# Come What May



## amerello

Hello everyone!

I'm in trouble for this: Come what may
Anyone can explain to me what does it means this expression?
I can't understand the sense of it!


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## SPQR

amerello said:


> Hello everyone!
> 
> I'm in trouble for this: Come what may
> Anyone can explain to me what does it means this expression?
> I can't understand the sense of it!


 
Come what may...
Whatever may come...
Whatever may come my way...
Whatever may happen to me...

The full sentence might help a little more.


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## Brian P

Sono nei guai per questo, non importa che succederà.


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## GavinW

amerello said:


> Hello everyone!
> 
> I'm in trouble for this: Come what may
> Anyone can explain to me what does it means this expression?
> I can't understand the sense of it!


 
Welcome to the forum!

I would translate your phrase as "Succeda quel che succeda" (is that how you write/say this phrase in Italian?).


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## amerello

Thank you!
Is quite like: "che sarà sarà"?
Anyway thank you


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## Saoul

Gavin's sentence "succeda quel che succeda" (yes that's how, Gavin! Good job) sounds more natural than Doris Day's "Che sarà, sarà!" which sounds a bit mocking to my ear.


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## Brian P

Saoul said:


> Gavin's sentence "succeda quel che succeda" (yes that's how, Gavin! Good job) sounds more natural than Doris Day's "Che sarà, sarà!" which sounds a bit mocking to my ear.


 
Ciao Saoul,

Scusami se ti correggo. Il nome della canzone che canta Doris Day è spagnolo, "Que Será Será".

Buon Anno!

Brian


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## Saoul

Si ma mutuato poi in Italiano, anche nel linguaggio di tutti i giorni con "Che sarà sarà!"

Buon anno anche a te!


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## Panpan

GavinW said:


> Welcome to the forum!
> 
> I would translate your phrase as "Succeda quel che succeda" (is that how you write/say this phrase in Italian?).


 
Puo dire invece 'Accada quel che accada' ?
Che una differenza?

Grazie
Panpan


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## Saoul

Panpan said:


> Puo dire invece 'Accada quel che accada' ?
> C'è una differenza?
> 
> Grazie
> Panpan



No, Panpan! Anche "accada quel che accada" va benissimo. Non c'è alcuna differenza.


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## Einstein

Senz'altro "succeda/accada quel che succeda" e non "che sarà sarà", che ha un altro significato.


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## Saoul

Un altro significato, dici? Io ho l'impressione che il significato sia più o meno lo stesso, ma che a "che sarà, sarà" manchi naturalezza.

Ho deciso. Stasera parlo con quella modella alta 2 metri che mi piace da due mesi. Succeda quel che succeda.

Basta. Oggi vado dal mio capo e gli chiedo l'aumento. Accada quel che accada.

Mi sono rotto di girare con un catorcio. Compro una macchina nuova anche se non ho tutti i soldi. Che sarà, sarà.

Ripeto: non riuscirei a sopprimere una risatina se dovessi sentire l'ultima, e probabilmente canticchierei la OST del famoso film, ma non colgo la sfumatura di cui parli. 

Cosa mi perdo?


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## Einstein

Nella canzone *Que Será Será* la mamma dice alla figlia di non preoccuparsi per il futuro, che non si può conoscere: "Whatever will be will be". "Come what may" dà più l'idea di una cosa che si deve assolutamente fare: "come what may, we must finish that job before we go home!" (qualunque cosa succeda...)
Ma forse c'è più differenza fra le frasi inglesi che non fra quelle italiane.


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## jennijenni

If you've seen the American movie, Moulin Rouge, you've probably heard the phrase, "Come What May," quite a bit.  It has the following meanings:

- No matter what...
- Whatever happens...
- Regardless of what happens...
- (literally) Whatever may come along...

This is not a particularly common phrase used by Americans, but I suppose we all know what it means.  It's most often used as part of a love song or love poem.

In the case of the song from Moulin Rouge, the lyrics are:
"Come what may... I will love you until my dying day."

You could easily rephrase this as:
"No matter what happens, I will love you until I die."

