Posted by Hans on January 17, 2000 at 16:09
In Reply to: International Pee Dictionary posted by karla on January 17, 2000 at 12:13
It was not "my idea" (as Dodge says) to develop a very special dictionary, I
just talked about the use of an (existing) dictionary! But clearly it is a
pleasure to give translations of the four phrases you mentioned. In the same
order, the German equivalent would be
- Ich pinkle mir fast in die Hose
- Ich hab' in die Hose gepinkelt
- Ich kann es nicht mehr halten
- Ich muß
A polite way to announce that you need to visit the bathroom could be:
During a rather formal conversation, as a guest or host: "Bitte entschuldigen
Sie mich einen Moment" (only if you KNOW where the bathroom is, so that it
need not be shown to you) - and if you simply rise and leave the room, they
all will know where you are going. (This phrase does not mention any need...
The translation would be: "Please, excuse me a moment") But if you do not know
where it is, you should be more precise: "Entschuldigen Sie, aber könnten Sie
mit sagen, wo Ihre Toilette ist?" (This phrase states that you need to go
without being rude. The translation would be: "Excuse me, but could you tell
me where your toilet is?")
In a less formal company, you would say something like "Ich müßte mal
verschwinden" (literally: "I'd have to disappear"), or - assuming you know
where it is - "Ich geh' mal verschwinden" (literally: "I go disappear" - that's
no English, though), or "Ich geh mal für kleine Mädchen"(but only if you are
female!-: "I go for little girls" - even less English..., the meaning is more
or less "I am going to the Ladies", although "kleine Mädchen" means "little
girls", not "Ladies").
If you are in a public place and you are sure that there must be a toilet (for
example, in a station), you ask "Wo sind hier eigentlich die Toiletten ?"
(literally: "Where are the toilets here ?" - The idiomatic word "eigentlich"
makes the question less urgent, like "by the way" - this need not correspond
to the actual state of affairs, of course)
If you are in a public place and do not know if there are any toilets, you'd
ask: "Wissen Sie, ob es hier in der Nähe Toiletten gibt ?" ("Do you know if
there are any toilets here ?")
As a general rule, you would not talk directly about your need but instead show
interest in the nearest appropriate place for it. As nobody would be
interested in this topic without a reason, the person addressed by you would
most probably guess that you have to go, but you wouldn't have to state it
directly.
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