German Speakers, Please

4). Schlampe.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Schlampe

My second favourite German word, behind "stau".

Sorry I can't help with the others...

Let's see. It's always hard to get the exact tone.

1) sounds okay in a BDSM context. They use terms like "dienen", I think. Don't forget the comma after "vergiss nicht", though.

2) In a broad sense, thats ... not wrong. Depends on the attitude behind the line. "Du kriegst, was Diu verdienst" would be a little straighter. Or we'd use a completely different line that may or may not work in context, like "Du wirst schon sehen, was Du davon hast" (You'll see how much you'll get out of this) or simply "dich krieg' ich schon"(I'll get you, just wait and see" if it's about the act of paying back. (Also, "Sie" is used in formal conversations and in constellations based on distanced repsect. Not sure it apllies here.)

3) "Warum bist Du so ein Wrack?" (Why are you such a wreck?) or comes to mind. Durcheinander sounds almost playful. Maybe "Warum bist Du nur so fertig", although I'm not sure if the term "fertig sein" (being run down) which applies nicely to the situatiuon works within that question. My personjal favorite is a song title from Die Sterne: "Was hat dich bloß so ruiniert?", but as I said, that's a song title, and German music licensing is a bitch.

4) Yeah, Schlampe works, too. It's really nasty, though. There's an allegiation of promiscuity to it, too. Not sure if you're aiming for that. "Zicke" is indeed more on the annoying side. "Miststück" isn't much in use anymore, I think.

5) There have been attempts of redeeming "Schlampe" that way, but I don't really think any of those terms have a wide positive use in the way "bitch" has. Then again, I'm not a girl, so I may be well out of the loop on this.

InitiaNova said:

Good day everyone,

One of my MCs is a female of North American birth but German origin. In my novel, occasionally, she makes asides to men she doesn't like in German because she knows (or hopes) they don't understand her.

I was wondering if anyone on the board familiar with German could help me with a few translations. I don't have much faith in Google Translate.

Here are the specific translations which are all one-liners:

1) "Don't forget whom you serve." (Context: said in a BDSM sense but also she looks down on the man in general).

Does "vergiss nicht wem du dienst" make sense? any better ways of saying it?

2) "You'll get what's coming to you" or "You'll get what you deserve". Google Translate suggests "Sie bekommen, was sie verdienen" but this seems off. Any better translations?

3) "Why are you so messed up?" or "Why are you such a mess?" GT suggests "Warum bist du so ein Durcheinander?" Does this make sense? (I should add, she is actually saying this to herself).

4) Which is the closer translation of "bitch" in German? "Zicke" or "Miststück"? I think zicke is more of an annoying person whereas Miststuck is closer to being a bitch, or nasty woman.

5) Sometimes in English, women will refer to themselves as "bitches" in a non-pejorative sense (sort of like taking back an insult and reclaiming it, similar to how African Americans might use the n-word in a non-perjorative sense.) Would such a concept exist in German speech, and if so, would Miststück be the word to use?

Thanks for any insights and help.

Cheers

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1) Vergiss nicht, wem du dienst

2) "Du kriegst, was du verdienst", "Du wirst noch dein blaues Wunder erleben", "Du wirst dich noch wundern", "Du wirst schon deine Strafe kriegen" etc. "Kriegen" is more colloquial than "bekommen" and means "receive".

3) "Warum/Wieso bist du so verkorkst/versaut/verfickt/heruntergekommen/..."

4) Bitch in the sense of an unpleasant woman: Zicke. In the sense of being someone's bitch: Schlampe (also means slut). Nasty woman: Kackbratze, Dreckstück, Miststück, Luder, Balg, Fotze, Zimzicke, Zicke,...

5) Never made such an observation. Some like to refer to themselves as "tough", using the English word. What is used sometimes, is "Emanze", which refers to being an emancipated woman, but this specific word is kinda pejorative but may be positively reclaimed.

4) Bitch in the sense of an unpleasant woman: Zicke. In the sense of being someone's bitch: Schlampe (also means slut). Nasty woman: Kackbratze, Dreckstück, Miststück, Luder, Balg, Fotze, Zimzicke, Zicke,...

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Actually, it's Zimtzicke. Also, don't use Fotze unless you're really going for a very nasty tone. It's the german word for cunt, and it's just as nasty.