This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French to English
  3. Poetry & Literature

Malheureux!

English translation: You fool! / You idiot! / You twit! / You cretin!

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Malheureux!
English translation:You fool! / You idiot! / You twit! / You cretin!
Entered by: kironne

21:12 Mar 29, 2007
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
French term or phrase: Malheureux!
Dans son bureau, un technicien est en train de triturer son ordinateur.

-Malheureux! Qu'est-ce que vous faites?
-J'essaie de sauver votre disque dur.

"Poor guy" doesn't seem to work here. Any other suggestions?

The speaker is kind of a condescending guy and is having a run of bad luck.
Tegan Raleigh
United States
(You) fool!
Explanation:


IMHO, I think he's directly addressing the man himself, not just commenting on the unfortunate situation.

In Spanish, he would have probably said
"¡Infeliz! ¿Qué estás haciendo??"
and I think it applies here as well.
Selected response from:

kironne
Chile
Local time: 03:52
Grading comment
thanks! i went with the more colloquial "twit", but your answer was very informative
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +13(You) fool!
kironne
3 +5What the hell are you doing ?
Jerome Elhaik
5 +3For goodness sake/ my goodness...
Nathalie Scharf
4 +4You idiot!
Katarina Peters
3 +4Cretin!
Tony M
5 +2You wretch! What do you think you're doing?
Anna Maria Augustine (X)
4 +3Imbecile/moron/dummy
Raymonde Gagnier
3 +3oh no!!
Jenny Duthie
3 +3Oh God !What do you think you are doing !
iol
2 +4You fool !
Céline Débiton
4Too bad! (in the US)
David Hollywood
3What on earth are you doing?
Mercuri@
3What DO you think you're doing?
Melzie
2Hard luck!
Swatchka


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Hard luck!


Explanation:
As in "quel malheur"

Swatchka
Spain
Local time: 09:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Marc Glinert: I wwouldn't have thought so
11 hrs
  -> Yep, there are better options. I just couldn't think of something that wasn't offensive....:))
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
What the hell are you doing ?


Explanation:
I don't think it is necessary to translate malheureux here, but rather use expressions such as:
What the hell are you doing ?
It think it renders the meaning fairly well.

Jerome Elhaik
Local time: 09:52
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M
15 mins
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
4 hrs
agree  Paul Cohen: Or: What the hell do you think you're doing?
5 hrs
agree  Istvan Nagy
11 hrs
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
14 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
For goodness sake/ my goodness...


Explanation:
If one wants to avoid cursing words...

Nathalie Scharf
United States
Local time: 02:52
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Bourth (X): Yes, the M of "malheureux" may not be by chance. Shoot! (to be American about it), For Chrissake, strewth, yegods, etc., or Zounds, to be Shakespearean about it!
6 mins
neutral  Tony M: Oh, but for heaven's sake, this sounds so stilted and archaic, like something by Jessica Fletcher! // ?? Can't quite see Angela Lansbury calling anyone a 'cretin', somehow!
14 mins
  -> interesting comment from one who suggested "cretin"!
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
4 hrs
neutral  Marc Glinert: hmmm well, NatUS, my goodness belongs to a bygone era and surely it has to be "For goodness' sake". In any case, "For heaven's sake" is better.
11 hrs
agree  Istvan Nagy: But Malhereux! does not sound colloquial French either, does it? Ca se dit souvet aujourd'hui?
1 day 1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
oh no!!


Explanation:
"oh no!! what are you doing?"
as I think what he means by the "malheureux" is "I don't believe it, not again" type of expression which I think can be easily transmitted by "oh no!"

Jenny Duthie
France
Local time: 09:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Bourth (X): I like it.
6 mins
neutral  Tony M: I suppose that's what the captain of the Titanic said too..?
14 mins
neutral  Katarina Peters: too mild , for having your computer smashed by a technician...
34 mins
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
4 hrs
agree  Istvan Nagy
11 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Oh God !What do you think you are doing !


Explanation:
=

iol
France
Local time: 09:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Though it has to be said, Marc does have a point: adding blasphemy might not be appropriate...
4 mins
  -> Thanks Tony
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
4 hrs
  -> thanks
neutral  Marc Glinert: not sure that as translators we should be introducing blasphemy when the source text has none. But if we are, I would go for "Jesus!!!!"
11 hrs
  -> all right ; you have a point;
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
14 hrs
  -> thanks Vicky
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Too bad! (in the US)


Explanation:
yet another option

David Hollywood
Local time: 04:52
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  writeaway: for Malheureux? I don't think so
1 hr
neutral  Katarina Peters: I concur with writeaway
4 hrs
neutral  Jean-Claude Gouin: I don't think so, either. Sorry, David.
4 hrs
neutral  Marc Glinert: I'm with 1045
11 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Cretin!


Explanation:
I agree with Jerome who said that it probably shouldn't be rendered directly. But just in case you really do want to, surely the term is meant to be referring to the person himself?

