# Only two more sleeps!



## Encolpius

Hello, I have learnt this sentence in another thread and brings sweet memories back because I heard the Hungarian version quite often. Do you use the same or similar sentence in your language? Thanks. 

*Hungarian*: Már csak kettőt kell aludni! .... [már(yet), csak(only), kettőt(two), kell(is necessary), aludni(to sleep)]


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## Rallino

If I understand well, in *Turkish* we say:

5 dakika daha, n'olur! [5 more minutes, come on!]


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## Encolpius

Well, it seems, my sentence is rather difficult. That English and Hungarian sentences are used especially in children talk. It is so difficult to explain it. A little child can say: *Only two more sleeps until Christmas*, so it is kind of expressing that a positive event is very close. Since so fare not many responses it makes me feel only we know it.


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## Rallino

Oh...I'm sorry I had no idea. I don't think there is a saying like that here.


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## Encolpius

I am sorry too.  maybe we stay alone with English.


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## jazyk

In Portuguese: Só tenho/tem que dormir duas vezes (twice)/noites (two nights)/hoje e amanhã (today and tomorrow).


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## enoo

Encolpius said:


> A little child can say: *Only two more sleeps until Christmas*, so it is kind of expressing that a positive event is very close.



So, it's a "fixed" saying, and even if actually there's 4 days left, for example, people will say "only two more sleeps"? Or can it be used only just two nights before an event?


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## ilocas2

In the Czech language it is told often to small children at Christmas.


*Ještě se *
*jednou/dvakrát/třikrát/čtyřikrát vyspíš a přijde Ježíšek*

You will sleep only once/twice/three times/four times and Christkind will come


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## Encolpius

enoo said:


> So, it's a "fixed" saying, and even if actually there's 4 days left, for example, people will say "only two more sleeps"? Or can it be used only just two nights before an event?


Hello, as ilocas2 has written, it is not a fixed saying. You can say "only 1, 2..100 more sleeps.. I hope that helps


jazyk said:


> In Portuguese: Só tenho/tem que dormir duas vezes (twice)/noites (two nights)/hoje e amanhã (today and tomorrow).


Olá, just because it seems to me it is not a very common sentence, do you use it, have you heard it? ObrigadO.


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## sound shift

I don't think we have this saying here.


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## Encolpius

sound shift said:


> I don't think we have this saying here.



First I am not sure if it is a saying, it is a (idiomatic) sentence,  quite common in Hungarian and according to WR it is used in Australia, too.


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## tangus

What is the meaning of the saying? “Only two more nights”? ¿?


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## Encolpius

tangus said:


> What is the meaning of the saying? “Only two more nights”? ¿?


Yes.


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## tangus

OK. Nothing similar in Spanish. I guess the siesta makes it difficult to calculate...


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## merquiades

Just as a note:  this expression sounds very childish.  Above age 10 I don't think anyone would say it.... but I might be wrong.  It's my impression.  I've heard children saying "two more nighty-nights to Christmas" too.  From the expression "nighty night", child's talk for "Good night!"
Edit:  I just read people say that in Australia.  So I take back what I wrote above.


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## Encolpius

merquiades said:


> Just as a note:  this expression sounds very childish.  Above age 10 I don't think anyone would say it....



Not only sounds but of course it is an expression used mostly by children or who still feel children.  But this is not the point here.


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## Volcano

*In Turkish

I could say sayılı günler kala.*


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## Encolpius

Volcano said:


> *In Turkish I could say sayılı günler kala.*



Hello, what does it mean literally? Thanks.


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## Volcano

*Only a few days to (something)*


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## jonmaz

Encolpius said:


> First I am not sure if it is a saying, it is a (idiomatic) sentence, quite common in Hungarian and according to WR it is used in Australia, too.


Greetings  from Australia.

I heard my son use this only last week.   On the Thursday, he was explaining to his son that his fourth birthday party (on Sunday) was just "three sleeps away!".   I'm sure my grandson was able to realise that it would be soon, but not the following day at least.

Adults might also say it to their friends in a light-hearted way but it is usually reserved for the little ones who might measure the passage of time with the number of times the days finish with sleep.


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## Encolpius

Hello foreros, I wonder how about German? Japanese? or of course other versions..thanks

And the question is : How many more sleeps? 

Hungarian: Mennyit kell még aludni?


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## 810senior

That's interesting but unfortunately I haven't heard someone said such a similar phrase...
Literal translation:後何日したら？(how many more days pass by?) もういくつ寝たら？(how many more nights to sleep?)

If you're interested, we have a song with regards to the new year, when the singer feels so happy that can't sleep over the rest of nights to ring in.
http://japanese.about.com/od/japanesecultur1/a/123100.htm


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## Lune bleue

Hi,

(Very young) children use this expression in French too. It sounds : "encore 2 dodos avant XX" 

It works with any amount of days, but above 5 or 6 they'll get confused anyway.


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## ger4

Encolpius said:


> *Hungarian*: Már csak kettőt kell aludni! .... [már(yet), csak(only), kettőt(two), kell(is necessary), aludni(to sleep)]





ilocas2 said:


> *Ještě se [...] krát vyspíš a [...]*


German: _Nur noch X-mal schlafen, dann ist XX._
nur = only, just, no more than
noch = yet, still (perhaps similar to Hungarian már and Czech ještě)
X-mal = X times
schlafen = sleep (infinitive)
dann = then
ist = is

Unfortunately I can't think of any German equivalent to the French _dodos_...


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## bibax

merquiades said:


> Just as a note:  this expression sounds very childish. Above age 10 I don't think anyone would say it.... but I might be wrong.  It's my impression.  I've heard children saying "two more nighty-nights to Christmas" too. ...





Lune bleue said:


> (Very young) children use this expression in French too. It sounds : "encore 2 dodos avant XX"


In Czech the sentence is used exclusively by the adults:

Child (ceaselessly, annoyingly):
*Kdy už budou Vánoce?* _When will the Christmas begin?_
Adult:
*Ještě dvakrát se vyspíš.* _You will sleep twice more. _
*Už jen jednou se vyspíš.* _You will sleep only once.
_
Ger noch = Cz ještě = Hun még;
Ger schon = Cz již/už = Hun már;
Ger noch zweimal = Cz ještě dvakrát = Hun még kétszer;
It's difficult to translate this little words into English.


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## ThomasK

Dutch: literally *'Nog twee nachtjes slapen voor ...'* (Still ... [to sleep] - I think something is implied like 'we _*must/ need to*_ sleep for two more nights')


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