Vergelt's Gott

English translation: God bless you

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

German term or phrase:	Vergelt's Gott
English translation:	God bless you
Entered by:	Textklick

12:47 Apr 5, 2004

German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics

German term or phrase: Vergelt's Gott

"God bless you" was a translation which I found this morning, but I think that it sounds somehow strange...

Iris Schlagheck-Weber KudoZ activity Questions: 371 (10 open) (2 without valid answers) (6 closed without grading) Answers: 223
Local time: 23:16

God bless you

Explanation:
Grosser Duden>Oxford

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Note added at 8 mins (2004-04-05 12:56:42 GMT)
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Why strange?

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Note added at 8 mins (2004-04-05 12:56:52 GMT)
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Why strange?

Selected response from:

Textklick
Local time: 22:16

Grading comment

Thanks a lot!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +8

God bless you

Textklick

4 +2

May God reward you

IanW (X)

comments

Ken Cox

Thank you!

Lioba Multer

thank you from my heart

NGK

Answers

5 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

May God reward you

Explanation:
My Langenscheidt explains that this is a "Dankesformel", so would suggest "May God reward you"

IanW (X)
Local time: 23:16
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 24

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +8

God bless you

Textklick
Local time: 22:16
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Grading comment

Thanks a lot!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

welsh1981: Collins German Dictionary has "God bless you" as well. Do you mean the German is strange? Does you want this "strangeness" replicating in the English?

4 mins

-> Cheers -good point. Am I right in assuming that this is used mostly in Bavaria/Austria?

agree

Colin Newberry: Nothing wrong with "God bless you", and as far as I know it's mainly used down here in Bavaria and Austria.

41 mins

-> Servus ;-)

agree

Lori Dendy-Molz: "May God bless you"

1 hr

-> Danke :-)

agree

Susan Geiblinger: You could use just "God Bless" as a short form IMO the way it is used in Austria.

1 hr

-> Thanks - that really means "Take care", as in "Goodbye and God bless". Not really a "Dankesformel"

agree

Heidi Stone-Schaller

1 hr

-> Danke Heidrun :-)

agree

Ellen Zittinger

4 hrs

-> Bless you, Ellen ;-)

agree

Armorel Young: it's "God reward you" that sounds strange, because that's a literal translation that isn't actually used in English, whereas "God bless you" is perfectly normal (in certain circles, that is)

8 hrs

-> Thanks Armorel

agree

jerrie

17 hrs

-> Thanks Jerrie

24 mins confidence:

thank you from my heart

Explanation:
"Vergelt's Gott" is normally used as a form of "thank you" — in the sense of "may God reward you for what you have done for me."

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Note added at 27 mins (2004-04-05 13:15:39 GMT)
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\"God bless you\" in the sense of \"thank you\' is also possible, of course — as is \"bless your heart.\" (These expressions may sound quaint to you, but the German term is a bit quaint as well.)

NGK
United States
Local time: 16:16
Native speaker of:

English,

German
PRO pts in category: 36

23 hrs confidence:

comments

Explanation:
'God bless you' is used by many UK Engish speakers a formal and sincere expression of thanks (unless it's used ironically, of course). It is quite often used spontaneously, and although formal, it can also be used among good acquaintances and friends. However, it would be understood rather more literally by most US English speakers, and not necessarily as an expression of thanks. In the US it means something more like 'you're a (really) good person for doing that'. That makes it more an expression of appreciation than an expression of thanks. In the US it is most often used by truly religious persons or by persons who wish to (more or less ostentateously) give the impression of being religious.

Ken Cox
Local time: 23:16
Native speaker of:

English

5566 days confidence:

Thank you!

Explanation:
It's an old Bavarian expression and merely means "thank you."

Lioba Multer
United States
Local time: 14:16
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

German

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Vergelt's Gott

English translation: God bless you

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