Despite what a few of the other posters have said, I would not agree that "come what may" means "que sera' sera'."  That has a very different meaning.  

Hope this helps!
Jenni
Tampa, Florida
Professional Writer


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## giovannino

What about the original quote, "I'm in trouble for this, come what may"? Doesn't it sound a bit odd? "Succeda quel che succeda" is used exactly as in Saoul's examples, i.e. after stating you are going to do something, to emphasize that you are not worried about possible negative consequences. "I'm in trouble" is a state, not an action. I would never say "Sono nei guai, succeda quel che succeda". What I might say is "comunque vadano le cose, mi troverò nei guai"(which of course means something else).
Does anybody agree?


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## DAH

amerello said:


> I'm in trouble for this: Come what may.


You have to consider the source: There is an illogical connection between these two sentences. If I were indeed in trouble and nonchalant about the consquences, then what could I have done? 

Possible scenario: I cheated on my girlfriend and she'll be mad, but I don't really care if she quits our relationship or won't give me any sex for awhile: come what may? 

Possible scenario: I've robbed the liquor store: come what may?


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## giovannino

DAH said:


> Possible scenario: I cheated on my girlfriend and she'll be mad, but I don't really care if she quits our relationship or won't give me any sex for awhile: come what may?
> 
> Possible scenario: I've robbed the liquor store: come what may?


 
That's what I mean - in Italian I would only use "succeda quel che succeda" to refer to the possible consequences of something I haven't done yet, as in Saoul's examples.

Gli dirò tutta la verità, succeda quel che succeda

Can you use "come what may" to refer to the results of past actions? I thought it was used in much the same way as "succeda quel che succeda".


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## WindDust

Wow, I've learned a lot on this one! 
Making kind of a direct translation, and knowing it only from "Moulin Rouge" I thought it was meaning something like :
"COME (to me (for example) ) whatever may happen" I didn't think once that "COME" didn't have its usual sense at all and that the whole sentence was meaning "Whatever happens"
Thanks )


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## Nicholas the Italian

Nel caso di azioni passate userei "succeda quel che deve succedere".
Gli ho detto la verità, ora succeda quel che deve succedere.


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## cas29

The original example..."I'm in trouble for this: come what may" isn't a typical use of come what may. In fact, it sounds quite wrong to me.


Che serà serà is what will be will be,.... we have no control over the future.
Come what may .... is "no matter what"... I'll face all the problems, no matter what.

This has all been said above, but it seems no one noticed  .


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## giovannino

cas29 said:


> The original example..."I'm in trouble for this: come what may" isn't a typical use of come what may. In fact, it sounds quite wrong to me


 
Thank you for confirming that. I thought it sounded a bit odd




> Che serà serà is what will be will be,.... we have no control over the future.
> Come what may .... is "no matter what"... I'll face all the problems, no matter what.


 
So "come what may" is indeed used mostly in conjunction with sentences in the future. Thank you, cas29.


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## Necsus

I have some more suggestions for you:
"vada come vada";
"qualunque cosa accada";
and maybe "caschi il mondo", in some cases.


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## amerello

excuse me but I used "I'm in trouble" to say that I really was in trouble with these sentence!!!  

maybe I wasn't too clear, but this is my english! 

Thank you all for helping me!

bye bye


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## cas29

Amerello--- I'm sorry for the misunderstanding.
If I may ....?

To help you :

If you are in trouble "for" something, it means you did something and because of it you will suffer a negative consequence.

teenager: I'm in trouble for staying out after midnight.

"I have trouble with this" means there is a problem with a situation/thing/person.

Mother:  I have trouble with this teenager! She always stays out too late.


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## jennijenni

Ah, I had understood that in the original text "I'm in trouble for this," Amerello simply meant "I'm having trouble with this phrase" but didn't know how to phrase that in the original question.


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## amerello

oh, thank you cas29!
I didn't know this...
there is ever something to learn!
and How can I say what I meant?

