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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

mal de terre

English translation: dizzy

11:05 May 30, 2019
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
French term or phrase: mal de terre
Hello! This consists of spoken French by a trainer who is going through an exercise test with someone.

Là, je vais vous faire juste descendre du tapis, faites attention en descendant
parce que vous allez avoir un peu le mal de terre.

I'm not sure what 'mal de terre' means here (I know 'mal de mer' is seasickness). Does it mean 'be careful as you get off the mat as you will feel a bit wobbly'???
Thanks for any help.
Christine Birch
United Kingdom
English translation:dizzy
Explanation:
I am assuming that they are getting off a treadmill. They may feel somewhat dizzy, unbalanced.
Selected response from:

Marco Solinas
Local time: 23:22
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +7dizzy
Marco Solinas
3 +5unsteady (on your feet)
Barbara Cochran, MFA
4 +2feel a little / a bit off-balance
Tony M
4 +1landsick
Victoria Britten
4unbalanced/disoriented
Lara Barnett


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +7
dizzy


Explanation:
I am assuming that they are getting off a treadmill. They may feel somewhat dizzy, unbalanced.

Marco Solinas
Local time: 23:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 41

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jennifer White: seems to me to be the most sensible solution.
56 mins
agree  Sonia Geerlings
57 mins
agree  writeaway: Imo this is a safe bet I think asker's 'wobbly' is also ok
59 mins
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: I think asker's "wobbly" is more idiomatic
1 hr
neutral  Barbara Cochran, MFA: "Dizzy", to me, implies some kind of sickness. chemical imbalance, or virus is afflicting the person.
1 hr
agree  Louise TAYLOR: Dizzy or wobbly.
1 hr
agree  AllegroTrans: "diziness" as the source word is a noun
3 hrs
agree  James A. Walsh
3 hrs
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57 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
landsick


Explanation:
It does exist, honest!

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Note added at 59 mins (2019-05-30 12:05:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Obviously, the direct translation of "mal de terre" would be "landsickness"; however, it would be more idiomatic in this case to say "you're going to feel a bit landsick", than * "you're going to feel some landsickness"


    https://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/neurological-conditions/landsickness.htm
Victoria Britten
France
Local time: 08:22
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 31

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Philippa Smith
9 mins
  -> Thanks, Philippa
neutral  Jennifer White: Yes, it does exist, but not common usage in the UK.
24 mins
  -> Nor indeed is "mal de terre" in France (except maybe in sailing communities); however, both are easily understandable
neutral  AllegroTrans: It exists but I have never heard it used
2 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
unsteady (on your feet)


Explanation:
Another option.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-05-30 12:32:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"a bit unsteady"

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 02:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M
15 mins
  -> Merci, Tony.
agree  Ph_B (X): As you would say "Steady!" when someone is about to lose their balance.
32 mins
  -> Thanks, Ph_B.
agree  AllegroTrans: "unsteadiness" if a noun is needed
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, AllegroTrans.
agree  Yolanda Broad
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, Yolanda.
agree  GILLES MEUNIER
2 days 21 hrs
  -> Merci, GILOU
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
avoir un peu le mal de terre
feel a little / a bit off-balance


Explanation:
Just offering another, pretty idiomatic alternative to the good suggestions already made.

Tony M
France
Local time: 08:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 348

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yolanda Broad
17 mins
  -> Thanks, Yolanda!
agree  Barbara Cochran, MFA: Also a good option.
20 mins
  -> Thanks, Barbara!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
unbalanced/disoriented


Explanation:
I am sure that this does not actually mean simply feeling sickness or not feeling well. I think it refers to something more.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2019-05-30 19:42:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In this context, these terms do not relate to either "mental" or "geographical" uses of the words, therefore there is no reason for them to be interpreted as such.

Example sentence(s):
  • "Treadmill dizziness can continue or even increase after you exit the treadmill. Your body becomes DISORIENTED because you're still moving, but the ground isn't moving underneath you."

    https://www.livestrong.com/article/304107-dizzy-treadmill/
    https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19918717/your-workout-tips/
Lara Barnett
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 42

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Jennifer White: unbalanced = emotionally disturbed. Not suitable here./unbalanced /ʌnˈbalənst/ adjective adjective: unbalanced 1. (of a person) emotionally or mentally disturbed. "she considered him to be mentally unbalanced and dangerous" synonyms: unstable, of unsound
1 hr
  -> .."unbalanced" can be used to refer to physical objects/beings. Link explains how "mentally unbalanced" is just "Another way" to use it./ "If your weight on a surfboard is unbalanced, you risk falling off." https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/unbalanced
neutral  Tony M: I can only agree with Jennifer and Barbara: neither of these terms is really ideal in the specific context given here.
6 hrs
  -> Thanks 4 comment. I am happy with that, but in my experience both these terms can be used outside geographical and mental contexts.// I agree with the psychological use of these terms, but having trained in dance for many years, they were regularly used.
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