As much as I trust good old Google Translate, I thought I'd throw this one up here, so that we can get the wording just right.  We'll be putting signs up on the trade stand next weekend, saying:

"If you can't find what you need, please ask!"

Any of our continental members fancy putting that into friendly Dutch, French or German for me?




PS:, I'll be checking any suspicious looking replies, so anyone posting something like "Ik heb een mooie bos van kokosnoten ..." will be in trouble...  

Hi Leon.


In German language we differ a little bit, when speaking to other people:

We use "Sie" to address to adult strangers, this is used in "normal life" and is a little bit "formal".
If we speak with people, who are our friends (more or less intensive), we use "Du".
You would translate both words with "you".

So I provide 2 versions, and you can decide...


"Sie suchen etwas bestimmtes und können es nicht finden? Bitte fragen Sie uns!"

or

"Du suchst etwas bestimmtes und findest es nicht? Frag' uns einfach!"

I assume, that such events are of a more or less friendly and relaxed atmosphere, so I would tend to the second version for your signs.

Cheers...

remember to ask for a slagroom taart

Quote from: Leon on 29 October 2011, 06:07:03 PM
"If you can't find what you need, please ask!"

Dutch: "Kun je niet vinden wat je zoekt, vraag het gerust aan ons!"

Cheers,
Aart

As U nie vkan ind, wat U soek, vraag asb.
   (Afrikaans, but a Flemish speaker will easily understand)
Se non si trova che si cerca, parla!
(improvised but I think grqammatical Italian)
Ta ha mai jer hai tam lao krup.
(Thai, though I know of only one such gamer, and he's anxiously watching Bangkok water levels just now. If you are a woman, say "ka", not "krup".)

in French

'Si vous ne trouvez pas ce dont vous avez besoin, demandez-nous s'il vous plaît!'

Quote from: FierceKitty on 30 October 2011, 12:29:42 AM
As U nie vkan ind, wat U soek, vraag asb.
   (Afrikaans, but a Flemish speaker will easily understand)
Se non si trova che si cerca, parla!
(improvised but I think grqammatical Italian)
Ta ha mai jer hai tam lao krup.
(Thai, though I know of only one such gamer, and he's anxiously watching Bangkok water levels just now. If you are a woman, say "ka", not "krup".)

As U nie kan vind, wat U soek, vraag asb. (Disregard computer's creative arrangement of letters above)

Quote from: FierceKitty on 30 October 2011, 02:09:33 AM
As U nie kan vind, wat U soek, vraag asb. (Disregard computer's creative arrangement of letters above)

FierceKitty, bro, es jy Afrikaans? Of praat jy Afrikaans? Ek is 'n Kaasie maar ek es lief vir daardie taal.

Cheers,
Aart

My pa se ma was Afrikaans, en ook my eerste vrou.

Quote from: FierceKitty on 30 October 2011, 08:48:43 AM
My pa se ma was Afrikaans, en ook my eerste vrou.

When did you last see some koppies in die veldt then?

Cheers,
Aart

I'm a Cape Towner; we go to great lengths to avoid the desert regions that cover so much of that poor country.

Quote from: FierceKitty on 31 October 2011, 12:55:35 AM
I'm a Cape Towner; we go to great lengths to avoid the desert regions that cover so much of that poor country.

The furthest I ever got from Cape Town was Lebowakgomo in Limpopo province. The countryside was breathtakingly beautiful. I went there to interview the author Esekia Mphahlele, a most entertaining and cosmopolitan gentleman. Of course he had the usual high walls and barbed wire around his home. Apart from settlements such as his the area is pretty much deserted, I believe. On our way back it was pitchdark and we almost hit a cow when we came round a bend. If we'd hit it, we could have had an entire village on our tail (and we didn't have a gun). Enough to keep a man awake whilst driving, eh? Still, that day was one of the most pleasant and rewarding of my life.

Cheers,
Aart

Thanks for all the replies, I'll get the signs done on Wednesday!

Then your only problem will be when some asks you a question in Flemish...

Quote from: fred12df on 31 October 2011, 08:25:49 PM
Then your only problem will be when some asks you a question in Flemish...

It's a very simple language.