Glossary entry

Swedish term or phrase:

Nu jävlar!

English translation:

Finally!/Sheesh!/This is it!/Now, damn it!/Here we go!

Added to glossary by Tara Chace
Dec 7, 2007 15:54
16 yrs ago
3 viewers *
Swedish term

Nu jävlar!

Swedish to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
In a young adult novel, three underage girls are waiting in line to get into a nightclub with fake IDs. I'm looking for a way to translate "nu jävlar" that won't sound funny to American teenagers.

"De står och stirrar stelt framför sig. Fler och fler sveper förbi kön och får välkomnade leenden från vakterna. Efter något som känns som en evighet kliver paret framför dem in genom dörren. Nu jävlar!"

Proposed translations

4 hrs
Selected

Finally!

In the context..
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you!"
+4
4 mins

Now, damn it.

Or some similar expression of irritation.
Note from asker:
Thank you!
Peer comment(s):

agree Eva-Marie Adams
27 mins
Thank you Eva-Marie.
agree Claudia Anda-Maria Halas
32 mins
Thank you clauswe.
agree Glenn Fallhorn : Out of hte three, this is the better version for the sentence.
2 hrs
Thank you Glenn.
agree Meadow Media
1 day 2 hrs
Thank you Meadow Media.
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

This is it!

To me this is an expression of anticipation (in quite an in your face sort of way). Thus 'This is it' is closer to the actual meaning than the other proposals, although not ideal (I'll do some more thinking).
Note from asker:
Thank you!
Peer comment(s):

neutral Glenn Fallhorn : Yes, it is somewhat of an expression of anticipation, but with more anger or frustration. Just using 'This is is!' dont really convey the same amount of feeling.
43 mins
agree asptech : Don't let "jävlar" confuse you, it is a pretty commonplace expression.
52 mins
Something went wrong...
-1
3 hrs

Sheesh!

My suggestion. See ref
Note from asker:
Thank you!
Peer comment(s):

disagree Max Gustavsson : The novel would have to be set in a very specific time frame for someone to be using this phrase as it was only used for a few months in 2021 and even then it definitely wouldn’t be used in this context by a young girl that is aware current popular slang.
5738 days
Something went wrong...
59 mins

That's [fucking] it, now.

Meaning "that's the last straw" but as a curse with great strength.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-12-07 19:39:23 GMT)
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Damn is considered very strong language by some. Language mostly has the power which is relative to one's upbringing. I'm a working class Irish girl so that's how I would express that Swedish phrase.
Note from asker:
Thank you!
Peer comment(s):

disagree George Hopkins : Why use obscene language?
5 mins
agree Max Gustavsson : George Hopkins is clearly not very bright asking why you would use obscene language to translate obscene language(???), ignore him.
5738 days
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19 hrs

Watch out! or Here I (we) go!

See context
Note from asker:
Thank you!
Something went wrong...
5738 days

Fucking finally!

Used in the same context as finally but as the text doesn’t just read “Äntligen” and uses obscene language I would say this is the most fitting.
Something went wrong...
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