Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
O sea
English translation:
like (used as filler)
Added to glossary by
Noni Gilbert Riley
Jan 3, 2010 15:12
14 yrs ago
5 viewers *
Spanish term
Spain
Translator and native English copywriter
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: Spanish to English
O sea
Spanish to English
Other
Slang
I'm translating a script for an animation in which one of the characters speaks "en plan pijo". This is for a US audience so I was thinking of using the idea of preppy to convey that phrase, but my problem comes when the character keeps saying "O sea...." and I was wondering if there was some kind of discourse marker that was used by posh sounding Americans, or whether to just ignore it. I would like to keep some kind of preppy style marker in her dialogue though. Any ideas?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +12 | like |
Noni Gilbert Riley
|
| 5 +2 | That is/ namely/ videlicet/viz |
Constantinos Faridis (X)
|
| 5 +1 | So |
esilvestre
|
| 2 +4 | I mean |
Yvonne Becker
|
| 4 +1 | i.e./id es/in other words |
margaret caulfield
|
| 4 | what I'm saying is... |
Lydia De Jorge
|
| 4 | which is to say... |
Richard Boulter
|
Change log
Jan 8, 2010 10:55: Noni Gilbert Riley changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/1012492">Lucy Williams's</a> old entry - "O sea"" to ""like""
Proposed translations
+12
18 mins
Noni Gilbert Riley
Spain
Spain
Native in English
Spain
The translator people turn to
Native in: English (Variant: UK) 
Works in: Spanish to English, French to Spanish, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
Selected
like
Having had my fair share of Disney Channel this hols courtesy of my kids, I am confident that this will do for posh preppy, just as it would for other registers. Of course we would like to leave it out, since it doesn't contribute much to the meaning (although it does communicate the way the speaker has to go to becoming properly articulate!), but if it's in the original, it could well have a place in the translation.
End of implicit tirade!
HNY to all!
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Note added at 20 mins (2010-01-03 15:32:58 GMT)
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btw, if this were a transcription I would put my money on the "marker" appearing every ten words or so! I have taught Spanish teenagers, and it slipped through all the time, even when they were supposed to be speaking English. And it's not unknown to hear it when conducting oral examinations for international English exams! Likewise (sorry, couldn't resist), I have interviewed candidates whose every other word was "like".
End of implicit tirade!
HNY to all!
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Note added at 20 mins (2010-01-03 15:32:58 GMT)
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btw, if this were a transcription I would put my money on the "marker" appearing every ten words or so! I have taught Spanish teenagers, and it slipped through all the time, even when they were supposed to be speaking English. And it's not unknown to hear it when conducting oral examinations for international English exams! Likewise (sorry, couldn't resist), I have interviewed candidates whose every other word was "like".
Note from asker:
| Thanks Noni, that's the conclusion I've come to after thinking it over, something along the lines of "that is so, like XXX". Know what you mean about the oral exams, my students often weren't even aware they were saying it! Happy New Year! |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jim Tucker (X)
3 mins
|
|
Thanks Jim.
|
|
| agree |
bcsantos
13 mins
|
|
Thanks and HNY!
|
|
| agree |
David Ronder
17 mins
|
|
Thanks David, and Feliz Año
|
|
| agree |
Thayenga
: HNY
24 mins
|
|
Igualmente! Gracias.
|
|
| agree |
Leonardo Lamarche
: agree. It is used in the same way by uncultured young people in english.
55 mins
|
|
Thanks Leonardo. Feliz Año
|
|
| agree |
Cinnamon Nolan
: Exactly. (And Happy Holidays, Noni!!)
1 hr
|
|
O sea, feliz año, Cinn! Here's hoping it's going to be a good one.
|
|
| agree |
HugoSteckel
2 hrs
|
|
Gracias y Feliz Año
|
|
| agree |
Monique Rojkind
: this is, like, totally right! :o)
2 hrs
|
|
O sea, muchas gracias!
|
|
| agree |
teju
: Sin duda, lo dicen y no se dan ni cuenta del sonsonete. Feliz Año Nuevo!
3 hrs
|
|
Igualmente. Gracias Teju.
|
|
| agree |
Wendy Petzall
: definitely!
9 hrs
|
|
Gracias, y feliz año
|
|
| agree |
Marzia Nicole Bucca
12 hrs
|
|
Gracias y feliz año
|
|
| agree |
James A. Walsh
: This agree comes over 4 years later I’m aware, Noni, but am working on a job at the mo where this is used in different ways, so was googling and came across this. I now think “like” will do in more cases than I first thought — nice one! ;-)
1500 days
|
|
Glad to have been of help! and H this NY to you!
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "This is what I used in the end, thanks."
+1
6 mins
margaret caulfield
Native in Spanish
&
English
Accurate, natural and very hard-working
Native in: English 
, Spanish
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish, French to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
i.e./id es/in other words
Going from your description, I think I'd use "id es" here.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Eileen Banks
: in other words yes, :)
2 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Eileen! Personally, I prefer "id es" mainly because the asker mentioned that the character is "en plan pijo".
|
+2
10 mins
That is/ namely/ videlicet/viz
is not argot! diría que es culto
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
GABRIELA SILVIA MEZOÑA
: That is (to say) ...
21 mins
|
|
gracas. feliz año nuevo
|
|
| agree |
Esperanza González
3 hrs
|
|
Gracias . feliz año nuevo
|
12 mins
Lydia De Jorge
United States
United States
Native in Spanish
&
English
Works in field
United States
Don't just say it, say it right!
Native in: Spanish , English
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
102
what I'm saying is...
For this context
+1
21 mins
esilvestre
United States
United States
Native in Spanish
United States
Fast and precise translations
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, French to English, Spanish to English, and 1 more.
So
"O sea" is a tag (muletilla). It is usually repeated by habit and, although it would mean "That is", I think that a similar tag in English should be "So".
Example sentence:
So, we will be there early, so we won't be late...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Marian Cantero (X)
: My teenager daughter and her friends keep saying it: So...so... they don't use "I mean" (too much effort for them! or "like". "So" it's definitely the right term to use. "Like" is not posh enough, I don't think.
25 mins
|
+4
25 mins
Yvonne Becker
Native in Spanish
Also an Engineer
Native in: Spanish (Variant: Venezuelan)
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, Spanish
I mean
Me parece que es una muletilla bastante usada que podría transmitir la idea
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
GABRIELA SILVIA MEZOÑA
: Colloquial way ... everyday language ...
14 mins
|
|
Gracias
|
|
| agree |
John Cutler
54 mins
|
|
Thanks
|
|
| agree |
Esperanza González
3 hrs
|
|
Gracias
|
|
| agree |
imcven
6 hrs
|
|
Muchas gracias
|
55 mins
Richard Boulter
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
USA English; a decade of experience.
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish
Related KudoZ points
:
4
which is to say...
Just to add to the dialogue online, here. A preppie might say this in attempting to sound posh while actually only saying the same thing as 'like, ..., Man!' (Not that I know any old hippies ... except myself :)
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-01-03 16:15:08 GMT)
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The phrase can be all run together, to be no longer than to say 'I mean'.
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-01-03 16:15:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
The phrase can be all run together, to be no longer than to say 'I mean'.
Discussion