# In prison



## Rallino

Hello everyone!

I was wondering how different languages use different sayings for someone who is in prison/jail. I'm mainly looking for informal or slang expressions.

In Turkish:

*O içeride.* _(lit. he is inside.)_ = He's in jail
*3 yıl yatacak.* _(lit. He will lie down for 3 years.)_ = He will be in prison for 3 years.
*O adamı içeriye tıktılar.* _(lit. They squeezed that guy inside.)_ = They put that guy in jail.

These are what come to my mind at the moment. What sayings do you have related to "being in jail"?

Thanks!


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## merquiades

English
He's in the slammer.
He's been sent up the river.
He's been put away for 5 years.
He's doing time.
He's in the pen (penitenciary)
He's in the hoosegow (from Spanish "juzgado")

French
Faire de la taule (sheet metal)

Spanish
Ir a la trena
Estar en el trullo  (wine press)
Estar en el calabozo (dungeon)


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## Frank06

Hi,


merquiades said:


> He's in the hoosegow (from Spanish "juzgado")


Dutch (Flanders):
The normal phrase would be "in de gevangenis". 

Also possible: 
Hij zit achter slot en grendel, in de cel, in de nor, achter de tralies.

More colloquially (I guess):
Hij zit vast. (vast = +/- stuck)

In my local dialect (Antwerp).
Hij zit in _'t gevang_.

We also have a word that goes back to Spanish:
Hij zit in _den amigo_.

And French:
Hij zit in _'t prison_. 

Groetjes,

Frank


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## Lars H

Swedish expressions for "i fängelse":

 ...har åkt in (went in)
Sitter i finkan (sits in...)
Är inburad (is encaged)
Sitter inne (sits inside)
Är inlåst (is locked in)
Bakom galler (behind bars)


These are some expressions used by people in general, but I'd guess there are far more ways to describe it among actual prisoners.


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## sakvaka

*Finnish*:
olla...
...telkien takana (to be behind bars)
...kiven sisällä (~ inside stone)
...linnassa (~ in castle)

_Hän sai 3 vuotta kakkua._ lit. "He got 3 years of cake."

lusia vankilassa (_inf._ do time in prison)
istua tuomiotaan (serve one's time, lit. "sit one's conviction")

Also, about getting a conviction for imprisonment: _häkki heilahtaa_ ("the birdcage will swing"): eg. _Poliisit tehostivat toimintaansa, ja nykyään nettipiratisteillekin heilahtaa häkki helpommin kuin koskaan aikaisemmin._


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## Orlin

Bulgarian:
Той е на топло. = He's in warm.
Той ще лежи ... години. = He'll lie ... years.
Той е зад решетките. = He's behind bars.
Той е вътре. = He's inside. (I think this is rare.)
Literal: Той е в затвора.


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
The literal expression is «στη φυλακή» (sti fila'ci, _feminine noun_)-->"In (under) watch/guard". Init_. _«φυλακή» described the_ watch, guard_. Today with «φυλακή» we mostly describe the prison.
«Στενή» (ste'ni _feminine noun_)-->the _narrow_; «Στενή» lit. means _narrow, thin_ metaph. _confined, restricted_ (it carries since Classical times this connotation); from ancient verb «στείνω» ('steinō)-->_to be narrow, crowded, dammed, weighed down_, from which the adj. «στενός, -νή, -νό» (ste'nos _m._, ste'ni _f._, ste'no _n._) derives-->_narrow, scanty, petty, thin, meagre_.
«Κρατούμενος» (kra'tumenos _masculine participle_), lit. "he who is detained". E.g. "Where's your brother? _Κρατούμενος_, awaiting trial". As it is the case in Greek, participle changes form for gender, case, and number: «Κρατούμενος» (kra'tumenos _m._), «κρατούμενη/κρατουμένη» (kra'tumeni _f._ [colloquial]/kratu'meni _f._ [formal]), «κρατούμενο» (kra'tumeno _n._); from the Classical verb «κρατέω/κρατῶ» (kră'tĕō [uncontracted]/krā'tō [contracted]), «κρατάω» (kra'tao) or «κρατώ» (kra'to) in modern form and pronunciation-->_rule, hold sway, rule among, rule over, conquer, prevail_, _hold, detain_ from where «Κράτος» ('kratos _neuter noun_), the State, derives. From PIE base *ker-t-, _power, force, strength_, cognate with Eng. _hard_, Ger. _hart_.
Older expressions (not so common now) are: 
A/ «στα κάτεργα» (sta 'katerɣa, _n._)-->plural of Hellenistic «κάτεργον» ('kătĕrgŏn _n._), the _ergastulum_, a house (later prison) for slaves or workers 
B/ «στα σίδερα» (sta 'siðera, _n._)-->plural of «σίδερο» ('siðero _n._), the _iron_ (obviously referring to the iron bars).

