Feb 14, 2013 15:40
11 yrs ago
français term

il n'avait qu'à

Non-PRO français vers anglais Autre Général / conversation / salutations / correspondance
From a transcript of spoken French. A woman is giving an account of arguments that she had with her boss. I just don't understand this construction:

"Je lui ai dit qu'il n'avait qu'à me licencier et il m'a répondu qu'..."

My guess is "I told him that all he had to do was fire me and he replied..."
But I'm really unsure about the "all he had to do was fire me" bit

Thanks in advance!
Change log

Feb 14, 2013 17:19: Nikki Scott-Despaigne changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"

Feb 15, 2013 03:34: Yolanda Broad changed "Term asked" from "il n\'avait qu\'a" to "il n\'avait qu\'à"

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (3): Catharine Cellier-Smart, Carol Gullidge, Nikki Scott-Despaigne

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Discussion

Paul Hirsh Feb 15, 2013:
Imogen, I didn't see your guess before putting my answer down, word for word the same as yours!
writeaway Feb 14, 2013:
your 'guess'??? surely you aren't just guessing? No need to guess-and yes your 'attempt/suggestion' is perfectly fine. No real need to change it.
@Imogen Oui, votre interprétation est correcte.
Carol Gullidge Feb 14, 2013:
what DID he reply? More context will show whether your (on the face of it, perfectly reasonable) suggestion is the right one
Catherine De Crignis Feb 14, 2013:
Your understanding Imogen is correct and this is what I was going to suggest, until I realised you had done so yourself.
Matt Stewart Feb 14, 2013:
Seems fine to me.

Proposed translations

+3
17 heures
Selected

(I told him to) go ahead and

Go ahead...make my day! :-D
Example sentence:

I told him to go ahead and fire me then, and he replied...

Peer comment(s):

agree Carol Gullidge : sounds natural.
58 minutes
Thanks Carol.
agree emiledgar : natural
1 heure
Thanks emiledgar.
agree Paul Hirsh
2 jours 9 heures
Thanks Paul.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "This sounded natural to me too, thank you."
+13
36 minutes
français term (edited): il n'avait qu'a

all he had to do was

or "he could just/simply fire me
Note from asker:
thanks
Peer comment(s):

agree FoundInTrans : for sure
9 minutes
thanks!
agree Ingeborg Gowans (X) : absolutely
10 minutes
thanks!
agree Verginia Ophof
35 minutes
thanks!
agree Nikki Scott-Despaigne
1 heure
thanks!
agree kashew
1 heure
thanks!
agree guillaumeratel
2 heures
thanks!
agree Jean-Claude Gouin
3 heures
thanks!
agree Wolf Draeger : He could just fire me, then.
4 heures
thanks!
agree ACOZ (X)
7 heures
thanks!
agree David Hollywood : bien soeur
9 heures
thanks!
agree Michele Fauble
13 heures
thanks!
agree Louisa Tchaicha
15 heures
thanks!
agree James Perry
17 heures
Something went wrong...
+4
1 heure
français term (edited): il n'avait qu'a

(I said ) why didn't he fire me then

I think your formulation is fine, but this was just another idea that came to mind. It seemed a bit more like something one might say in the heat of an argument (albeit with one's boss!)
Note from asker:
Good alternative, thanks
thanks
Peer comment(s):

agree Jane F : it sounds authentic!
2 minutes
Thanks Jane :-)
agree Matt Stewart
10 minutes
Thanks Matt :-)
agree ACOZ (X)
7 heures
Thanks ACOZ :-)
agree Carol Gullidge : this also sounds natural
1 jour 1 heure
Thanks Carol :-)
Something went wrong...
1 heure
français term (edited): il n\'avait qu\'a

he just had to

An alternative although my peers' suggestions are perfectly fine.

""Je lui ai dit qu'il n'avait qu'à me licencier et il m'a répondu qu'..."

"I told him he just had to fire (US)/sack (UK) me / make me redundant..."

Obviously the translation of "licencier" depends on the context i.e. is it "dismiss" for gross misconduct or "make redundant" for financial reasons.
Note from asker:
thanks
Something went wrong...
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