Did You Know How You Born?

Xenakis wrote:

I don't like repeating myself too much... I return to reiterate ...

Sorry if I insist, but you are reiterating incorrectly: if 'to bear' means to give birth, and not to be born, there is little to discuss.

Just to say: http://www.dayiwasborn.net/

CromaDiBrera wrote:

Just saying: http://www.dayiwasborn.net/

...just saying... what? A child gives birth?

The translation cannot be literal; as counter-proof, the meaning of the video is not how one gives birth ... but how you come into the world

...ah, "to bear" perhaps means to endure

"give birth" ... to give birth

To endure is only one of the meanings of 'to bear': others, for example: "To bear a hand", to lend a hand; "to bear testimony", to testify; "to bear an expense", to cover an expense. "to bear to the left", to turn left (on a road). In addition to these, there is also the meaning of generating, giving birth, procreating, etc., sometimes with the variant participle 'borne', as well as 'born'. 'To be born' is in the 2,400-page Borrelli De Agostini dictionary that I have (if Carlos isn't enough, and he certainly knows English as well as Italian) and it means: to be born.

But then, excuse me: you just need to type into Google and you will find all the examples you want, in addition to the one from the link I posted, which is simply an English website that tells you what happened on your birthday: day-I-was-born, meaning: the day I was born; it has nothing to do with "the child giving birth" and I really don't understand where you could have read that...

P.S. If you want a reference in a song, look for Rocky Raccoon, or even Your Mother Should Know, by the Beatles: if I remember correctly, this expression is used in those lyrics (the first ones that come to mind).

...or this one, by Queen (lyrics with side-by-side translation):

http://www.fruciano.it/Queen/Freddiesolista/Traduzioni/borntoloveyou.shtml

Xenakis wrote:

I don't like to repeat myself too much... I return to reiterate ...

Did You Know How You Born?

Sapevate come si nasce?

"Did you know how you born" does not exist: born is the past (past participle) of bear (bear - bore, born), therefore, on its own it means "generated" (for us) but it is in fact an adjective (on its own, I mean). The sentence you are reporting should be translated exactly as "did you know how you generated?"; a bit of a "bull in a china shop", no?

"Sapevi come si nasce?" should be "did you know how we were born" or, even, if you really want a literal translation (which is impossible with the verb 'to be born'), "did you know how men come into the world?" (literally "sapevi come gli uomini vengono al mondo?"). The verb to be born is very problematic in English because it simply does not exist. To say "quando deve nascere il bambino?" they say "when is the baby due?", imagine that, precisely because the future form is impossible for the verb "to be born", which is only past (one would have to use the future progressive or whatever it's called, "when will the baby be born", i.e., "quando sarà dato alla luce?", cumbersome...), in the sense that there isn't even a pure infinitive of such a verb ("ti ho visto nascere" is said as "I saw you being born", i.e., "ti ho visto essere generato").

Recommended just now, fresh from an English friend of mine...

"Do you know how life begins ?"

TheSimon wrote:

Recommended just now, fresh from an English friend of mine...

"Do you know how life begins ?"

Eh, thanks... With paraphrasing, we're all good! And, anyway, the effect of the sentence is not the same: it's one thing to ask someone if they know how life begins; another, much more incisive thing, is to ask them if they know how (they) were born. The second is quite a lot "stronger," meaning more direct.

CromaDiBrera wrote:

Eh, thanks... With paraphrasing, we're all good! And, anyway, the effect of the sentence is not the same: it's one thing to ask someone if they know how life begins; another, much more incisive thing, is to ask them if they know how (they) were born. The second is quite a lot "stronger," meaning more direct.

Yes, also because, as in Italian, saying/asking "do you know how life begins?" is, if you will, a bit vague... but, I say: exactly "do/did you know how you were born?" (which is the only way to ask "sai/sapevi come sei nato?" in English) just doesn't sit right, eh?!

Carlos wrote:

but, I say: really "do/did you know how you were born?" (which is the only way to ask "sai/sapevi come sei nato?" in English) just doesn't sit right, eh?!

Indeed, it is the first comment I wrote as well

TheSimon wrote:

Indeed, it is the first comment I wrote as well

Which one? This one?

Grammatically I wouldn't know why, but... Do you know how you born ?... It's a form that isn't used; in fact, I'll tell you it sounds very heavy and clunky to me, perhaps it's even wrong... I have never happened to hear it even in London. Without thinking, what immediately comes to mind for me is to ask... Did you know how you WERE born ?

Eh... Simon Simon... I have a great memory... that WERE has changed places in the last few days... hehehe...

Where were was? 😃

Yes, it's true, I changed it when I realized I had inverted the English quotes...

Melita wrote:

Good evening,

studying for university I came across this (wonderful!) video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWSMaeDLF0E

do you know who composed the soundtrack?

TheSimon wrote:

They are all by "Immediate Music" or simply "Immediate" which is a company from Los Angeles...

They are used in this order:

An Epic Age

The Reclutant Warrior

Generation

Age of discovery

Onward to freedom

... I didn't know it. Thanks!

Open content (youtube)