[c] is a voiceless palatal plosive
[ð] is a voiced dental non-sibilant fricative


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## Arrius

English: _to be incarcerated/ in gaol,_ & American_, in jail/ in custody / serving a custodial sentence / in jug/ in clink/ doing bird / doing porridge/ doing a stretch_ (five year sentence)/_be put away_ _for X years/ be inside/ in the pen (penitenciary) AE._

German: Er ist *im Knast *(perhaps from Spanish _canasta_, wicker basket.
_Er *sitzt* *hinter schwedischen Gardinen*_ (literally, he is sitting behind Swedish curtains - from the fact that Sweden is noted for its steel industry) i.e_. he's behind bars._
One used to in the German Democratic Republik (but not too loudly):
_Die Leute in der DDR sind dreierlei: die, die sitzen; die, die gesessen haben; und die, die sitzen werden_ (People in the GDR are of three kinds: those who are in prison; those have been in prison; and those who will be in prison), no doubt, at the time, something similar was said in Russian too.


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## Montesacro

*Italian*:
- è in carcere, in galera, in prigione (_he's in jail_)
- è al fresco (_he's in the cool_)
- è dietro le sbarre  (_he's behind the bars_)
- sta dentro _(he's inside_)
- sta al gabbio (_he's in the cage_. this one is quite slangish)
- è detenuto, carcerato (_he's detained, incarcerated_)


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## Arrius

è al fresco (_he's in the cool_) *Montesacro*

... which reminds me of another synonym in English, *in the cooler* = temporary solitary confinement i.e. the place where an inmate who has misbehaved has time to cool off or calm down.  Odd that the Italian phrase *al fresco* when used in English means the opposite of its definition above: 
al fresco in the open air; out of doors; outdoors; as, to
      dine al fresco.


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## Montesacro

Arrius said:


> è al fresco (_he's in the cool_) *Montesacro*
> 
> ... which reminds me of another synonym in English, *in the cooler* = temporary solitary confinement i.e. the place where an inmate who has misbehaved has time to cool off or calm down. Odd that the Italian phrase *al fresco* when used in English means the opposite of its definition above:
> al fresco in the open air; out of doors; outdoors; as, to
> dine al fresco.


 
Well, the expression I mentioned is often uttered in a jocular tone.
Generally speaking, _al fresco_ means "out in the cool pleasing open air".
Being sent to jail is no pleasant at all 



Orlin said:


> Bulgarian:
> Той е на топло. = He's in warm.


 
A striking difference 
It makes me think of Bulgarian prisons as snug and cosy places.


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## Orlin

Montesacro said:


> A striking difference
> It makes me think of Bulgarian prisons as snug and cosy places.


As far as I know, they aren't such places (and have most probably never been) and that's why we make such a joke about prisons.


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## Awwal12

In Russian:
он сидит /on sid*i*t/ - "he sits", "he is sitting"; an ellipsis from the expression "он сидит в тюрьме" (on sid*i*t v tyur'm*e*) - lit. "he is sitting in a prison" = Eng. "he is in prison".
Not very impressive, yeah? Sad, but I cannot remember something else by now.


