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¿A que sí? ¿A que no?

English translation: I bet you don't, I bet you do...

02:31 Nov 28, 2008
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics
Spanish term or phrase: ¿A que sí? ¿A que no?
Let's have a look at this context.

1) "Juanita, dicen por ahí que hablas muy bien inglés, ¿a que no?" [Here the asker doesn't believe what it is told about Juanita]
"Juanita, people say you speak English very well, don't you?"

2) "Juanita, dicen por ahí que hablas muy bien inglés, ¿a que sí?" [Here the asker does believe what it is told about Juanita]
"Juanita, people say you speak English very well, do you?"

My question is: what are the better translations into English for "¿A que sí? ¿A que no?"
Raul Martin
Spain
Local time: 05:56
English translation:I bet you don't, I bet you do...
Explanation:
I would translate it that way.
Selected response from:

jmleger
Local time: 22:56
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7I bet you don't, I bet you do...
jmleger
3 +4Is that so?/Isn't that right?
Patricia Rosas
4 +11. You don't, do you? 2. You do, don't you?
moken
4Isn't that right? That's not so/right?
Barbara Cochran, MFA
4Don´t you?... Do you?
btothefuture
Summary of reference entries provided
¿A que sí? ¿A que no?
kironne

Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
I bet you don't, I bet you do...


Explanation:
I would translate it that way.

jmleger
Local time: 22:56
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gilberto Diaz Castro: This is correct, except you answered them backwards...:0)
1 min
  -> Ooops! .. but then again I am not even a Spanish translator!
agree  Robert Copeland
45 mins
agree  Jessica Agullo (X): this is the closest
1 hr
neutral  Marjory Hord: I don't think they're backwards.
1 hr
agree  Richard Boulter: This is the only Answer so far that definitely translates the query phrases. The others depend upon oral / vocal intonation to imply the necessary sarcasm for the purpose. But see the great ref by Kironne for options on other wording. Regards, All.
7 hrs
agree  bcsantos: Yes. That is the correct translation.
7 hrs
agree  lucreciap
18 hrs
agree  Maria del Carmen Zuleta de Quiroz: Agree!!
22 hrs
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Isn't that right? That's not so/right?


Explanation:
Referencia:

Collins Robert Unabridged Spanish/English Dictionary

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 23:56
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 3
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51 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Is that so?/Isn't that right?


Explanation:
First off, you really haven't given good context: If you want to convey biting sarcasm, I'd do with "Is that so?!" that's quite insulting... but perhaps that's not called for?

Patricia Rosas
United States
Local time: 20:56
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Erin DeBell: It's the tone. Is that so? Could convey a lack of belief about the certainty of the preceding statement. This is good.
1 hr
  -> thanks! I did mean it to convey a tone of irony...
agree  De Novi
11 hrs
  -> thanks!
agree  MariCarmen Pizarro
13 hrs
  -> thank you!
agree  Mónica Sauza: Enjoy your weekend! ;)
15 hrs
  -> thanks, Monica. Same to you! (We have a 4-day weekend this wk!)
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
1. You don't, do you? 2. You do, don't you?


Explanation:
Hi Raúl,

jlleger's answer is fine if you don't mind being a little more informal.

On the other hand, if you want to be slightly less colloquial, then I think you need question tags.

Good luck!

Álvaro :O) :O)

moken
Local time: 04:56
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Trudy Peters
6 hrs
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21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Don´t you?... Do you?


Explanation:
In the first case you want to confirm what people say and in the second one, you are not sure about it.

btothefuture
Local time: 00:56
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Reference comments


21 mins peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: ¿A que sí? ¿A que no?

Reference information:
A long discussion on the forum about this, maybe it'll help you decide...

-------------------
- A que sí
- A que no
- A que sí
- A que no
said ad infinitum in a "naw, you didn't - yes I did" fashion. Or "Yes it is - It is not" etc.

- Mi papá es más fuerte que el tuyo (my dad is stronger than yours)
- A que no (he's not)
- A que sí (he is)
loop last 2 phrases

Also to challenge someone to do something.

- ¿A que no te animás a saltar desde acá? ( You wouldn't dare/[do] you dare to jump from here[, right?] - in a defying nuance).
- A que sí (I do - Implying he'll do it to prove if believed otherwise by someone, specially the addressee)

----------------------------------

A ver, si dices: I bet, es apuesto a que si. Es decir la otra persona no sabe si es que si o que no, dice que piensa que si. Pero si dice 'a que si', es que sabe que es asi.

- Ese hombre es encantador
- A que si!

Aqui los dos interlocutores conocen al hombre y piensan lo mismo

-Ese hombre es encantador
-Apuesto a que si

Aqui el primer interlocutor conoce al hombre y el segundo no, pero el segundo piensa lo mismo que el primero


...

MORE OPINIONS ... FOLLOW THE LINK


    Reference: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=110254
kironne
Chile
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Richard Boulter
7 hrs
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