# Nigdy nie jest tak jakby się chciało



## Baltic Sea

Hello all users again!

I would like to ask you what is the English for "Nigdy nie jest tak jakby się chciało". How about: "Things are never the way we want/would like them to be".

Thank you. The source: My imagination.


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## LilianaB

Yes. I think both are good.


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## Baltic Sea

Thank you, LilianaB.


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## dreamlike

Hi Baltic

You could also say "Things never go my way", which means roughly the same thing and in Polish translates as "Nigdy nic nie idzie po mojej myśli."


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## Baltic Sea

Thank you very much, Dreamlike.


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## radosna

Hi Baltic Sea!

Your translations are fine.  dreamlike's is also a good suggestion and very colloquial. Here are some other ways we'd commonly express that in English:

"It never turns out the way we'd like."  (or "It never turns out the way we'd like it to be.")
"It never turns out the way I want it to."
"It's never as I'd like it to be." 

You've got lots of choices!


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## Baltic Sea

Thank you very much, Radosna.


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## radosna

You're welcome, Baltic Sea!


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## Ben Jamin

radosna said:


> Hi Baltic Sea!
> 
> Your translations are fine.  dreamlike's is also a good suggestion and very colloquial. Here are some other ways we'd commonly express that in English:
> 
> "It never turns out the way we'd like."  (or "It never turns out the way we'd like it to be.")
> "It never turns out the way I want it to."
> "It's never as I'd like it to be."
> 
> You've got lots of choices!



I wonder if the translations using the “I form” are the most correct possible. The use of impersonal “się’” in Polish suggests that the speaker means it in general sense, about everybody, not only about himself (herself). Using “you” or “one” (which may be a little cumbersome) would be more faithful to the original in my opinion.


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## LilianaB

Yes, I agree. I think a generic pronoun should be used (we, you, one).


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## radosna

Ben Jamin, I think you have a good point. In that case, however, "you" should probably also be avoided.  Although it can be -- and is often used in a generic sense, without a clear context, it can come across as rather personal.  "One" or "we" (as LilianaB has suggested) would be less personal. "One" would of course be the least personal of these options.


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