"Was wird ihn dazu bewegen?"

Translation:What will make him do that?

January 19, 2013

21 Comments
This discussion is locked.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/ohookins

Is "... dazu bewegen ..." an idiom?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/myra

yes, it means "make someone do something" or "get someone to do something"


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/margusoja

I'd like to discuss this "dazu bewegen" further. Isn't the German sentence missing the "to do (that)" part? Shouldn't it be "Was wird ihn dazu bewegen, das zu tun"?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/HaslamAjedrez

I think the literal translation is "what will move him to that?", where "that" is referring to some action, which I think captures the full meaning.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Menschenkind

I don't think this is an idiom, but it sure is a collocation, which isn't a huge difference anyway. zu etw. bewegen and überzeugen are mostly synonym, so I suggest following translation: jemand zu etwas bewegen = to persuade someone (of or to [do] something).


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/flaschengeist

You are right, but überreden and überzeugen are not the same. überreden means to talk to somebody until he does it, überzeugen mens to talk to somebody until he believes it.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/duotedm

Agreed. Bewegen is more to persuade or "move" (as in feel moved to do something). "Make" as in "force" would be zwingen.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/byrobo20

Darum, danch, dazu .....pretty confusing stuff. Is there a reference i can use for direct translations?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/flaschengeist

why is "what will move him to this" incorrect? Aren't this and that synonyms?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/zpoo742

I would say so, in English at least 'move him to it' and 'move him to do it' are the same thing.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/flaschengeist

why is "what will move him to this" incorrect? Aren't this and that synonyms?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/collectedsoul

Why the accusative 'ihn'? What does this sentence literally mean?


[deactivated user]

    "Was wird ihn dazu bewegen?"

    in other words:

    "Was ist es, was ihn dazu bringen/bewegen wird dies order jenes zu tun?"

    don't worry, I translate.

    What is it what makes him think or believe that he should do that? or

    What is it what makes up his mind to do one or the other?

    Citing myra: and adding:

    a reason which "makes someone do something" or "to get someone to do something"

    And the translation: "What will make him do this." is fine.

    Edit: It can be an influence from someone else, but the meaning here is that he realizes/understands/concludes that this or that is the right thing to do, and then he is about to do that. {Some one is curious to know why he does it and asks: ""Was wird ihn dazu bewegen?" What will make him do that?

    That what can be influence from someone or discernment/comprehension/understanding.

    DUOs translation is correct.


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/JJ1856

    Would "Was wird ihn bewegen, das zu tun?" be equivalent to DL's translation? I seem to recall seeing sentences where verbs like sein and tun are dropped/assumed.


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Ehsan

    dict.cc translates "jdn. zu etw. [Dativ] bewegen" as "to lead sb. to do sth./ to induce sb. to do sth./ to provoke sb. to do sth."


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Bekir978479

    Kann das niemals beteuten "What will make him behave like that" auf englisch?


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/AdamKean

    Ich glaub vielleicht doch. Ich stelle mir vor, falls jemand etwas wie „Er könnte sich doch heute ziemlich gut verhalten, glaube ich.“ früher gesagt hat, dann könnte eine andere Person mit was wie „Ja, aber was wird ihn denn dazu bewegen?“ antworten.

    Dann würde es doch zu "What will make him behave like that?" übersetzen, aber es ist ein eher spezifisches Beispiel.


    Übrigens, es heißt „bedeuten“ und man schreibt Englisch“ mit einem großen „E“, weil „Englisch“ ein Substantiv ist.


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/HojoLingo

    How would you say, "What would that make him do?" i.e. you want to know the outcome of his action rather than the cause of it? Thanks!


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/AdamKean

    Using the same construction, that would be:

    Wozu würde ihn das bewegen?

    N.B. "ihn" and "das" can be swapped around.


    https://www.duolingo.com/profile/LawrenceWelch

    What does bewegen mean here: "coerce" or "persuade"? "What will make him do that" is about coercion (even if softly applied). But one commenter here suggests the best German for "coerce" would be zwingen. If bewegen is more about persuasion, then "What will persuade him to do that" should be an acceptable translation. But Duo doesn't accept it.

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