Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
dünn besaitet sein
English translation:
to be thin-skinned, high-strung, highly sensitive, touchy
Added to glossary by
Susan Welsh
Mar 26, 2015 18:21
9 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term
United States
Psychology, economics, politics
Native in: English 
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
dünn besaitet sein
German to English
Medical
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
A woman with cancer is trying to combat her lack of motivation, and says to herself: «Ich darf dünn besaitet sein.»
Thanks! I'm clueless here.
Thanks! I'm clueless here.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +4 | thin-skinned |
Sanni Kruger (X)
|
| 5 +2 | being highly sensitive |
Silke Walter
|
| 3 +3 | to be touchy |
gangels (X)
|
| 4 -1 | to be high(ly) strung |
Elani Koogle
|
| 3 | to fall apart |
Ramey Rieger (X)
|
| 3 | easily upset |
Usch Pilz
|
Change log
Mar 26, 2015 18:44: Steffen Walter changed "Field" from "Other" to "Medical" , "Field (specific)" from "General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters" to "Idioms / Maxims / Sayings"
Proposed translations
+4
12 hrs
Selected
thin-skinned
My immediate gut-reaction would be to translate it as "I can allow myself to be thin-skinned". It's the opposite of being thick-skinned. For instance, you would say in German that someone "ist nicht gerade zart/fein besaitet" when they mean that the person is thick-skinned.
Example sentence:
I can allow myself to be thin-skinned
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
EK Yokohama
: Silke.mentioned "dünnhäutig" as a synonym for "hart easiest" (at 21 mins.)
1 hr
|
|
thanks
|
|
| agree |
Gudrun Wolfrath
2 hrs
|
|
thanks
|
|
| agree |
mill2
4 hrs
|
|
thank you
|
|
| agree |
Johanna Timm, PhD
12 hrs
|
|
thank you
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks to Sanni and everybody. The contributions of "every right to..." and "can allow myself to..." from various people were also helpful to understand the whole sentence."
+2
2 mins
Silke Walter
Germany
Germany
Native in German
Germany
Dipl.-Angl., EN > GER, Translator (VÜD)
Native in: German (Variant: Germany)
Works in: English to German
being highly sensitive
Someone who has no defense mechanisms. Can easily be hurt, offended.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Ingeborg Gowans (X)
: wenn es "zartbesaitet" heissen sollte, w2rde das hier passen
1 hr
|
| agree |
Gudrun Wolfrath
15 hrs
|
-1
1 hr
to be high(ly) strung
If the text calls for a more idiomatic option.
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
gangels (X)
: that's nervös/unruhig. You can be nervous without being zart besaitet
57 mins
|
|
I would say that "high strung" means 'easily upset' and 'sensitive' as well as nervous. Just a thought. And a link to the definition: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-strung
|
+3
1 hr
to be touchy
every right to be touchy
That's one colloquialism to another
That's one colloquialism to another
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
BrigitteHilgner
14 mins
|
| agree |
Susanne Rindlisbacher
50 mins
|
| neutral |
Ramey Rieger (X)
: Hi Gangels. I fully agree with the 'every right' bit, but am not so sure about 'touchy'.
11 hrs
|
| agree |
franglish
11 hrs
|
| neutral |
Trans-Marie
: with Ramey
12 hrs
|
13 hrs
to fall apart
I have every right to fall apart
14 hrs
easily upset
one of many possibilities
Discussion
overreact
be hypersensitive
Touchy usually means easily offended, quick to bite. I'm not so sure it's appropriate here unles the text continues on to say just HOW she reacts. Does she cry easily? Snap at everyone?