PBH / colombia (active forums more▼ | travelguide | pictures) / post

Deja Vu?

We're watching a DVD with a bunch of previews, one of which is for a Denzel Washington flick called "Deja Vu". My wife asks me, "What is this "deja vu" thing? Is it French? What does it mean?" I tell her that yes the words are French but it's an expression and I tell her that it means "the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time" or "a feeling that one has seen or heard something before". I ask her if there is a similar expression in Spanish and she says no. I ask her what would a Spanish speaker say when they experienced what we call "deja vu". She said that there is no shorthand expression - they'd have to explain the whole thing. The she goes on to say, "That's typical of you English speakers, you like to cut to the chase with these little expressions that sum up an entire experience in one or two words. We like to go into details." OK, PBHers, what do you think? Is she right? And is there a Spanish equivalent for "deja vu"?

By utopiacowboy on Mar 31, 2007, 22:42 in Friendly Talkzone.

utopiacowboy says on Mar 31, 2007, 22:45:

I should add that my wife didn't actually say what I have her saying above since she doesn't speak English. They are loose translations of what she said to me in Spanish.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

gringoloid says on Mar 31, 2007, 22:59:

UTC.....I think the spanish is... 'yo lo vivido'.....

but I would think it is same, deja vu.

Who are the three blind men?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goin_south says on Mar 31, 2007, 23:50:

"deja vu"? otra vez.

jajaaa

Where do we go from here?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

kat1 (Moderator) says on Apr 1, 2007, 02:54:

we said " esto como que lo he vivido antes...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Desideria (Moderator) says on Apr 1, 2007, 06:02:

I've been racking my brain to find a Spanish equivalent to deja vu, but you guys are right; I don't think it exists. You just have to explain the whole thing using words like "me pareció haberlo visto antes" or "esto como que ya me pasó, pero será en mi vida anterior"...

Cheers,
Desi

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe
they are free." —Johann Wolfgang van Goethe

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

jaramillo says on Apr 1, 2007, 06:29:

I'd say deja vu is like reading a posting by Elmodefoque.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

nick b. says on Apr 1, 2007, 06:58:

"That's typical of you English speakers, you like to cut.. No,we use the expression also in dutch..I think that in Norway,Germany,Belgium.. they understand perfectly the word cliché(French),o.k.(English),etc..

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Gator says on Apr 1, 2007, 08:23:

Visto Antes "Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

0 funny, 0 helpful.

webmanco says on Apr 1, 2007, 09:15:

My English is not as good but for me it means for example, when you are figthing all the time and the other party says "here we go again".

Aquí empezamos otra vez (de nuevo)

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goin_south says on Apr 1, 2007, 10:52:

well, thanks webmanco; You almost substantiated my oversimplification of the issue. If we 'live it again', implies we lived it in the past.

But, still 'deja vu' implies usually an almost mysterious transcendance into the past, and sometimes it transcends events, but brings back the same momentary personal realization or feeling or reflection about life.

So,...?

Where do we go from here?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

kat1 (Moderator) says on Apr 1, 2007, 11:04:

according to wikipedia The term "déjà vu" (IPA:/deʒa vy/) (French for "already seen", also called paramnesia) describes the experience of feeling that one has witnessed or experienced a new situation previously.

so there is no translation in Spanish for that term. we only said esto lo he vivivo antes. meaning you have experience the same thing again.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

rocinante says on Apr 1, 2007, 11:05:

aint no deja vu The word does not directly translate. So many words do not translate between languages and one must describe with many words. Pues la esposa de UC tiene razón.

"When I enterd the house I got deja vu" = "Cuando entré en la casa tuve la sensación de que ya había estado allí antes"

There is a word in German that "describes the space or physical distance between two people" - or we woud say in an understood context - "The space between us". Why a language would need all summed up in one word is beyond me but who knows?

I would like this thread to turn into words in either direction that don't translate:

Vivo - somone who likes to get over and take advantage of someone else - we ain't got that in english

Veo a mi madre - the personal "a" before a human or pet that's a direct object - we ain't got that in English!

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Peso 1400 by November" Feb 5, 2008

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Man Tequila says on Apr 1, 2007, 11:18:

Deja vu (french for already seen) is thought by laymen to describe the feeling that one has experienced a previous scene before. While this is true, it ALSO requires the knowledge that one has NOT experienced a similar scene -- and thus acute awareness of a surreal quality. This accounts for the weird surreal and dream-like feeling -- people with deja vu are acutely aware something odd is going on. Some psychotics have the dream like episodes don´t always realize something funny is going on. Deja vu seems to be due to a malfunction in the brain wiring and many people experience it. It is also associated with schizoaffective disorders. It is different from presque vu (nearly seen) and jamais vu (never seen).

I would guess castellanos would use the same term. Never heard of ya visto.

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

poco says on Apr 2, 2007, 23:52:

Thoughts or lack of requires the knowledge

Many PBH posts are a result of confabulated thoughts sometimes combined with cluelessness.

"When you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's dating a pussy." Quote - General Tommy Franks

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goin_south says on Apr 2, 2007, 23:57:

and so goes the world and the internet, .... poco y poco U can run but you can't hide

Where do we go from here?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dayita says on Apr 3, 2007, 07:20:

The french word Deja Vu is used in Colombia by most of the people...is not an unknown word..too bad we spanish talkers have to use so many "extranjerismos" from many countries; to name some examples chic, glamour, Slogan, marketing, fashion, sexy, jumper, brassiere, sandwich, tuti frutti, pub, fashion, pret a porter, club, marketing, dancing, dolce vita, capuccino, ok........and the list can go on and on. Most of this words dont have an exact translation for spanish but most colombians knows what they mean...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mononoke28 says on Apr 3, 2007, 08:44:

Yep... ... Deja Vu is used worldwide, not just in English. I have used that expression many times in Spanish and with my husband and they already knew what it was. Maybe your wife never heard it, but it's pretty common.

Diana

0 funny, 0 helpful.