Jesus Christ!

Arabic translation: يا الهي

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Jesus Christ!
Arabic translation:يا الهي
Entered by: Mona Helal

04:48 Sep 23, 2007
English to Arabic translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
English term or phrase: Jesus Christ!
I need to know how this would be translated when it is said in an expression of exasperation, impatience and so on.

the conversation I have here goes like this:

Person A says: "Erosion and blow-by are not what the design expected. They’re warnings that something is wrong. .We have to focus on is the temperature issue, separating that from the blow-by and erosion risk that we’ve accepted until..."

Person B, obviously lost his patience and interrupted saying:
"Jesus Christ! .. we’ve had problems with warm engines
as well as cold engines."

thanks
Mona Helal
Local time: 09:23
يا الهي
Explanation:
I beleive this is the Arabic equivalent for the term..

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2007-09-23 05:01:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

:) for sure I believe, not beleive

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days2 hrs (2007-09-25 07:18:16 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thank you Mona
Selected response from:

Da'd Kan'an
Jordan
Local time: 01:23
Grading comment
شكراً
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4يا الهي
Da'd Kan'an
5 +2شتيمة، مسبّة
Lamis Maalouf
5 +1مش ممكن
Sayed Moustafa talawy
4 +2يا سلام!
Sam Berner
5اللعنة كحل وسط يعبر عن الاستياء والاحباط
Assem Mazloum
4يا إلهي الرحيم!
Mohamed Ghazal
2several exclamations of frustration and impatience
randam


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
jesus christ!
شتيمة، مسبّة


Explanation:
Yes, it is very hard to understand why. Though it means يسوع المسيح
I don't translate cussing, but in your context the term can't be as nice as يا إلهي it is just cussing and it is up to you to find a suitable translation.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2007-09-23 12:49:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/resources/sermons/m...
Our children grow up hearing the name of Jesus Christ as a cuss word or as something we say when we become angry or excited or disappointed. "Jesus Christ!!!"


Lamis Maalouf
United States
Local time: 17:23
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
PRO pts in category: 40

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  randam: Yes it is blasphemous كفرية as we call it back home.
41 mins
  -> Yes, sadly! Thank you Randa

agree  Assem Mazloum: لكن أحياناً على المترجم ان يترجم بتصرف
2 hrs
  -> صحيح ولكن ليس إلى درجة ترجمة الكفر إلى تعبير لطيف ولبق، شكراً عاصم
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
jesus christ!
مش ممكن


Explanation:
هنا في النص مش ممكن ( لأن بعدها مقارنة بين نوعين من الماكينات ) أراها هنا كذلك
بالضبط حكمها هنا زي
Impossible

Sayed Moustafa talawy
Local time: 00:23
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Assem Mazloum: ممكن
44 mins
  -> Thanks Assem
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

18 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
jesus christ!
اللعنة كحل وسط يعبر عن الاستياء والاحباط


Explanation:
حسب خبرتي في ترجمة الأفلام الأجنبية بما يتوافق مع المعايير الدينية المقبولة إلى حد ما

Assem Mazloum
Germany
Local time: 23:23
Works in field
Native speaker of: Arabic
PRO pts in category: 11
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
jesus christ!
يا إلهي الرحيم!


Explanation:


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2007-09-23 23:33:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Thye term is blasphemous, but here it is merely to show frustration with the other person's argument.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2007-09-24 04:00:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Speaking the name of The Lord in vain is blasphemous in the Christian faith. But in the Arab/Islamic culture, when in a state of anger/frustration, one would speak the name of God in the same tone without it being considered blasphemy, on the contrary, it is a form of asking God for help and support.
يا رب!
رحمتك يا رب!
يا دين محمد!

Mohamed Ghazal
United Arab Emirates
Local time: 02:23
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
PRO pts in category: 30

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Assem Mazloum: صحيح لكن لم لا تستخدم تعبيراً عربياً يوافق المعنى, لو كان نص فيلم كنت سأترجمه " اللعنة" ما رأيك؟
30 mins
  -> Because it is not really what you or me would actually say in the same situation, would it?
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
jesus christ!
several exclamations of frustration and impatience


Explanation:
The context is frustration, and in my opinion, the term should be translated without the religious connotation of appealing to God.
There are several Arabic (and more colloquial) terms that we would use in the same situation:
Arabic: ويلي، ويلاه، ويحي، ياللهول
Colloquial: يا دي المصيبة، يا مصيبتي، ياسنة سوخة(؟) ، العمى ، واخ
the last two are in the damascene dialect.

or even as some colleagues suggested: اللعنة ، ياسلام، غير معقول، مش ممكن
For impatience, how about: ياصبر أيوب، أف لهذه الحالة
الله يجيبك يا طولة البال or something in this vein.
These suggestions are only meant in the way of brainstorming and maybe they can help you further.

randam
Local time: 00:23
Works in field
Native speaker of: Arabic
PRO pts in category: 8
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
jesus christ!
يا سلام!


Explanation:
I think this is another such universally used Arabic term whose meaning depends totally on the tone of the voice - from admiration to sarcasm to impatience to anger. يا إلهي is good, but to me shows the states of فزع and هلع more than فقدان الصبر.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day6 hrs (2007-09-24 10:50:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Just remembered this word from Arabic "Riwayat Al-Jayeb" where all such cursing was rendered as سحقا!

Sam Berner
Australia
Local time: 08:23
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Da'd Kan'an: I like سحقاً
1 day 7 hrs

agree  Mariam Osmann: I like ًسحقا and تباً
1 day 10 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
jesus christ!
يا الهي


Explanation:
I beleive this is the Arabic equivalent for the term..

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2007-09-23 05:01:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

:) for sure I believe, not beleive

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days2 hrs (2007-09-25 07:18:16 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thank you Mona

Da'd Kan'an
Jordan
Local time: 01:23
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
شكراً

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ahmad Hassaballa: يا إلهي، رباه
47 mins
  -> Thank you Ahmad!

agree  George Aziz
3 hrs
  -> thank u George

agree  Mohammed Mousa
7 hrs
  -> Thank u Mohamd

agree  Joseph Samir: Frustration / Anger / Impatience .. We say it to ask for Hope / Peace / Patience from God ..
2 days 5 hrs
  -> Sure Joseph.. thank u
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.

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:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search