustworthy, scheming, revolting, unwashed rear-end of the least esteemed member of the porcine tribe and more unpleasant than the stuff that collects in the shower drain after a long, hot and humid summer. Added to this, you combine the worst qualities of a particularly malodorous skunk with those of misanthropic hyena. It's also your turn to cook dinner and do the dishes."

(I may not have got the exact tone of the "的” quite right.)

I do not expect any fee for this translation service.

Regards
HedgePig

(Sorry. It's been a long day! :-)

[semantic nuance]

HedgePig, 你真是的!