# Veni,vidi,vici: Incorrect translation into Slavic languages



## Diaspora

I looked up the translated phrase of Veni, Vidi, Vici into Serbo-Croatian and it is translated as Dođoh, Vidjeh, Pobijedih, is this a correct translation, the originial Latin is in Perfect tense and I'm not sure if the verbs are exactly right. What is this phrase in other Slavic languages?


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## sokol

Interesting question. 

I *think *the *Polish *version of Wiki: "przybyłem, zobaczyłem, zwyciężyłem" has all perfective verbs, and with Polish only having one past tense this would match Latin perfect tense the best possible way.

Same is true for *Russian *Wiki: "пришёл, увидел, победил".

(I don't know the Slovene version but it should be essentially the same.)

Thing is that only BCS, Macedonian and Bulgarian have the luxury of possibly translating that one incorrectly (imperfect should be incorrect for sure, about aorist I am not sure, probably a translation to aorist could be appropriate).


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## Athaulf

Diaspora said:


> I looked up the translated phrase of Veni, Vidi, Vici into Serbo-Croatian and it is translated as Dođoh, Vidjeh, Pobijedih, is this a correct translation, the originial Latin is in Perfect tense and I'm not sure if the verbs are exactly right.



Yes, that's correct: _"Dođoh, vidjeh, pobijedih."

_


sokol said:


> Thing is that only BCS, Macedonian and Bulgarian have the luxury of possibly translating that one incorrectly (imperfect should be incorrect for sure, about aorist I am not sure, probably a translation to aorist could be appropriate).



The phrase is customarily translated with aorist. It would be perfectly grammatical in the perfect tense too, but it would lose some of its epic feeling.


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## Azori

*Slovak*: Prišiel som, videl som, zvíťazil som.


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## Kanes

*Bulgarian:* дойдох, видях, завладях


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## iobyo

*Macedonian:* Дојдов, видов, победив.


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## TriglavNationalPark

*Slovenian:* Prišel, videl, zmagal.

Probably for stylistic reasons, "sem" is almost always omitted from this phrase, although it would be included in most other contexts. (Without "sem", it's unclear whether the l-participles are referring to the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person masculine.)


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## xpictianoc

I see that in SCB is used aorist


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## texpert

Czech: Přišel jsem, (u)viděl jsem, zvítězil jsem.


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## Diaspora

I see most versions have the word prišel, in BCS it would be priđoh (1.person singular aorist) from the infinitive prići (to come and stop just before reaching your destination)but the word dođoh from infinitve doći(to come and stop at your destination) is always used in this phrase.

As for the second word in BCS it is impossible to add -u to vidjeti unlike in Czech and Russian.

The third word pobijedih from pobijediti means "I won". Is this in line with other languages?

As for the tense, I never heard the Perfect used for this phrase even though the Perfect is used as a general past especially in northern Croatia.


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## Duya

TriglavNationalPark said:


> *Slovenian:* Prišel, videl, zmagal.
> 
> Probably for stylistic reasons, "sem" is almost always omitted from this phrase, although it would be included in most other contexts. (Without "sem", it's unclear whether the l-participles are referring to the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person masculine.)



Such "rump" perfect is also often used in BCS for narration, (including verses) and in newspaper titles. If it were translated with perfect, the phrase would read "došao, video, pobedio" (without "sam"). In my opinion, the extra syllables involved (due to l->o transition) would totally ruin the rhythm.



Diaspora said:


> As for the tense, I never heard the Perfect used for this phrase even though the Perfect is used as a general past especially in northern Croatia.



Because it's a set phrase; if you change the tense, you might even not be immediately understood. And I don't see what's wrong with aorist; you don't have to (and often even can't) translate tenses between languages. As Athaulf said, aorist has a certain epic flavor and it nicely flows. I don't see any change in meaning.


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## Kanes

Isn't the original last word conquered though? I saw most of you writing won instead. Also in all other languages so far it is in present perfect?


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## TriglavNationalPark

Kanes said:


> Isn't the original last word conquered though? I saw most of you writing won instead. Also in all other languages so far it is in present perfect?



In Slovenian at least, the word *premagati* (= to conquer, to defeat) is transitive (i.e. it requires a direct object), so *zmagati* (= to win) makes more sense in this context.

The only other option I can think of is *osvojiti* (= to conquer), but this refers specifically to conquering territory, so it wouldn't really work in this context either.

Slovenian has just one past tense, which is what you see here.


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## Aquatarkus

In Ukrainian: "Прийшов, побачив, переміг".


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## BezierCurve

> I *think *the *Polish *version of Wiki: "przybyłem, zobaczyłem, zwyciężyłem" has all perfective verbs, and with Polish only having one past tense this would match Latin perfect tense the best possible way.


Yes, you're absolutely right. They're all put in their perfective aspect, which usually corresponds with perfect tenses in other languages.


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## Коста

Either _conquered_ or _won _is correct. The Latin word in question is *vinco, vici, victum*:to _conquer, overcome, master, win, surpass, excel. _


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## RazzleDazzle88

Дойдох, видях, победих. In Bulgarian


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