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  2. English to German

I have been telling him repeatedly.

German translation: ->

22:24 Mar 20, 2002
English to German translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
English term or phrase: I have been telling him repeatedly.
Is this correct idiomatic german? Perfect progressive tense translates into the simple present?

I've been telling him repeatedly that he ought to write to her.

Ich sage ihm wiederholt, daß er ihr schreiben sollte.

Or is it perfect tense (states or repeated actions which have lasted up to the moment of speaking)?

I've told him repeatedly that he ought to write to her.

Ich habe ihm wiederholt gesagt, daß er ihr schreiben sollte.
Deb Phillips (X)
German translation:->
Explanation:
the second one!
perfect progressive tense has had its beginning in the past, so it is considered past tense.
"Ich habe dir schon 100 Mal gesagt..." - and I still am repeating it the 101-th time, and probably I will repeat it other 100 times in future...

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Note added at 2002-03-21 10:03:54 (GMT)
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PS: \"Ich habe dir schon hundert mal gesagt...\" war natürlich nicht als Übersetzungsvorschlag gedacht, nur als Anwendungsbeispiel aus der Umgangssprache.
Selected response from:

hph
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +9->
hph
4 +8perfect tense
Antje Lücke
4 +4Ich habe ihm wiederholt gesagt...
Regina Landeck
4 +2Ich habe ihm schon "X Mal" gesagt dass er ihr schreiben sollte.
Kathleen
5Ich habe ihm immer wieder gesagt, er soll ihr schreiben.
Elvira Stoianov
5Ich habe ihm schon so oft gesagt, dass er ihr schreiben solle.
rauhl
5Ich hab´s ihm wiederholt gesagt ...
GBChrista
5 -1Ich sagte ihm ständig, er sollte ihr schreiben.
brute (X)


  

Answers


19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
->


Explanation:
the second one!
perfect progressive tense has had its beginning in the past, so it is considered past tense.
"Ich habe dir schon 100 Mal gesagt..." - and I still am repeating it the 101-th time, and probably I will repeat it other 100 times in future...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-03-21 10:03:54 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

PS: \"Ich habe dir schon hundert mal gesagt...\" war natürlich nicht als Übersetzungsvorschlag gedacht, nur als Anwendungsbeispiel aus der Umgangssprache.

hph
PRO pts in pair: 54
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Geneviève von Levetzow
4 mins
agree  Agnieszka Hayward (X)
3 hrs
agree  Kathleen
8 hrs
agree  Endre Both
8 hrs
agree  Harry Bornemann
9 hrs
agree  Thilo Santl
9 hrs
agree  Ang
12 hrs
agree  Sandra Becker
13 hrs
agree  ntrebing (X)
17 hrs
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Ich habe ihm wiederholt gesagt...


Explanation:
This is the more idiomatic use in German.

Regina Landeck
Local time: 12:03
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Geneviève von Levetzow
4 mins
agree  italia
21 mins
agree  Ang
12 hrs
agree  ntrebing (X)
17 hrs
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24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
perfect tense


Explanation:
I've been telling him...
means that you told him in the past, still tell him today and will keep on telling him. Thus, past tense.
Anyway, I would translate the sentence with "ich habe ihm schon mehrmals gesagt, dass er ihr schreiben soll" (and I will keep on telling him in the future).
In the first case (present), the sentence would rather look like that:
Ich sage ihm schon ständig, dass er ihr schreiben soll."


Antje Lücke
Germany
Local time: 20:03
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in pair: 160

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Geneviève von Levetzow: Die beste Lösung.
0 min
agree  Johanna Timm, PhD
24 mins
agree  Karina Pelech
1 hr
agree  Constance Mannshardt
4 hrs
agree  Kathleen
8 hrs
agree  Thomas Bollmann
11 hrs
agree  Ang
12 hrs
agree  ntrebing (X)
17 hrs
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Ich habe ihm immer wieder gesagt, er soll ihr schreiben.


Explanation:
Is how I would say it.

Elvira Stoianov
Luxembourg
Local time: 20:03
Native speaker of: Native in RomanianRomanian, Native in HungarianHungarian
PRO pts in pair: 726
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Ich habe ihm schon "X Mal" gesagt dass er ihr schreiben sollte.


Explanation:
Ich verbrachte fast zehn Jahre bei Leipzig (Sachsen). "X Mal" ist vielleicht Umgangssprache, aber so hätten meine Kollegen so etwas gesagt. I spent almost 10 years living near Leipzig (Sachsen). "X Mal" maybe slang/idiomatic, but that is the way my collegues would have said it!

Kathleen
Local time: 11:03
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Endre Both
8 mins
  -> Vielen Dank!
agree  Sandra Becker: Would be x-mal, without inverted commas, but this sounds good if you're allowed to use slang.
4 hrs
  -> Vielen Dank! So einen Satz klingt eben wie Slang, Ich hab’s deswegen so eine Übersetzung vorgestellt.
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Ich habe ihm schon so oft gesagt, dass er ihr schreiben solle.


Explanation:
another version

rauhl
Local time: 20:03
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Ich sagte ihm ständig, er sollte ihr schreiben.


Explanation:
or: Ich forderte ihn immer wieder auf, ihr zu schreiben.

brute (X)
PRO pts in pair: 165

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Sandra Becker: Only if you're sure you will never have to tell him again
2 hrs
  -> Inconsistent, when you agree with "hph" who states: "perfect progressive tense has had its beginning in the past, so it is considered past tense"!
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1 day 13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Ich hab´s ihm wiederholt gesagt ...


Explanation:
I hope this helps

GBChrista
Germany
Local time: 20:03
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 27
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