Results 1 to 11 of 11
Like Tree5Likes
  • 1 Post By Doomer
  • 1 Post By Полуношник
  • 2 Post By iCake
  • 1 Post By John_Douglas

Thread: don't hold your breath - equivalent in russian?

  1. #1
    Властелин Valda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Израиль
    Posts
    1,296
    Rep Power
    13

    don't hold your breath - equivalent in russian?

    don't hold your breath

    Значит: it is not going to happen soon, be prepared to wait

    Например: The City will repair the street but don't hold your breath.
    "Особенно упорно надо заниматься тем, кто ничего не знает." - Като Ломб

    "В один прекрасный день все ваши подспудные знания хлынут наружу. Ощущения при этом замечательные, уверяю вас." -Кто-то

  2. #2
    Banned
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Posts
    904
    Rep Power
    0
    I'm holding my breath - я жду-недождусь or я жду с нетерпением
    Don't hold your breath - не надейся, что это быстро случится (Somebody could probably think of better example)
    Yulia65 likes this.

  3. #3
    Старший оракул
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    937
    Rep Power
    16
    Возможно, "Москва не сразу строилась" подойдёт.
    iCake likes this.
    Налево пойдёшь - коня потеряешь, направо пойдёшь - сам голову сложишь.
    Прямой путь не предлагать!

  4. #4
    Завсегдатай Throbert McGee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Fairfax, VA (Фэйрфэкс, ш. Виргиния, США)
    Posts
    1,591
    Rep Power
    39
    What about using expressions like когда рак на горе свистнет, "when the crayfish whistles on the mountain" (i.e., "when pigs fly") or пока жареный петух не клюнет в жопу, "until a roasted rooster will have pecked [someone] in the ass" ( i.e., no preventative measures will be taken until after something bad has already happened)??

    So, with regard to your example about street-repairs, I think it would be correct to say:

    В нашем городе отремонтируют дороги когда рак на горе свистнет.
    "In our city, they will repair the roads when the crayfish whistles on the mountain." (i.e., never)

    or:

    В нашем городе не отремонтируют дороги пока жареный петух не клюнет в жопу.
    "In our city, they won't repair the roads until a roasted rooster pecks them in the ass." (i.e., after a huge pothole causes a serious accident)

    But of course, let's wait to see whether native speakers agree with this...

    P.S. With the "rooster" expression, it's definitely okay to use задница ("butt") instead of the cruder жопа.

  5. #5
    Властелин iCake's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Siberia, the Earth
    Posts
    1,201
    Rep Power
    32
    Когда рак на горе свистнет means that it's extremely unlikely that something happens, in other words it won't happen ever. So that's not it
    Пока жаренный петух не клюнет в жопу means that something won't be done untill something providing right people with an incentive (usually something extremely bad so they have to deal with something immediately ) has happened. So that's not it too
    Throbert McGee and Yulia65 like this.
    I do not claim that my opinion is absolutely true.
    If you've spotted any mistake in my English, please, correct it. I want to be aware of any mistakes to efficiently eliminate them before they become a habit.

  6. #6
    Завсегдатай Throbert McGee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Fairfax, VA (Фэйрфэкс, ш. Виргиния, США)
    Posts
    1,591
    Rep Power
    39
    Thanks for the clarification, iCake!
    Говорит Бегемот: "Dear citizens of MR -- please correct my Russian mistakes!"

  7. #7
    Почтенный гражданин
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    209
    Rep Power
    11
    Quote Originally Posted by iCake View Post
    Когда рак на горе свистнет means that it's extremely unlikely that something happens, in other words it won't happen ever. So that's not it
    Пока жаренный петух не клюнет в жопу means that something won't be done untill something providing right people with an incentive (usually something extremely bad so they have to deal with something immediately ) has happened. So that's not it too

    Когда рак на горе свистнет I guess is an equivalent to "when pigs fly" saying that something is very unlikely.

    "don't hold your breath" also means that something is extremely unlikely, however while also imploring a person not to have undue reliance on it occurring.

    - Is your company hiring?
    - I'll ask the manager if there are any places available, but sales are down this year, so don't hold your breath.

    I don't know of any idiomatic Russian expression that would fit here - if I was trying to say something similar, I would say я бы не рассчитывал на это. Maybe someone else can come up with a suitable idiom.
    Yulia65 likes this.

  8. #8
    Почтенный гражданин
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Флорида, США
    Posts
    151
    Rep Power
    13
    "Особенно не надейся" - в той же категории, что и "я бы на этот не рассчитывал" (как предложил John Douglas).

  9. #9
    Властелин wanja's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Russia,Obninsk
    Posts
    1,467
    Rep Power
    17
    Не раскатывай губу.
    Семь бед, один Reset

  10. #10
    Властелин Valda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Израиль
    Posts
    1,296
    Rep Power
    13
    Когда рак на горе свистнет I guess is an equivalent to "when pigs fly" saying that something is very unlikely.

    "don't hold your breath" also means that something is extremely unlikely, however while also imploring a person not to have undue reliance on it occurring.

    - Is your company hiring?
    - I'll ask the manager if there are any places available, but sales are down this year, so don't hold your breath.

    I don't know of any idiomatic Russian expression that would fit here - if I was trying to say something similar, I would say я бы не рассчитывал на это. Maybe someone else can come up with a suitable idiom.
    достаточно хорошо

    И да, вы правы, что это также значит "маловероятно случаться".

    Спасибо!
    "Особенно упорно надо заниматься тем, кто ничего не знает." - Като Ломб

    "В один прекрасный день все ваши подспудные знания хлынут наружу. Ощущения при этом замечательные, уверяю вас." -Кто-то

  11. #11
    Старший оракул Seraph's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    782
    Rep Power
    17

Similar Threads

  1. Name equivalent in Russian
    By Volk in forum Translate This!
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: April 9th, 2007, 09:41 AM
  2. Replies: 10
    Last Post: March 21st, 2007, 05:43 PM
  3. You take my breath away
    By Androvsky in forum Polish
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: August 8th, 2006, 11:30 AM
  4. Baby, you take my breath away
    By Androvsky in forum Translate This!
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: July 23rd, 2006, 02:39 PM
  5. russian equivalent
    By begemot in forum Translate This!
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: March 24th, 2004, 07:13 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Russian Lessons                           

Russian Tests and Quizzes            

Russian Vocabulary