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...or a he depending whether it´s a female or male -

Portuguese translation: ou ele, dependendo se for feminino ou masculino

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:or a he, depending whether it's a female or male
Portuguese translation:ou ele, dependendo se for feminino ou masculino
Entered by: Antonio Tomás Lessa do Amaral

19:41 Dec 22, 2009
English to Portuguese translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / historia infantil
English term or phrase: ...or a he depending whether it´s a female or male -
A book can be a she ..., said the elf.
Beth Guimaraes
Brazil
Local time: 11:52
(ela) ou ele, dependendo se for feminino ou masculino
Explanation:
Diria assim
Selected response from:

Antonio Tomás Lessa do Amaral
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5(ela) ou ele, dependendo se for feminino ou masculino
Antonio Tomás Lessa do Amaral
4 +1...ou ELE, conforme apresente uma natureza feminina ou masculina -
Marcelo da Luz
5...ou uma ela dependendo se é femea ou macho
Paula Vaz-Carreiro
5Um livro pode ser uma ela... ou um ele dependendo se for feminino ou masculino - disse o elfo.
Daniel Pestana


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
(ela) ou ele, dependendo se for feminino ou masculino


Explanation:
Diria assim

Antonio Tomás Lessa do Amaral
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Paula Vaz-Carreiro: I~m sorry but I think you must not leave out 'um' and 'uma'. "Um livro pode ser um ele ou uma ela..."
4 mins
  -> Paula, thank you. Antonio
agree  Marlene Curtis
4 mins
  -> Marlene, obrigado. Antonio
agree  Beta Cummins
4 mins
  -> Beta, thank you, Antonio
agree  Bentevi: Para mim sem "um/uma", mas isso vai depender do registro que o/a personagem está utilizando.
16 hrs
  -> Bentevi, grato. Antonio
agree  Walter Moura
1 day 17 hrs
  -> Walter, obrigado. Antonio
agree  edecastroalves
4 days
  -> Grato, Ede. Antonio
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
...ou ELE, conforme apresente uma natureza feminina ou masculina -


Explanation:
sugestão

Marcelo da Luz
Brazil
Local time: 11:52
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 36

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Paula Vaz-Carreiro: I'm sorry but I think you must not leave out 'um' and 'uma'. "Um livro pode ser um ele ou uma ela..." It is how it is in the original and it sounds better in PT methinks...//Cheers Marcelo. Happy festivities :-)
5 mins
  -> Gramaticalmente concordo, agora, no coloquial fala-se 'não dava pra ver se era ELE ou ELA' (jogador de futebol explicando ter saído com travestis, p.ex.), ou 'é ELE ou ELA?' (perguntando o sexo de um cachorro, p.ex.). Mas literatura é mais formal, really.
agree  Bentevi: Literatura é mais formal? Since when? A formalidade depende do registro/nível da personagem. Eu prefiro sem "uma". "Uma ela" não soa bem aos meus ouvidos, irrespective of what the grammar says.
16 hrs
  -> Obrigado Bentevi! Eu digo no sentido de que se o original está dentro do padrão culto, não cabe ao tradutor puxá-lo para um coloquialismo incorreto do ponto de vista das regras. Mas se o original for informal e 'incorreto', idem a tradução...
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
...ou uma ela dependendo se é femea ou macho


Explanation:
The EN is a bit bad... It should be "depending on whether"...
HTH

Paula Vaz-Carreiro
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 55

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Bentevi: "Bad" is relative. It depends on the register of whoever is speaking, which also depends on the time in history the dialogue takes place. I personally don't like "uma ela" (cacophony). But that's me.
16 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Um livro pode ser uma ela... ou um ele dependendo se for feminino ou masculino - disse o elfo.


Explanation:
Eu traduziria assim :-)

Daniel Pestana
Portugal
Local time: 15:52
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
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