내가 안물어 봤으면 너 큰일 날뻔 했다

[Dianann]

안녕하세요
항상 성심껏 답변해주셔서 감사합니다.

제가 오늘 드라마를 보다가
거기서 주인공이 자기 국수가게를 여는 장면이 나왔어요.
그런데 이친구가 그동안 국수가게를 준비한다고 고생한걸 아는 다른 친구가
"국수집 여는건 잘되가?" 이렇게 물어요.
그랬더니 그 주인공이
"응, 이제 언제 오픈 할지만 정하면돼!" 라고 하니까
그 친구가
"야 내가 안물어봤음 큰일날뻔했네! 참 또 오픈날은 내가 전문이지, 오픈은 무조건 토요일 낮에 하는게맞아. 그때 온 가족이 외식하러 나오거든. 그때 열어! 너 나한테 물어보길 잘했다"

라고 해요

이런 상황에서
너 내가 안물어봤음 어쩔뻔했어
를 영어로 표현하는 이디엄같은 것이 있을까요?

약간 엄마가 아이에게 숙제 다했어? 했을 떄 아이가 무심코 아맞다 크레파스 안샀다 할때,
너내가 안물어봤음 어쩔뻔했어! 당장 사러가자! 뭐 이럴떄도 쓸수 있을 것 같아요

만약 제가
what would you do without me! 나
what would you do if I don't ask you about it
이렇게 써도 의미는 통하겠지만
그 임팩트가 안느껴져서요.... 이렇게 따로 질문 올립니다.

정말 감사드립니다!

 

[pcy0308]

Hello Dianann. I guess one of more accurate literal translations of what you are trying to say is "what would you have done without me", and this should just work fine most of the time, but then again, it doesn't really convey that rebuking/critical "impact" you are talking about. More specifically, they are not the ideal pick for the example situations given above.

The first and second examples are nuanced differently: the speaker (or the mother) in the second example is clearly chiding, kind of scolding her child for his/her forgetfulness, while in the first example, the speaker of the expression is not really reprimanding anyone or any action but rather actively suggesting he/she can help this friend out, pointing out the fact that his/her experience can be of use in such and such situation. In both cases, "what would you do without me" does not seem like the right fit since neither is it quite something a mother would normally say to her little kid (unless we are talking all grown-up "kids") nor the friend and his new business are entirely dependent on the speaker. Of course, if you were saying it lightheartedly and jokingly, it would definitely work.

For the first situation, some other alternatives that do not really translated literally and exactly as "너 내가 안물어봤음 어쩔뻔했어" are "you are talking to the right person/you came to the right person", considering how the conversation is flowing and how the speaker is talking about him/her being experienced in dealing with new businesses' "opening day". Some other options are "you should have asked me first", "what would you have done without consulting me about this? It's my bread and butter!", "I am an expert in these things. (You) should have come to me about this". As you can see, it's just a matter of using different words and verbs here and there, and other than those insignificant differences, they are basically saying the same thing.

As for the second situation, on the other hand, using the same, literally translated rhetorical question seems to work just fine. "너 내가/엄마가 안물어 봤으면 어쩔 뻔했어?" or "what would you have done if I hadn't asked you (about ~)" will get the point across. Here, of course, the speaker or the mother is not expecting an answer from her child but is just verbally punishing him/her by asking this guilt-inducing, sharpshooting rhetorical question . Hope this helps.

 

[Dianann]

Hello Dianann. I guess one of more accurate literal translations of what you are trying to say is "what would you have done without me", and this should just work fine most of the time, but then again, it doesn't really convey that rebuking/critical "impact" you are talking about. More specifically, they are not the ideal pick for the example situations given above.

The first and second examples are nuanced differently: the speaker (or the mother) in the second example is clearly chiding, kind of scolding her child for his/her forgetfulness, while in the first example, the speaker of the expression is not really reprimanding anyone or any action but rather actively suggesting he/she can help this friend out, pointing out the fact that his/her experience can be of use in such and such situation. In both cases, "what would you do without me" does not seem like the right fit since neither is it quite something a mother would normally say to her little kid (unless we are talking all grown-up "kids") nor the friend and his new business are entirely dependent on the speaker. Of course, if you were saying it lightheartedly and jokingly, it would definitely work.

For the first situation, some other alternatives that do not really translated literally and exactly as "너 내가 안물어봤음 어쩔뻔했어" are "you are talking to the right person/you came to the right person", considering how the conversation is flowing and how the speaker is talking about him/her being experienced in dealing with new businesses' "opening day". Some other options are "you should have asked me first", "what would you have done without consulting me about this? It's my bread and butter!", "I am an expert in these things. (You) should have come to me about this". As you can see, it's just a matter of using different words and verbs here and there, and other than those insignificant differences, they are basically saying the same thing.

As for the second situation, on the other hand, using the same, literally translated rhetorical question seems to work just fine. "너 내가/엄마가 안물어 봤으면 어쩔 뻔했어?" or "what would you have done if I hadn't asked you (about ~)" will get the point across. Here, of course, the speaker or the mother is not expecting an answer from her child but is just verbally punishing him/her by asking this guilt-inducing, sharpshooting rhetorical question . Hope this helps.

항상느끼는건데,
천재같으세요!
정말 이렇게 풀어 설명해주셔서 정말 감사합니다..!!!