# fällig



## Lucik8

Hi there, 

I  am currently working on a translation and there is this conversation between two teenageers: 

OLAF Nicht an den Weibern orientieren, Alter! Weitermachen! Komm!
STEFAN Eine von denen ist definitiv fällig.
OLAF Aber welche denn, häh?
STEFAN Ich wär an deiner Stelle nicht so wählerisch, Mann.

I am not sure what "fällig" in this case means. Could you maybe help me to figure it out? 

Thank you very much!


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## Kajjo

"Fällig" can mean many things. The default meaning is "to be due", the figurative meaning usually has the basic notion of "being the next in line", for what, strongly depends on the context. Could be someone annoyed you and he will be the next you attack or retaliate.

In this case it appears to be a about "having sex together" or at least the try to do so.


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## JClaudeK

You can subsistute "Eine von denen ist  fällig." with "Eine von denen ist dran".
(sie ist dran = _here:_ she's in for sex)


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## Lucik8

Thank you very much!


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## elroy

JClaudeK said:


> (sie ist dran = _here:_ she's in for sex)


 "Sie ist dran" means "it's her turn" and that works here.

"She's in for sex" just means "she's going to get some sex."  It doesn't say anything about it being her turn.


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## JClaudeK

Ich hab' mich auf folgenden Eintrag im Cambridge Dictionary verlassen:


> be in for sth
> to be going to experience something unpleasant very soon


Das schien mir den negativen Aspekt von "sie ist dran" wiederzugeben.


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## elroy

Im Amerikanischen muss das zu erlebende Ding nicht negativ sein. "To be in for a treat", "to be in for a nice surprise" und dergleichen sind vollkommen idiomatisch.

Auch im Deutschen ist "dran sein" an sich natürlich nicht negativ. Es kommt darauf an, was man erleben wird.

So oder so, wenn man "sie ist dran" mit "she's in for x" übersetzt, geht der Aspekt "sie kommt der Reihe nach als nächste dran" verloren, finde ich.


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## JClaudeK

Bon, d'accord. J'en prends note. Merci.


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## Kajjo

elroy said:


> So oder so, wenn man "sie ist dran" mit "she's in for x" übersetzt, geht der Aspekt "sie kommt der Reihe nach als nächste dran" verloren, finde ich.


Wie würdest du denn den ganzen Satz dann übersetzen? Ich finde "to be in for sex" hier nicht schlecht.

_Eine von ihnen ist fällig.
Eine von ihnen ist dran.
One of them is in for sex.

Eine von denen ist definitiv fällig.
[I tell you], one of those is definitely in for sex.
[I tell you], one of those will definitely get laid.

_


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## elroy

Why should the English be more explicit than the German?  

_One of them is definitely up next._


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## Kajjo

elroy said:


> One of them is definitely up next.


And this is understood by English natives as wanting to have sex?


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## elroy

Not outside of context, but it’s the same with “fällig,” isn’t it?


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## bearded

In the expression ''eine ist ..fällig'' I sense a nuance of time (almost like ''die Rechnung ist fällig''), as if the boy had said ''it's time that one of them...'' /es ist höchste Zeit, dass eine von ihnen...''.  Am I mistaken?
Edit: perhaps elroy expressed something similar when he wrote ''sie kommt der Reihe nach als nächste dran''.


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## JClaudeK

bearded said:


> ''es ist höchste Zeit, dass eine von ihnen...''


In


> OLAF Nicht an den Weibern orientieren, Alter! Weitermachen! Komm!
> STEFAN Eine von denen ist definitiv fällig.


sehe ich eher die Komponente "wenigstens eine von denen ist  fällig" (bevor Stefan "weitermacht").

Aber der Kontext reicht nicht aus, um das zu entscheiden.


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## Kajjo

bearded said:


> I sense a nuance of time


Of course, _Fälligkeit_ is about time, about being due.



bearded said:


> es ist höchste Zeit, dass eine von ihnen


No, that is a little bit off. It is about the boy seriously wanting any of the girls, about _his urge_ to have sex. It is not about how long the girls did not have sex or how long he did not have sex. It is just a joke about how determined he is to fix a sexual encounter with one of the girls.


