# never give up



## john_86

Hello everybody, I would like to know how to say 'never give up', the famous quote said by Churchill. Can someone, plase, help me?

Thanks in advance.


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## arbelyoni

לעולם אל תכנעו - le'olam al tikan'u

It is addressed to 2nd person plural.


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## yoko - chan

hello,
i think it's more correct to say (with all the respect to arbelyoni of course) : "לעולם  אל תוותרו"    because "להכנע" means "to give in" and not "to give up".


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## anipo

לעולם אל תוותרו - le'olam al tevatru  never give up

לעולם אל תכנעו - never surrender

There is a small difference between both words.


Welcome - ברוך הבא - to the forum,yoko chan.
You were quicker than me


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## yoko - chan

Thank you *anipo*  
PS: to*john_86:* hope i helped you


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## john_86

Thank you so much to all of you. One more question, how would you say it in 2nd singular person?


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## anipo

לעולם אל תוותר (m)
      לעולם אל תוותרי (f)

All the best.


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## john_86

So, which one would be the correct? לעולם אל תוותרו or  לעולם אל תוותר ?

And one more question (last one ), how would it be in ancient hebrew?

Thank you again!


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## Clara_

לעולם אל תוותר is singular 2nd person masculine
לעולם אל תוותרו is plural 2nd person


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## origumi

john_86 said:


> how would it be in ancient hebrew?


לעולם בל תאמר נואש is an alternative.


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## arbelyoni

yoko - chan said:


> hello,
> i think it's more correct to say (with all the respect to arbelyoni of course) : "לעולם  אל תוותרו"    because "להכנע" means "to give in" and not "to give up".



The famous quote by Churchill is commonly translated as לעולם לא נכנע or לעולם אל תכנעו.
Different contexts require different translations, of course.


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## yoko - chan

arbelyoni said:


> The famous quote by Churchill is commonly translated as לעולם לא נכנע or לעולם אל תכנעו.
> Different contexts require different translations, of course.



Yes, I see  thank you for correcting me ^_^


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## SugoiNe

Reality check:
A casual speaker won't feel comfortable saying "לעולם אל תוותר". It's pretty long and has a funny tone all over it.
Try "אל תוותר לעולם" (sounds a little better than "לעולם אל תוותר"), (Lit. Don't give up never [lit. to a world]) "אל תוותר" (Lit. Don't give up) or "אל תתייאש" (Lit. Don't get desperate) instead, but you can also say "אל תוותר בחיים", though it sounds extremely casual.  [2nd person masculine]


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## David S

SugoiNe said:


> Reality check:
> A casual speaker won't feel comfortable saying "לעולם אל תוותר". It's pretty long and has a funny tone all over it.
> Try "אל תוותר לעולם" (sounds a little better than "לעולם אל תוותר"), (Lit. Don't give up never [lit. to a world]) "אל תוותר" (Lit. Don't give up) or "אל תתייאש" (Lit. Don't get desperate) instead, but you can also say "אל תוותר בחיים", though it sounds extremely casual.  [2nd person masculine]



Is there a difference in the way you would translate "Don't ever..." in formal/written Hebrew versus casual/spoken Hebrew?


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## Aoyama

SugoiNe said:


> Reality check:
> A casual speaker won't feel comfortable saying "לעולם אל תוותר". It's pretty long and has a funny tone all over it.


that is true, because  "לעולם " (le'olam) is rather biblical (cf. le'olam va'ed/for ever) for "never". It wouldn't be used in casual speech in Modern Hebrew.
But then, arbelyoni says : 





> The famous quote by Churchill is commonly translated as לעולם לא נכנע or לעולם אל תכנעו.


 (one should not give up or don't [you] give up).
So maybe as a literary quote, le'olam may work.


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