# Swedish: men han rör ju på sig



## heavenbside

*"Ja. Men han rör ju på sig."*​​**​​*Please, could anyone translate this sentence into Enlgish?  I tried in Google translation, it said, "Yes. But he touches on the course itself." *​​*I don't think I can get that. *​​


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## Sepia

heavenbside said:


> *"Ja. Men han rör ju på sig."*​
> 
> 
> *Please, could anyone translate this sentence into Enlgish? I tried in Google translation, it said, "Yes. But he touches on the course itself." *​
> 
> *I don't think I can get that. *​


 

Computer translations are good for a laugh, nothing more.

It means:

Yes. But he is moving.


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## Södertjej

Well, röra can be both touch or move, so Google wasn't all wrong. However, where it got "course" from is a mystery.


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## hanne

From "ju" ~ "of course" I guess...

Computer translations are usually not "all wrong" - but they very often choose the wrong translation when several are available - which is why they're good for a laugh and not much more .


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## Wilma_Sweden

This reminds me of an old classic sketch where this line is included and  makes perfect sense, something like this:

A: Är det inte Fingal Olsson som sitter där borta?
B: Nej, han är död.
A: Ja men, han rör ju på sig!

(Isn't that Fingal Olsson sitting over there?
No, he's dead.
Oh, but he's moving!)

The sketch is a lot longer and much more amusing when spoken. I guess the point I want to make is that context usually makes a difference and, as has been pointed out time and time again - Google Translate is usually pretty useless for Swedish translations!

/Wilma


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## Södertjej

hanne said:


> From "ju" ~ "of course" I guess...


ju= Of course... but how "of course" becomes "the course" is a bit more mysterious.


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## heavenbside

All of you guys, you saved me!

THANX!!


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## Sepia

Wilma_Sweden said:


> This reminds me of an old classic sketch where this line is included and makes perfect sense, something like this:
> 
> A: Är det inte Fingal Olsson som sitter där borta?
> B: Nej, han är död.
> A: Ja men, han rör ju på sig!
> 
> (Isn't that Fingal Olsson sitting over there?
> No, he's dead.
> Oh, but he's moving!)
> 
> The sketch is a lot longer and much more amusing when spoken. I guess the point I want to make is that context usually makes a difference and, as has been pointed out time and time again - Google Translate is usually pretty useless for Swedish translations!
> 
> /Wilma


 

I was just thinking ot that one - except the version I know was played by Dirk Passer (who added a lot more to the story) and the guy they were talking about was Urban Olsen (former mayor of Copenhagen).


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## hanne

Dirch Passer.

*going off to look for that number...*

[edit]Just googled: in case anyone cares to know, the Swedish version is the original (by Hasse Alfredson).[/edit]


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## basslop

The story is originally Swedish, isn't it? I remember it with the great Swedish comedian Martin Ljung. It is a classic one together with "Ester", among others.


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## Josefin

_Ja. Men han rör ju på sig =_ Yes, but he's moving.


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## Sepia

basslop said:


> The story is originally Swedish, isn't it? I remember it with the great Swedish comedian Martin Ljung. It is a classic one together with "Ester", among others.


 

Danes borrow a lot of stuff from the Swedes - and especially the comedian I mentioned even borrowed a lot of stuff from others. And Copenhagen being so close to Sweden ... So I wouldn't wonder if the joke is originally Swedish. At least it is very compatible to Swedish mentality, I'd say.


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## TSM

I can't see that anyone has explained what's funny with this joke!
Must be very hard for a non-Swede to understand it. It is hard even
to explain it! So, I'll do it then....

Bold letters = word or sentence stress

*rö*ra = touch
*rö*ra sig = move

*rö*ra på sig (sentence stress only on first syllable in 'röra') = move, move around

Example: 
Vi kanske ska *rö*ra på oss? = Shall we take a walk? or: Perhaps it's time to go now(?)

What's funny then? Well, in this sketch, Fingal Olsson is said to be dead, but how can he, when he is moving! That's a little funny. But that's not all.

Here is the funny-booster:

There is a Swedish expression
"göra *på* sig" (sentence stress only on på)
which means "wet your pants"

By using the stress pattern in "göra *på* sig" in "röra *på* sig" (which should proprerly be pronounced "*rö*ra på sig"), the mischievous association to incontinentia appears for every native Swedish-speaking person. Perhaps everyone isn't even aware of the association, but the stress pattern intensifies the humerous effect anyway: "Men han rör ju *på* sig."


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## Södertjej

I don't think you have to speak Swedish to understand.

...
-No, he's dead.
-No, he's not, he's moving.

I don't think it's funnier because of the change in the stress.


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## basslop

... and one very important matter with stories like this: The way it is told. good storytellers, like Martin Ljung, can not be explained. They has to be seen.


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## TSM

Södertjej said:


> I don't think you have to speak Swedish to understand.
> 
> ...
> -No, he's dead.
> -No, he's not, he's moving.
> 
> I don't think it's funnier because of the change in the stress.


 
I personally don't think it's very funny either.  It doesn't change the fact that what is perceived as hilarious by many people in this sketch is the erroneous stress, which is purposely chosen to allude to the association I just described.  But it is a subtlety, so you can miss it.  Like you did.


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## hanne

I must admit that I find the joke _better_, without your little "twist".
In the Danish version it doesn't have that twist, and I find it works very well. It's simple and to the point; a plain statement of facts (with the point being the shift of who "he" is referring to). In the Swedish version you start introducing things that aren't really happening, which just makes the whole thing absurd. I'd like to hear if the others agree that this "twist" is really considered the main point.

(and, btw, Södertjej didn't say she didn't find it funny, so watch your quotes )


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## Södertjej

Precis, som Hanne säger sa jag bara att jag inte tycker att det blir rolig*are* av det du säger jag missar. Jag misstänker att det är nog inte bara jag som "missar" det, faktiskt.


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