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Translation - German-English - wusste gar nich das du mich magst

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This translation request is "Meaning only".
Title
wusste gar nich das du mich magst
Text
Submitted by Blackrose
Source language: German

wusste gar nich das du mich magst

Title
I didn´t know...
Translation
English

Translated by kaca30
Target language: English

I didn't know that you like me.
Last validated or edited by lilian canale - 21 July 2009 21:39





Latest messages

Author
Message

20 July 2009 11:59

gamine
Number of messages: 4611
I didn't know at all that you liked me

20 July 2009 14:12

kopcologne
Number of messages: 7
i didn't know that you liked me would mean that the other persons feelings are gone. the german source implies that those are present. => " I didn't know (that) you like me"

21 July 2009 15:10

wkn
Number of messages: 332
I would say "I didn't know that you like me", not "liked"

21 July 2009 15:38

gamine
Number of messages: 4611
Right wkn. Of course, the simple past is already in did.

21 July 2009 15:50

lilian canale
Number of messages: 14972
No, that's like reported speech (I didn't know that/I said that) which combines past/past.
Ex:
I didn't know you were here (not "you are here" )

So, the line is correct, guys

CC: kopcologne gamine wkn

21 July 2009 20:42

gamine
Number of messages: 4611
Thanks for the explanation, Lilian. Learning again

21 July 2009 21:02

wkn
Number of messages: 332
In my opinion both forms may be correct, the choice being a matter of style and preference. My preference is what I wrote but I will not dispute that Lilian's preference is correct too. There's a very relevant and recent discussion of this topic here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090716032800AAxQ5VH. I German and Danish, however, if the past/past form had been used (which it has not) it would hint that the liking is a thing of the past. So the "liked" form gives a translation which IMO is correct but slighly misleading.

21 July 2009 21:31

kafetzou
Number of messages: 7963
Both forms are correct. Most people would say "like" as it's unambiguous. Otherwise, it might mean that you don't like me anymore.

21 July 2009 21:38

lilian canale
Number of messages: 14972
If most people would use "like", then let's edit it

Thanks to everyone.

21 July 2009 21:46

kafetzou
Number of messages: 7963
You're welcome - this is one of those things that has evolved over the years in English, I think.

22 July 2009 04:57

kopcologne
Number of messages: 7
lilian canale, great job your german is that perfect. wkn gives us the right clue to it. "wußte gar nicht, daß du mich magst" means that the other person likes me (and still does so right now) and implies that i just heard the news.. "ich weiß gar nicht , ob (daß) du mich magst" would show us the speaker still doesn't know about the other person's feelings.
to lilian.. as in reported speech "past/past" is combined when both happened at the same time, and reagrding my explanations above, what might the correct translation be then?