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## Orlin

awwal12 said:


> in russian:
> он сидит /on sid*i*t/ - "he sits", "he is sitting"; an ellipsis from the expression "он сидит в тюрьме" (on sid*i*t v tyur'm*e*) - lit. "he is sitting in a prison" = eng. "he is in prison".
> Not very impressive, yeah? Sad, but i cannot remember something else by now.


Это аналогично нашему выражению, только у нас он "лежит", а не "сидит".
Кстати, я думаю, что намного большее число выражений, вдобавок вероятно намного выразительнее, есть в жаргоне преступников, с которым я не знаком. Есть ли преступники на этом форуме?:d


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## Awwal12

Orlin said:


> Кстати, я думаю, что намного большее число выражений, вдобавок вероятно намного выразительнее, есть в жаргоне преступников, с которым я не знаком. Есть ли преступники на этом форуме?:d


Hm, you've somehow refreshed my mind. 
There are also expressions "тянуть срок" (tyan*u*t' srok), "мотать срок" (mot*a*t' srok) - lit. "to pull a term", "to reel a term in".

Of course, there also should be special stable terms in criminal spheres, as you mentioned.


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## ilocas2

Czech:

být ve vězení - to be in prison
sedět ve vězení - to sit in prison

sayings:

sedět - to sit
bručet - to growl

sedět (to sit), být (to be), bručet (to growl):
za mřížemi - behind bars
v chládku - in cold place
v báni
v base
v lochu
za katrem

From some reasons I don't want to translate the last 4, it's too complex and I don't know the most precise English equivalents.


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## Awwal12

ilocas2 said:


> za mřížemi - behind bars


It strongly reminds Russian "за решёткой" (za resh*o*tkoy) - lit. "behind a grating" = Eng. "behind bars", which I obviously forgot as well.


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## apmoy70

Montesacro said:


> *Italian*:
> ...
> - è al fresco (_he's in the cool_)
> ...


Thank you for reminding me that we also use this expression, after Italian influence: «στο φρέσκο» (sto 'fresko)-->_in the cool_.
A few more Greek slangish words for prison I've discovered:
«Καγκελαρία» (kaɲɟela'ria _feminine noun_), a punning reference to the Greek neuter noun «κάγκελο» ('kaɲɟelo)-->_baluster, railing, iron bar_, a Byzantine word «κάγκελλον» ('kangellon _neuter noun_) deriving from the Latin "cancellum" diminutive of "cancellus" with the same meaning. After influence from the French "Quincaillerie"-->_hardware store_.
«Γκιζντάνι» (ɟiz'dani _neuter noun_), the prison cell, from the Turkish "gizli zindan" (sunless cell, dungeon)
«Μπουντρούμι» (bu'drumi _neuter noun_), the dungeon, from the Turkish "bodrum" (basement, cellar, cellarage), a repatriated loanword: Greek «Ἱπποδρόμειον» (Hĭppŏ'drŏmeiŏn _neuter noun_)>hippodrom>podrom>bodrum>«Μποντροῦμι» (bo'drumi in Byzantine Greek)>«μπουντρούμι».

[ɲ] is a palatal nasal
[ɟ] is a voiced palatal plosive


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## bibax

Czech (colloquially):

Sedí. = He sits/he is sitting. _(Czech does not distinguish simple and continuous tenses)_
Bručí. = He is grumbling/grousing/growling. (like a bear or contrabass)
Bručí v base. = He is grumbling in the contrabass.
Sedí v chládku. = He is sitting in a cold place. (unlike Bulgarian prisoners who are sitting in a warm place)
Sedí v lochu. = He is sitting in the hole. (from German Loch = hole)
Sedí za katrem. = He is sitting behind the lattice. (katr from German Gatter = lattice, grid, grate)
Sedí v báni. = He is sitting in the cupola/dome.
Dostal flastr. = He's got a plaster. (flastr from German Pflaster)
Dostal 5 let natvrdo. = He has got 5 years hard. (natvrdo = hard is an adverb)
Kroutí 5 let. = He is twisting/twirling 5 years.
Je zašitý. = He is sewn/stitched (up).
Zašili ho. = They sewed him (up).
Přišili mu vraždu. = They sewed/stitched a murder to him.

