# 7th heaven, cloud #9



## ThomasK

In some other forum I read that in French one can say one is "aux anges". I suppose all of those refer to heaven in some way... 

So: *what (other) metaphors do you have in your language, especially if you don't have or believe in heaven ;-)* (and do you have any idea of why they use that particular metaphor -- I hope this is not an extra question, Mr/ Ms Moderator) ?



_[I found some references to 7th heaven in 8 languages, but no explanation: not just F, G, I, S, P, but also Finnish, Estonian, Russian...]_


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## sokol

Personally I have a feeling that in German "siebenter Himmel" = seventh heaven would be more idiomatic than "Wolke Sieben", the latter for me also is okay but I'd say it is not as common and not as unmarked as "siebenter Himmel".


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## mietagosia

Hey! In Polish we'd say "siódme niebo" (seventh heaven) or "być wniebowziętym" (lit. "to be taken into heaven"). I can't think of any alternative ways of expressing it, maybe because we're such a catholic nation .


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## ThomasK

Oh yes, I now think of 'elated' in English, which means lifted up in English. 

I think it is not simply based on religion. I think it has to do with escaping from gravity, which pulls you down (which reminds me of Georg Lakoff's _Living by Metaphors_): joy seems to be connected with an upward movement (_in high spirits_), sadness with a downward one (_de-pressed, down, ...)_ Thanks, Mietagosia !


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## kusurija

In Czech:
Sedmé nebe, oblak č. 9[devět].

In Lithuanian:
Devintas (#9) debesėlis septintame(7th) danguje.


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## ThomasK

Are those literal translations, K ?


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## kusurija

ThomasK said:


> Are those literal translations, K ?


I found most similar expressions, they are almost literal translations. It is difficult to explain details about cases in language, which doesn't use cases anyway.

debesėlis - diminutive of cloud
septintame - vietininkas (~LOCAL) 
danguje - vietininkas
Sentence in Lithuanian sounds jovial.

In Czech all is in Nominative.
č. [číslo] abbreviation of Nr.
Sentence in Czech sounds slightly ironic(/jovial).


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## LucíaV

In Spanish you can say:
- Estar en la gloria (to be in Glory)
- Estar en el séptimo cielo (to be in seventh heaven)


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## ThomasK

I am beginning to think the 'cloud nines' are rare in other languages. We do not have it in Dutch, etc.


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## LucíaV

There is a similar expression in Spanish but the usual sense is not that of being "in 7th heaven". Is the following:
- Estar (como) en las nubes (literally, to be (as) in the clouds). But the usual sense is that of being distracted. It is also sometimes used with the meaning of being in 7th heaven.


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## sabrinita85

In Italian: "*Stare al settimo cielo*".

We use this expression because in the Dante's "Divina Commedia" there were 7 heavens. The last heaven (the 7th) was the closest to God. The proximity to God made you happy... That's why we use "to be in 7th heaven".


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## ThomasK

Great reference to Dante ! But I think there is even a reference to 7 heavens in the Bible (Revelation ?)... 

_(Oh, yes, we can also float, have our feet off the ground in Dutch, have our head in the clouds, but indeed, that would be a separate thread. So let's stop here...)_


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## amikama

Hebrew:

*ברקיע השביעי* - in the seventh sky
(Note: רקיע means only "sky"; not used as a synonym of "heaven".)

*בעננים* - in the clouds


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## Outsider

In Portuguese, I think you can say _no sétimo céu_ (in the seventh heaven), but there is also _nas suas sete quintas_ (in his/her seven manors).


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## ThomasK

I have just found this at phrases.org.uk: the 'cloud nine' might denote "the fluffy cumulonimbus type that are considered so attractive"'. And another explanation refers to Buddhism: "Cloud Nine is one of the stages of the progress to enlightenment of a Bodhisattva (one destined to become a Buddha)." Seemed interesting to me.


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
Στον έβδομο ουρανό
ston *e*vðomo uran*o*: in the seventh sky
(uran*o*s, _m._ here means the sky. The same noun in plural, ουρανοί, uran*i*, is synonymous with heaven).
Πετάω στα σύννεφα
pet*a*o sta s*i*nefa
I'm flying in the clouds


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## rusita preciosa

Russian: *на седьмом небe* [na sedmom nebe] - on the seventh's sky


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## ThomasK

It is a little strange to me to say : "in/on the seventh sky" (I can somehow imagine seven heavens, but only one sky with lots clouds...). 

@apmoy, as for 'I am flying in the clouds': does that mean one is not realistic or that one is very happy ?


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## HUMBERT0

In English you can also say "out of this world".


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## ThomasK

I think we shall have to start paying attention: if I am not mistaken, #19 and 16b are not referring to the same meaning as being on cloud seven - or do they? Do they refer to that blissful situation?


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## HUMBERT0

It can... "it was an *out of this world *(instead of saying I felt I was in 7th heven) experience when I had a brush with death last year, after the accident suddenly all my worries vanished".


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## ThomasK

There is something about your situation indeed, but isn't having no worries different from being quite happy ?


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## apmoy70

ThomasK said:


> It is a little strange to me to say : "in/on the seventh sky" (I can somehow imagine seven heavens, but only one sky with lots clouds...).
> 
> @apmoy, as for 'I am flying in the clouds': does that mean one is not realistic or that one is very happy ?


It's used when someone is extremely happy. We usually just say «πετάω» (pet*a*o) though->I'm flying, when we're happy, without the clouds part. But when you're very-very happy you could say you're flying in the clouds.
When someone is not realistic he/she is «ονειροπαρμένος, ονειροπαρμένη» (oniroparm*e*nos, _m._, oniroparm*e*ni, _f._) lit. "dream-captured", or «αιθεροβάμων», (eθerov*a*mon, _m., f._), lit. "ether walker" (from the same ancient Greek expression)


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## Encolpius

*Hungarian*: hetedik mennyországban (in the 7th Heaven)


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## ThomasK

It is relatively strange to me that the same expression is used in so many European countries: is Dante the explanation [which is something Sabrinita came up with in reply #7, I believe]? 

(_Dream-captured_, and _ether walker_: how nice ! In Dutch we do say: *'ik ben in de wolken'* (I am in the clouds), but we do not stipulate which (cloud #5 or #204 or ...) ;-) )


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## ThomasK

Thanks, I copied the last line into the "head in the clouds" thread, KottaKitta !


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## Bojan

In Serbian _na sedmom nebu_ means "in 7th heaven". We don't have 9th cloud, however.


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## jana.bo99

Slovenian: V sedmih nebesih 

That means: when somebody is very much in love and very lucky. 
There are no clouds.


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## ThomasK

ONly when in love then? (By the way: is 'sedmih' 'seventh' ? )


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