CZ -> EN Text message

Discussion in 'Vocabulary & Translation Help' started by jbourne13, Sep 9, 2007.

  1. jbourne13

    jbourne13 Member

    "Dobre rano Potvurko, jakpakses vyspinkal?"

    "Posilam pusinku"

    Appreciate any help!
     
  2. eso

    eso Well-Known Member


    Good morning /insert any playful nickname - literal translation of "potvůrka" means "little monster" - but in Czech it has completely good meaning/, how did you sleep?

    I'm sending kiss.
     
  3. GlennInFlorida

    GlennInFlorida Well-Known Member

    interesting...
    I got some of that right off the bat - good morning nickname (I assumed but had no idea what it was) and (I) send kiss but, jakpakses vyspinkal threw me - can you elaborate on the structure a bit? seems colloquial.
    Thanks
    g
     
  4. eso

    eso Well-Known Member

    Jakpak ses vyspinkal

    Jakpak = Jak
    Vyspinkat se - diminutive of "vyspat se"

    Vyspat se means "to sleep" perfective.
    Vyspinkat is often used for small children, but I think that both words are in borders of standard Czech.

    Probable wer or eleshar can tell more.
     
  5. doman

    doman Well-Known Member

    Asi musi byt jako tahle vetu:

    "Jak se pak jsi vyspinkal "(a variant of vyspat) :)
     
  6. GlennInFlorida

    GlennInFlorida Well-Known Member

    I understand - thanks for the replies

    I imagine it is rather like when we say to a child "Time to go beddy-bye" - pretty widely used but I doubt you will find it in many dictionaries.
     
  7. jbourne13

    jbourne13 Member

    Thanks all - appreciate it.
     
  8. jbourne13

    jbourne13 Member

    deleted
     
  9. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    Actually, I think "jakpak" is rather a similar construct to "kdepak," "kdopak," "kampak," etc.
     
  10. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    I'm thinking it means

    So how the heck did you sleep?
     
  11. wer

    wer Well-Known Member

    Exactly! It is a calque from German “warum denn”, “wer denn”, “wann denn” etc.

    You can use it with almost every interrogative and it is used to express emotion, interest, surprise etc. The film “Look Who's Talking” is called “Kdopak to mluví”, for example.

    Often, it is used to weaken the roughness:

    Co chceš? (rude)
    Copak chceš? (helpful)

    Possibly, you can translate it using “afterwards” in general:

    who afterwards
    where afterwards
    what afterwards

    And my dictionary gives some translations:

    copak ~ what then
    kdepak ~ whereabouts
    pročpak ~ how come
     
  12. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    Woop, my translation was off the mark. I thought 'pak' hardened the question, yet in a jovial way.
     

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