In "official" Czech:

Je ve vyšetřovací vazbě. Byl vzat do vazby. (detention pending trial)
Je ve výkonu trestu. Vykonává trest odnětí svobody. (execution of a punishment)


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## Saluton

Russian:
Он сидит. - He is sitting.
Его посадили. - They made him sit.
Он на нарах. - He is on plank beds. (a rarer expression)
Он на зоне. - He is on the zone. (Зона - _zona_, 'zone' is slang for a penal colony. The word is usually used with the preposition на - "on", rather than в - "in")
Он тянет срок. - He is dragging his term. (slang)
Он мотает срок. - He is reeling his term. (slang)
Он в кутузке/тюряге. - He's in the slammer. (кутузка and тюряга are outdated slangish words meaning prison. I doubt these words, especially кутузка, were ever used outside movies and books)
Он за решёткой. - He is behind the bars. (not really slang, rather a euphemism that is more likely to be used in a news report than in informal speech)
Он отбывает срок. - He is serving his term. (colloquial)
Он отбывает наказание/срок наказания/тюремный срок/срок тюремного заключения. - He is serving his sentence, enduring the punishment. (official)

Some online dictionaries of fenya (Russian criminal jargon) give more words:
*prison*
казённый дом (kazyonnyy dom) - "state-financed house"
кильдим, кичман, кича, кишлак - borrowings from other languages of Russia, probably Tatar
крытая (krytaya) - "covered one"
крытка (krytka) - "covered one"
юрцы (yurtsy) - a weird word somehow connected with the male name Yury

*serve a sentence*
звонить (zvonit') - "to ring"
припухать (pripukhat') - "to swell"

Surely there are more words in fenya and surely these are not well-known to the general public and perhaps not even to all the criminals.


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## Orlin

saluton said:


> russian:
> Он на нарах. - he is on plank beds. (a rarer expression)
> Он отбывает наказание/срок наказания/тюремный срок/срок тюремного заключения. - he is serving his sentence, enduring the punishment. (official)


Мы тоже употребляем, хотя редко, выражение "търкам наровете" (тереть нары), и хочу добавить официальные выражения "изтърпявам наказание" и "Той е лишен от свобода/задържан под стража" (выбор выражения из последних 2 в зависимости от того есть ли приговор вступивший в законную силу или нет).


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## Saluton

Yes, он находится под стражей ("he is guarded", formal style), too.


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## Laeliasun

Español - Spanish

*He's in jail* = Él está tras las rejas / En el calabozo
*He will be in prison for 3 years =* Él estará guardado por tres (3) años.
*They put that guy in jail =* Le darán calor tras las rejas


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## luitzen

Frisian:

Hy/Sy is finze (He/She is jailed)
Hy/Sy sit yn de finzenis (He/She is in jail, lit. He/She sits in the jail)
Hy/Sy is opsluten (He/She is locked up)
Hja hawwe him/har opsluten (They have locked him/her up)

And what a friend of my brother said in primary school and which has become an expression among a restricted number of people:

Us heit is op fakânsje nei Ierlân ta (My dad is on holiday in Ireland, lit. Our dad is on holiday to Ireland)


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## Arrius

*Hy/Sy sit yn de finzenis (He/She is in jail, lit. He/She sits in the jail) **luitzen
*I take it that _finzenis_ is connected with German _die Finsternis_ (darkness), which reiminds me of the French expression *mis/foutu à l'ombre (des barreaux)* [put/stuck in the shade (of the bars)].

_He's/She's gone on his/her holidays_ is sometimes used in the UK as a white lie to children, not to explain imprisonment, but the absence due to the death of a pet animal or sometimes a human being.


