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  3. Poetry & Literature

Sarà (essere)

English translation: Could be/Maybe/So they say/Possibly/Unlikely/Perhaps

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:Sarà (essere)
English translation:Could be/Maybe/So they say/Possibly/Unlikely/Perhaps
Entered by: Emil Mahmut

09:08 Oct 5, 2016
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / espressione d’incertezza, di dubbio sull’esistenza o sulla realtà di qualcosa
Italian term or phrase: Sarà (essere)
''Sarà'' - come espressione d’incertezza, di dubbio sull’esistenza o sulla realtà di qualcosa.

I got as far as ''whatever'', but I need something more formal and, ideally, with a pinch of irony.
Any suggestion would be much appreciated!
Emil Mahmut
Italy
Local time: 19:54
Could be/Maybe/So they say/Possibly/Unlikely/Perhaps
Explanation:
Etc.
Selected response from:

Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:54
Grading comment
Thanks again, Tom!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4Could be/Maybe/So they say/Possibly/Unlikely/Perhaps
Tom in London
4 +3Well, if they say so...
Roberto Impelluso
4Conceivably/imaginably/feasibly
Cedric Randolph
4Lets see !
Lara Barnett
4Can we be so sure? (informal=Yeh right!)
Lisa Jane
3Who knows
Linda Thody
2They may well have.
James (Jim) Davis
2So they did.
ChananZass


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Could be/Maybe/So they say/Possibly/Unlikely/Perhaps


Explanation:
Etc.

Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 155
Grading comment
Thanks again, Tom!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks, Tom! I like ''Possibly'' a lot.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cedric Randolph
6 mins
agree  MonicaZapparoli: I think Tom's options are good. Yet, I want to add that "Sarà" involves a negative idea. The speaker is trying to suggest that "It is possible but I dont' think It' s likely to be"
52 mins
agree  Helen Pringle: Monica's observation about the negative aspect is good
2 hrs
agree  Marzia Nicole Bucca
14 hrs
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Conceivably/imaginably/feasibly


Explanation:
you choose from this list or Tom's they are basically the same.

Cedric Randolph
Italy
Local time: 19:54
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 40
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks, Cedric!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tom in London: perhaps. :)
34 mins
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Who knows


Explanation:
Another alternative to add to those given by Tom and Cedric

Linda Thody
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Well, if they say so...


Explanation:
An alternative.

Roberto Impelluso
Italy
Local time: 19:54
Native speaker of: Italian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Fiona Grace Peterson: A typical British example, which means the exact opposite of what it says! :o)
45 mins
  -> Thank you Fiona. That's high praise indeed coming from you!
agree  Marzia Nicole Bucca
13 hrs
  -> Thank you Marzia!
agree  bluenoric
23 hrs
  -> Thank you bluenoric!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Lets see !


Explanation:
This is a phrase often used after describing somebody's actions, indicating that the speaker is a bit dubious about whether they will achieve what they want.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2016-10-05 10:41:50 GMT)
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The sense here is that one should wait for the future and how it may turn out, despite what is being claimed, as the result (of whatever the action is) may not be what is expected. There is a slight note of pessimism when it is used often. For example:

"Rumours that milk works out cheaper than protein supplements is a bit of a fallacy, agreed milk is a nutrient and protein dense beverage, however the assertion that milks ‘cost effectiveness’ is better than whey protein when meeting elevated protein requirements, is a little dubious.

Opinions are opinions, but lets see how they compare anyway…"

http://www.discount-supplements.co.uk/blog/supplement-food/

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2016-10-05 10:47:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

OR even:
"lets wait and see!"
or
"Well, lets wait and see.!"

" 'This card says he works for the Lord. How can anybody work for the Lord? That don't sound right to me. I don't think I trust him very much.' Bobby said.
'Well , lets wait and see. He may be alright..."
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=N5ZsCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA115&lp...

Lara Barnett
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:54
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36
1 corroborated select project
in this pair and field What is ProZ.com Project History(SM)?
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
They may well have.


Explanation:
Some have seen a criticism of our provincial hypocracy. They may well have.
If the fabricated context is extremely similar to the real context then this would work well. Otherwise it probably only works for the fabricated context.
Low certainty due to absence of context.

James (Jim) Davis
Seychelles
Local time: 21:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 130
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26 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Can we be so sure? (informal=Yeh right!)


Explanation:
The irony and meaning in the Italian is very similar to that in the informal expression.
You say you want something more formal, in that case you could use
Can we be (so) sure? Or
Are we sure about this?


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 27 mins (2016-10-05 09:36:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

This maintains the pinch of irony

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2016-10-05 12:15:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Also has the negative slant of the Italian expression. In fact the Italian is basically saying "well could be but I very much doubt it (it is unlikely to be true)or it is insignificant (they can say what they like but it doesn't make much difference). These ideas are also underlined by the sarcastic tone (and typical gestures)with which sara' is usually uttered.


Lisa Jane
Italy
Local time: 19:54
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 136
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2 days 4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
So they did.


Explanation:
Putin's answer to his foreign minister's plea: "But the U.N. asked us to pull out of Syria": "So they did."

ChananZass
Italy
Local time: 19:54
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in HebrewHebrew
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