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## bearded

Ich verstehe, was Du meinst, JCK, aber indem Du schreibst ''fällig, _bevor..''_ gibst Du mir recht im Sinne der 'Zeit'.  Meine Bemerkung betraf im wesentlichen die Bedeutung von ''fällig'' als ''dringend an der Reihe'' o.ä.

Cross-posted with Kajjo:
 dann vielleicht ohne ''höchste''


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## Kajjo

bearded said:


> Bedeutung von ''fällig'' als ''dringend an der Reihe'' o.ä.


Yes, that's right, but the focus is not on the sequence of girls or the urgency any of the girls might feel, but about his urgency and determination to have any of these girls, no matter whom.

_I tell you, at least one of them is definetely in for sex. _


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## bearded

Kajjo said:


> his urgency and determination


 ok, I understand.


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## elroy

Kajjo said:


> I tell you, at least one of them is definetely in for sex.


 This is not very idiomatic and doesn’t express what you describe (urgency/determination).  Also, I’m still not sure why you insist on explicitating the reference to sex when it’s only implicit in the original.


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## Kajjo

bearded said:


> ok, I understand.


Maybe you get the connotation better when returning to the more figurative meaning of "fällig sein".

Literal meaning:
_
 Eine Rechnung ist fällig. An invoice is due.
_
More figurative meaning:
_
Wenn Lukas mich weiter schlecht macht, ist er fällig.
Meier ist wieder zu spät gekommen? Jetzt ist er fällig. 

If ... then I will take measures (fire him, beat him, have a row with him).
_
In our title phrase it is more about the figurative meaning, about the speaker's determination to do something. Of course, this is a joke. However, the figurative meaning contains the time aspect. It is about reaching a "due date", a "state of being due", a situation being as far developed that measures need to be taken.



elroy said:


> This is not very idiomatic


Please be so kind to phrase my sentence idiomatically, this time including the sexual intention. Just for me to learn how to phrase this idea in an idiomatic fashion, not as final suggestion of translating the title phrase.



elroy said:


> Also, I’m still not sure why you insist on explicitating the reference to sex when it’s only implicit in the original.


Well, in the German sentence the _implied_ sexual connotation is very clear and not hidden. I am not convinced that the English sentences so far are equally clear. But I agree with you that a phrase with only _implied_ sexual connotation would be a lot better. My translation was just supposed to make it clear that this is about sex. If your suggestion "_One of them is definitely up next."_ is as clear, then it is fine.


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## elroy

What does “nicht an den Weibern orientieren” mean here?


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## bearded

Kajjo said:


> In our title phrase it is more about the figurative meaning, about the speaker's determination to do something. Of course, this is a joke. However, the figurative meaning contains the time aspect. It is about reaching a "due date", a "state of being due", a situation being as far developed that measures need to be taken.


Very clear, thanks again.


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## Kajjo

elroy said:


> What does “nicht an den Weibern orientieren” mean here?





Lucik8 said:


> OLAF Nicht an den Weibern orientieren, Alter! Weitermachen! Komm!


Difficult without context. I guess, Stefan is too much showing-off, too much trying to impress the girls -- or he might simply not work hard and steadily enough and glance over to the girls instead, again and again. In the latter sense the phrase would be less idiomatic, but semantically it might fit better.


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## elroy

Another question: Why does _Stefan_ tell _Olaf_ not to be picky, when it’s _Stefan_ who says he’s going to have sex with one of the girls?  

I don’t really get the dialogue, which makes it hard to translate the “fällig” line idiomatically. More context would definitely help.


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## Kajjo

elroy said:


> More context would definitely help.


Definitely.



elroy said:


> Why does _Stefan_ tell _Olaf_ not to be picky, when it’s _Stefan_ who says he’s going to have sex with one of the girls?


I suppose, Olaf and Stefan have the same train of thought. Stefan says "eine ist fällig" and, without saying aloud, Olaf agrees and already thinks about which girl he might choose. Olaf's question "Welche denn?" is as much directed towards Stefan as towards himself, already rating the girls. Stefan keeps true to himself and wants any girl and recommends not to be picky: "Eine ist fällig", welche ist egal.


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## bearded

elroy said:


> Why does _Stefan_ tell _Olaf_ not to be picky, when it’s _Stefan_ who says he’s going to have sex with one of the girls?


Because Olaf asked ''welche denn?'' , I think. To Stefan, any girl is suitable (his 'eine' is an 'irgendeine').

Kajjo was quicker.


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