JEnnijenni I can't understand what do you mean there:"but didn't know how to phrase that in the original question."
Significa: "non sapevo com'era la frase che era nella domanda iniziale"?
if yes I can't understand what do you mean in the entire post!

bye 
amerello


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## Nicholas the Italian

amerello said:


> JEnnijenni I can't understand what do you mean there:





jennijenni said:


> Ah, I had understood that in the original text "I'm in trouble for this," Amerello simply meant "I'm having trouble with this phrase" but [he] didn't know how to phrase that in the original question.


Ah, avevo capito che nel post iniziale con "I'm in trouble for this" Amerello voleva semplicemente dire "I'm having trouble with this phrase" ma non sapeva come esprimerlo nella sua domanda originale.
That's my guess


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## amerello

So if I understand in the original post I have had to write:
I'm in trouble with this sentence... is correct?


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## TrentinaNE

Dovresti dire: "I'm having trouble with this sentence." Oppure "I need help with this sentence."

Un'altra cosa: si dice "Is that correct?" In inglese ci vuole sempre un soggetto (sostantivo o pronome). In questo caso, è più comune dire "Is *that* correct?" invece di "Is *it* correct?"  

Ciao!
Elisabetta


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## Nicholas the Italian

TrentinaNE said:


> Dovresti dire: ...
> Un'altra cosa: ...


Nulla da ridire sull' "I have had to write"? 

Edit: Per esempio un "I had to write" o "I should have written"...


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## jennijenni

amerello said:


> oh, thank you cas29!
> 
> JEnnijenni I can't understand what do you mean there:"but didn't know how to phrase [SAY THAT IN ENGLISH] that in the original question."
> Significa: "non sapevo com'era la frase che era nella domanda iniziale"?
> if yes I can't understand what do you mean in the entire post!


 
My Italian isn't very good, but yes, I believe that's right.  See clarification in red above.


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## cecil

giovannino said:


> Thank you for confirming that. I thought it sounded a bit odd
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So "come what may" is indeed used mostly in conjunction with sentences in the future. Thank you, cas29.


 
"I told the truth, come what may" is quite ok in American English. But more likely one would say, "I told the truth and I don't care what happens."

cecil


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## Parergon

My translation is rather casual, not literal since it is not supposed to be an informal document. However, I need your help of the part in bold. How would you translate it? Thank you in advance! 


But, clearly, it becomes a lucrative bandwagon for many to jump on – so they justify it all, *come what may.*

Ma chiaramente (esso) diviene un affare lucrativo per tanti – cosi tutto viene giustificato, .... ?


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## k_georgiadis

What about _qualunque cosa avvenga_?


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## giovannino

Forse: "senza preoccuparsi delle conseguenze"?


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## Parergon

Is it a fixed form?


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## k_georgiadis

If you are asking about "come what may," yes, it is a standard expression. 

"Come what may, I am leaving for London tomorrow" = whatever happens, I am leaving!


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## Parergon

Many thanks!


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## papi

'...sia quel che sia!'   

Laura


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## Necsus

From OP:
_come what may_, accada quel che accada.


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## stella_maris_74

Magari anche "Cascasse il mondo...", per lo meno in alcuni contesti.
_Cascasse il mondo, domani andrò a quel concerto!_

Ciao 

dani


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## Necsus

> But, clearly, it becomes a lucrative bandwagon for many to jump on – so they justify it all, *come what may.*


Be', nella frase in oggetto forse direi più, in alternativa, qualcosa come _in_ _un modo o nell'altro_, o _bene o male_, o più colloquialmente _di riffa o di raffa_.


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## stella_maris_74

Necsus said:


> Be', nella frase in oggetto forse direi più, in alternativa, qualcosa come _in_ _un modo o nell'altro_, o _bene o male_, o più colloquialmente _di riffa o di raffa_.



Sono perfettamente d'accordo 

dani


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## giovannino

Necsus said:


> Be', nella frase in oggetto forse direi più, in alternativa, qualcosa come _in_ _un modo o nell'altro_, o _bene o male_, o più colloquialmente _di riffa o di raffa_.


 
Sentiamo anche i madrelingua, ma non mi sembra che _come what may _possa intendersi in questo senso.
_In un modo o nell'altro _dovrebbe corrispondere a _one way or the other, _che è diverso da _come what may._


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