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Thread: phrase translation advice

 
  1. #1
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    Smile phrase translation advice

    i am trying to translate "all we have is who we are"
    i know literally its something like todos que tenemos es que somos..
    but im not sure if this translates with the same meaning as it has in english..could you give me some advice please?!
    -Thank You!

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    Senior Member exxcéntrica's Avatar
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    Default Re: phrase translation advice

    HI Brian, this is a tricky sentence. Very complicated to translate. hmmmm

    Lo que somos es lo importante; al final lo importante es quienes somos.

    Let's see what others say

    welcome to the forum

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    Default Re: phrase translation advice

    Somos quienes somos, nada mas. ??
    vicente

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    Post Re: phrase translation advice

    Thanks!
    I dont particularly want this exact phrase as it is in english, but more of the same meaning..
    thats where i have trouble translating

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    Default Re: phrase translation advice

    Hola:

    I think it has the same meaning.

    "
    all we have is who we are"

    Ex1:
    Lo que tenemos, es lo que somos.

    Ex2:
    Somos lo que tenemos.

    Espero haberte ayudado.

    Glad if I help you.

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    Senior Member exxcéntrica's Avatar
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    Default Re: phrase translation advice

    Quote Originally Posted by Cronopia View Post
    Hola:

    I think it has the same meaning.

    .
    I don't think so.

    eso significa algo así como: lo importante es lo que somos , cómo somos,.

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    Default Re: phrase translation advice

    I interpret the phrase to mean that ourselves...i.e., who we are...is all that matters in the end; that material things are transitional and do not define us. The saying "you can't take it with you" is apropos. When we pass on we will be remembered for who we were, not the things we possessed.

    So, I don't think that "Lo que tenemos, es lo que somos. or Somos lo que tenemos." is appropriate. That says "we are what we have."

    I tend to agree with Exxéntrica's version: "al final lo importante es quienes somos"...in the end, who we are is what matters.
    vicente

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    Default Re: phrase translation advice

    Quote Originally Posted by vicente View Post
    So, I don't think that "Lo que tenemos, es lo que somos. or Somos lo que tenemos." is appropriate. That says "we are what we have."
    Thanks Vicente, this was actually my first thought, too. I didn't quite understand the sentence...until I looked up the song on the web.

    Interesting wording.

    As a Spanish speaker what you see is this: all = everything

    Everything we have, is who we are. So we are , what we have.

    Wrong interpretation, of course, but that is also what I thought at the beginning, so I can see what cronopia was thinking.

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    Default Re: phrase translation advice

    I didn't know it was a song. I can see how Cronopia interpreted it as he did and since it's a song, he could be right for all I know. Maybe it's all about being materialistic but I don't think so.
    vicente

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    Default Re: phrase translation advice

    Quote Originally Posted by vicente View Post
    I didn't know it was a song. I can see how Cronopia interpreted it as he did and since it's a song, he could be right for all I know. Maybe it's all about being materialistic but I don't think so.
    Right.. it's NOT about being materialistic at all. in fact the opposite.. the all = everything, I guess you could say everything that we have is everything that we are. it makes more sense in English to say all we have is who we are but it doesn't translate as so.. see where I'm stumped??

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