In another era and another register, I'd have loved to have used the word "miscreant" or "miserable wretch!", but sadly neither of those seem to sit very well with a hard-disk scenario. So perhaps this would be a more 21st century alternative?

Tony M
France
Local time: 09:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 128

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Swatchka
22 mins
  -> Thanks, Swatchka!
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, 1045!
agree  Istvan Nagy: if you want an insult I would opt for this
11 hrs
  -> Thanks, Istvan! Yes, I suppose there might be an affectionate undertone, but basically an insult, indeed!
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
14 hrs
  -> Efharisto, Vicky!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +13
(You) fool!


Explanation:


IMHO, I think he's directly addressing the man himself, not just commenting on the unfortunate situation.

In Spanish, he would have probably said
"¡Infeliz! ¿Qué estás haciendo??"
and I think it applies here as well.

kironne
Chile
Local time: 03:52
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
thanks! i went with the more colloquial "twit", but your answer was very informative

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nathalie Scharf: I hadn't thought of that but I like it!
1 min
  -> Thanks, Nat!
agree  Jacqui Audouy: Yep, or 'idiot' - I've always understoodw it this way when the comment was directed at me!
12 mins
  -> Thanks, Jacqui :)
agree  Swatchka: I had thought of it (also of "desgraciado").Saludos :))
22 mins
  -> Exactly. Thanks, Swatchka :)
agree  Gacela20
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Gacela
agree  writeaway
1 hr
  -> Thanks, writeaway
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, 1045
agree  Assimina Vavoula
7 hrs
  -> Thanks, Assimina
agree  Marc Glinert: If we accept that this is an insult and not a reflection on the situation, then yes this is probably the safest option
10 hrs
  -> Thanks, Marc
agree  nnaemeka Odimegwu
14 hrs
  -> Thanks, emeka
agree  Ben Gaia: I agree he is adressing the person. In NZ it would read "You f***wit! What the f*** are you tryna do?"
21 hrs
  -> Thanks, Ben
agree  Jock
1 day 2 mins
  -> Thanks, Jock
agree  jean-jacques alexandre
3 days 9 hrs
  -> Thanks, jean-jacques
agree  greekgawddess
4 days
  -> Thanks, greekgawddess
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

26 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +4
You fool !


Explanation:
Je ne suis pas sûre, c'est peut-être un peu trop... mais sait-on jamais...

Céline Débiton
Local time: 09:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: French

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway
1 hr
  -> merci :)
agree  Katarina Peters: ...more polite than my version...
4 hrs
  -> merci :)
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
4 hrs
  -> merci :)
agree  Assimina Vavoula
7 hrs
  -> merci :)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

40 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
What on earth are you doing?


Explanation:
Melt the two together. Gives a more fluent sentence.

Mercuri@
Belgium
Local time: 09:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in DutchDutch

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  writeaway: "melt" what two together? what about "Malheureux". that is the actual question after all.
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

44 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
You idiot!


Explanation:
as in ...what the hell are you doing, you idiot?



Katarina Peters
Canada
Local time: 03:52
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in HungarianHungarian, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Judy Gregg
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Judy
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, 1045!
agree  suezen: the most natural for me anyway
11 hrs
  -> Thanks, suezen, I felt the same way
agree  Alison Jenner
12 hrs
  -> Thanks, Alison.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
You wretch! What do you think you're doing?


Explanation:
This is precisely what is in the Harrap's double bilingual.

The person is not being called "idiot/crétin/enfoiré/salop but wretch is slightly more polite.

Anna Maria Augustine (X)
France
Local time: 09:52
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin: ... but it's "salaud" ...
2 hrs
  -> Ooops!
neutral  Emma Paulay: It's politer, but it also belongs in another century IMO
8 hrs
  -> OK
neutral  Marc Glinert: thanks as usual for brightening up our morning Anna Maria
8 hrs
  -> Doing my best and prefer "zounds"!
agree  Istvan Nagy: Is Malhereux! this century, Emma?
22 hrs
  -> Did they mean Malreux? Sorry, can't spell it.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Imbecile/moron/dummy


Explanation:
A few more suggestions.

"malheureux!" also means imbecile.

"• Malheureux! : interpellation par laquelle le locuteur dit à son interlocuteur qu’il le méprise ou le considère fou."
Antidote


Raymonde Gagnier
Canada
Local time: 03:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
1 hr
  -> Thank you!
agree  Tony M
7 hrs
  -> Thank you Tony!
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
11 hrs
  -> Thank you Vicky!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
What DO you think you're doing?


Explanation:
said with capitals for the do and depending what the person saying it is like.

just to add to the pool

Melzie
Local time: 09:52
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 3

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  writeaway: and Malheureux?
30 mins
  -> All the distain exasperation etc. in the full sentence
neutral  Marc Glinert: Agree, but with writeaway
2 hrs
  -> All the distain exasperation etc. in the full sentence
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search