O seu + first name

English translation: Mr. + first name

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Portuguese term or phrase:O seu + prenome
English translation:Mr. + first name
Entered by: Oliver Simões

21:38 Jul 20, 2018
Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / Conversation
Portuguese term or phrase: O seu + first name
Standardized test to assess developmental delays, etc.

Brazilian Portuguese

Lá está o seu João

Does this mean something like "There's Mr. João"?

Or something else entirely?

Thanks for your help! Sorry about lack of accents, etc.
Roxane Dow
United States
Local time: 08:15
Mr. + first name
Explanation:
Even though honorific titles are not normally used with a given name in English, they are in Brazilian Portuguese and, according to this discussion thread, they are also used in the southern United States.
https://dicionariocriativo.com.br/analogico/elevação_moral/a...

Clearly, languages are not monolithic (thank God), and there can always be exceptions to the rule. This seems to be a case in point. Now, using another example, who in the US never heard of "Dr. Ruth", described by Wikipedia as "a fixture in late-night television and a major pop culture figure as a sex therapist, media personality, and author"? Prescriptive grammar says we must call her Dr. Westheimer, but that's not how she's known to most people.

In short, I favor using the honorific (Mr.) to show that this is a cultural marker (even though it's not often used in English. By omitting the title, we are also omitting a part of the source culture!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2018-07-20 23:00:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Driving Miss Daisy" is a good example of what we are talking about:
https://youtu.be/TQ3wXC5jqKE

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 1 hr (2018-07-21 23:29:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

PS: When I say "omitting part of the source-culture", I mean the information that is conveyed by the term "seu" (short for "o senhor"), an honorific that encapsulates reverence and respect for an older man, a man of a higher rank, and which can sometimes be used facetiously and sarcastically, such as when an adult refers to a boy as "o senhor". Example: "Onde o senhor deixou o seu brinquedo?" (Mister, where did you leave your toy?).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 3 hrs (2018-07-23 01:23:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Adding my discussion comment with a little twist:

Another option is to keep the term in Portuguese with a footnote. Here's an example, my translation of a passage of "Sagarana" by Guimarães Rosa. It may contain errors, as it has not been revised/proofread: http://masterportuguesetranslator.com/samples/literary-trans...
Selected response from:

Oliver Simões
United States
Local time: 05:15
Grading comment
Thank you! Since this is a back translation, I opted for including "Mr." Also, I know this construction is widely used in the South in the U.S.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3Omit
Muriel Vasconcellos
4 +2Mr. (name)
Gilmar Fernandes
4 +1Mr. + first name
Oliver Simões


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Mr. (name)


Explanation:
You've got it right.

http://ionepinheiro.com.br/index.php/component/k2/item/287-s...

A língua portuguesa se altera constantemente. Novas expressões surgem e são adequadas à realidade de quem faz uso do idioma. Um exemplo é a palavra Seu, que equivale ao axiônimo Senhor. Chamar uma pessoa pela qual se tem respeito e, ao mesmo tempo, carinho de Seu Manoel, por exemplo, não é incorreto. Trata-se apenas de uma maneira informal de se reportar a ela. Tampouco é errado escrever Seu Manoel, além do que é facultativo o uso de caixa baixa ou alta. O que não pode é botar aspas, como neste exemplo: Olá, "Seu" Moacir!

Portanto, fique à vontade! Tanto Senhor como Seu são completamente aceitáveis na linguagem coloquial. Está, inclusive, no Aurélio.

Seu. (De senhor.) S. m. 1. Equivale ao axiônimo senhor (Sr.), vindo claro o nome da pessoa, ou a outro axiônimo, ou palavra designativa de profissão, etc. “Seu Acrísio, jogador e quase cego, … tenteava degraus e portas com o cajado.” (Graciliano Ramos, Infância, p. 51);

Gilmar Fernandes
United States
Local time: 08:15
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 103

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Matheus Chaud
1 hr
  -> Thanks Matheus :)

agree  Mario Freitas:
19 hrs
  -> Valeu, Mário :) Um bom FDS.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Omit


Explanation:
It's an honorific that we would not use in English.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 1 hr (2018-07-22 23:14:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I am adding my discussion comment above to this answer:

Since the context is a comprehension test, the main purpose is so find out if the testee understands the term. Perhaps a note could be added that any of the following three forms would be acceptable: 'Seu João', 'Mr. João' (which I personally don't like), or omitting it entirely.

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 05:15
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 100

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Antonio Tomás Lessa do Amaral
9 hrs
  -> Thank you!

neutral  Mario Freitas: It's commonly used to refer to older people in the countryside. It could be omitted, but using "Mr" may keep the respectful tone.
20 hrs
  -> Hi Mario, I'm aware of that usage. In Virginia, we called our older neighbor 'Mr. Leo'.. But it's an oddity in English; definitely a localism. It would sound very strange in standard English. In translation theory, we aspire for the "dynamic equivalent."

agree  Tim Friese
2 days 1 hr
  -> Thank you, Tim!

agree  Richard Purdom: apply the K.I.S.S. principle to a test on assessing developmental delays. it's hardly Mark Twain!
2 days 18 hrs
  -> Thanks, Richard!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Mr. + first name


Explanation:
Even though honorific titles are not normally used with a given name in English, they are in Brazilian Portuguese and, according to this discussion thread, they are also used in the southern United States.
https://dicionariocriativo.com.br/analogico/elevação_moral/a...

Clearly, languages are not monolithic (thank God), and there can always be exceptions to the rule. This seems to be a case in point. Now, using another example, who in the US never heard of "Dr. Ruth", described by Wikipedia as "a fixture in late-night television and a major pop culture figure as a sex therapist, media personality, and author"? Prescriptive grammar says we must call her Dr. Westheimer, but that's not how she's known to most people.

In short, I favor using the honorific (Mr.) to show that this is a cultural marker (even though it's not often used in English. By omitting the title, we are also omitting a part of the source culture!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2018-07-20 23:00:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Driving Miss Daisy" is a good example of what we are talking about:
https://youtu.be/TQ3wXC5jqKE

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 1 hr (2018-07-21 23:29:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

PS: When I say "omitting part of the source-culture", I mean the information that is conveyed by the term "seu" (short for "o senhor"), an honorific that encapsulates reverence and respect for an older man, a man of a higher rank, and which can sometimes be used facetiously and sarcastically, such as when an adult refers to a boy as "o senhor". Example: "Onde o senhor deixou o seu brinquedo?" (Mister, where did you leave your toy?).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 3 hrs (2018-07-23 01:23:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Adding my discussion comment with a little twist:

Another option is to keep the term in Portuguese with a footnote. Here's an example, my translation of a passage of "Sagarana" by Guimarães Rosa. It may contain errors, as it has not been revised/proofread: http://masterportuguesetranslator.com/samples/literary-trans...

Example sentence(s):
  • Ruth Westheimer (born June 4, 1928), better known as Dr. Ruth, is a German-born, Jewish immigrant to the United States...
  • Is it correct to use Mr/Mrs with a first name? -- This is very common and proper in the southern United States.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Westheimer
    https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/53945/can-mr-mrs-etc-be-used-with-a-first-name
Oliver Simões
United States
Local time: 05:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 56
Grading comment
Thank you! Since this is a back translation, I opted for including "Mr." Also, I know this construction is widely used in the South in the U.S.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marilia Sette Câmara
12 hrs
  -> Thank you, Marília.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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