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## luitzen

Arrius said:


> *Hy/Sy sit yn de finzenis (He/She is in jail, lit. He/She sits in the jail) **luitzen
> *I take it that _finzenis_ is connected with German _die Finsternis_ (darkness), which reiminds me of the French expression *mis/foutu à l'ombre (des barreaux)* [put/stuck in the shade (of the bars)].



In that case it would stem from Frisian _finster_, which means _window_ in English. Still I doubt that, but I can't prove that. I think that it's a combination of _finze_ and _nis_, where _finze_ means _someone who's imprisoned_ and _nis_ means _niche_. Just like it in Dutch _gevangenis_, German _Gefängnis_ or Danish _faengsel_.
Dutch _gevangen_ means _caught_ or _someone who is caught_. So _finze_ should be derived from Frisian _to catch_ and that is the problem. It doesn't look similar to any version of _fange - fong - fong_. Maybe the answer is in Old Frisian, but I don't know what old Frisian _prison_ was.


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## Lars H

The Swedish word for prison "finka" (rather close to the Frisian word) is said to come from Middle Low German "(Ge)fenknisse". And most likely the "fenk" part of that particular word comes from the common Germanic "fang, fäng, fång" et cetera.

This does not indicate that there would be any windows hidden in this context.


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## luitzen

I just looked up Finsternis and, apparently, it literally means darkness. From that I conclude that it's absolutely not related to German Finsternis, because 1) Frisian has an entirely different word for darkness and 2) it wouldn't allow for a prisoner to be called a finze.

What I can think of is that this is a very old word (which makes sense because prisons have been around for centuries), derived from the Old Frisian equivalent of fange of fangst.
Then it went through the Anglo-Frisian soundshifts, specifically the Ingvaeonic nasal spirant law where first 'an(g)' or 'on(g)' became an 'in(g)' and after that nasalized to change to [ẽ:].

edit: to be clear, the word is pronounced [fẽ.zə.nɪs]


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## DearPrudence

merquiades said:


> French
> Faire de la taule (sheet metal)


In French (very literal translation in brackets):
*être en prison*
*faire de la taule / être en taule / tôle*
*être derrière les barreaux* (to be behind the bars)
*être sous les verrous* (to be under the locks)
*être au trou* (to be in the hole)
*être à l'ombre* (to be in the shade)
*être au violon* (to be in the violon)

(the most common expressions. More here)


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## er targyn

Also in Russian: Чалиться на нарах. = To serve time on plank beds.
But Max Vasmer's etymological dictionary defines чалиться as "to threaten"... Obscure word.


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## Arrius

re: the similarity of German _Finsternis_ to Frisian _finzenis_.
* luitzen* is right: according to Duden they have nothing to do with one another (folk etymologies often look deceptively convincing). Apparently German_ finster_ (dark) is a corruption of MHG _dinster_ which has also become _düster_ (dim) in modern German. Nor is there any connection with _Fenster_ (window) - not that I said there was - which is in any case to do with light not darkness and is derived from Latin _fenestra_, that has also yielded the French and Welsh terms. Pretty clearly _finzenis_ is a cognate of the morphologically less similar German _Gefängis_ (prison) from the verb _fangen_ (to catch).


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## luitzen

And that's very similar to Low Saxon duuster, Dutch duister and Frisian tsjuster.


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## francisgranada

*Hungarian:*

börtönben van (_he's in prison_)
fogdában van (_he's in prison_)
fogházban van (_he's in prison_)
őrizetben van _(he is guarded) _
fegyházban van (_he's in gaol_)
dutyiban van (_he's in jail_)
zárkában van (_he's in jail_)
sitten van (_he's in jail_)
rács mögött van (_he's behind the bars_)
lakat alatt van _(he's under locks)_

ül (_he sits_)
letartóztatták _(he is detained) _
leültették _(they seated him)_
bezárták _(they closed him)_
lecsukták_ (they locked him)_
hűvösre tették _(they put him in the cool)_

(etc.)


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## jana.bo99

In prison:

Slovenian: v zaporu

Croatian: u zatvoru

Sometimes is not necessary to be really in the prison: we can feel in prison, because we live between wrong people or on the wrong place.


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