"Wir werden handeln."
Translation:We will take action.
38 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
One of the definitions of handle is to manage (a situation or problem) which is equivalent to take action. In English, there is no need to physically manipulate something with your hands for you to handle it.
Using your example:
Homeowner: "The house is burning! We have to do something! We have to take action!"
Firefighter: "NO! It's dangerous in there. Let us handle it!"
OK, but that's still not quite the same because there is an object to the verb -- the firefighters are handling the situation.
"Handeln" in German doesn't have this connotation of "managing (a situation or a problem)".
In fact, if the firefighter had said, "Lassen Sie uns handeln!", it would be understood as "You and me, let's do something!" rather than "You do nothing - just let us do the work!".
"Let us handle it" would be more "Lassen Sie uns das machen/übernehmen".
I would argue that my use of a direct object isn't always relevant in the English translation. Especially if to take action works. The verb there is take. What are you taking? Action. That's the direct object.
Handle is one of those that requires an object in English as well. You said to take action means to do something no? Once again, do is the verb and something is the object. In English you would never say "We will do." because you NEED the object. Therefore, "We will do it." or "We will do something." is the appropriate way to translate.
Just like "Ich bin Arzt." has no pronoun, but when you translate it to English you must use the pronoun a to make it work.
"Handeln" in German doesn't have this connotation of "managing (a situation or a problem)".
Now if you're saying that's not really how the word handeln is meant to be used, that's fine. However, in these links to handle is one of the translations it shows for handeln. In English, to handle can mean to manage a situation or problem.
http://en.pons.com/translate?q=Handeln&l=deen&in=ac_de&lf=de&cid=
If to handle doesn't really work in this situation, where does it work with handeln? Are both of these sites wrong? Also if my use of a direct object is wrong, why isn't the appropriate translation "We will act." instead of "We will take action." The first one doesn't have a direct object. Wouldn't "Wir werden Aktion übernehmen." be more acceptable?
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That's kind of interesting. In English we say we'll/I'll "deal with it". Which has nothing to do with trade, despite the usage of "deal" as selling. Would that be a better translation than "take action", which I've never heard anyone say in my life?
Yes, I think of it first in the business sense. I translated this as "We will deal" and it was marked wrong. I'll report it. Thanks for confirming my sense of the word.
I can accept that 'Wir werden handlen' is not 'We'll handle it.' or even 'We'll manage." both of which have an oppressed tone.
I also agree with a previous comment that the English use of 'it' or similar for an object can be superficial and infinitely vague, included just because the verb is normally transitive. If meaning is translated, the addition or not of an object is immaterial. (But still, I'm generally in favor of translating the superficial structure when possible.) When a person acts, more so if they 'take action,'* there may be an object on which they act, so there is an overlapping semantic range, even if there is an object, even if no object would be a better fit.
*I think we usually 'take action' 'on it,' otherwise we just 'act.' even the 'take action' is not superficially parallel, using a filler verb and an object instead of a more relevant verb. (Makes me thing of the French "s'agir.") So if 'We'll take action." Then why not 'We'll do something."?
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Not really. "Wir werden handeln - we will take action" does not imply any plans or results, just the mere act.
Something that might be helpful here is the use (semantic range) of "handeln" when transitive versus the use (semantic range) when intransitive. (Got the hint from my in house native German.) If this is the case is not about a random choice of definitions from the dictionary. The intransitive must mean 'action', and it can't mean 'trading' without an object. Would that be correct?
I've discovered something (from a linguistically apt German native) that the moderators might not be explaining so well, although they have explained it emphatically: in the intransitive form it must mean 'action.' If it was transitive it could follow other definitions. Another thing I might add (same source) is that the given German is emphatic while "We'll handle it." is not, or at least not necessarily.