Every language has its own unique expressions that gain popularity over time and become part of the cultural code. One such expression found in Russian is: “Baba s voza – kobyle legche.” This is a phraseological unit that indicates that the absence of a certain person can make a situation easier or less complicated. However, how to translate it into Ukrainian to preserve the essence and sound? Today, WomanEL reveals another secret of adaptive translation.
ContentLiteral translationAdapted variantsCultural contexts and expression variants
Literal translation
The easiest way to translate would be to use the expression literally: “A woman from a cart is easier for a mare.” However, this option may sound a little strange or not entirely natural to a Ukrainian listener. Therefore, let's turn to Ukrainian phraseologisms that retain the same idea.
The woman with the cart is easier for the horse: how to translate the Russian phrase into Ukrainian. Source: freepik.com
Adapted options
- “Like the woman with the cart, the horse is easier” is an adapted expression that sounds natural in the Ukrainian language, while retaining the basic idea that the absence of a certain person or element can make the situation easier.
- “The horse is lighter than the cart when the women have gotten off” is another adaptation that also uses the image of a cart and a horse, but with an emphasis on the changes that occur after “the woman has gotten off.” This reflects a situation where things have become easier after the absence of a certain person or burden.
- “If the woman is out of the cart, then the horse is not hard to pull” is a variant that emphasizes how the absence of a problematic person reduces the burden on others. The same meaning, but with the addition of a shade of relief for everyone.
Cultural contexts and expression variants
Folk sayings and proverbs often speak of liberation from burdensome circumstances, which not only reduces physical strain, but also eases the state of mind. For example, “who has no worries, therefore life is easier” or “easier without a heavy burden” can be consonant with the expression of relief due to the absence of an undesirable person or element.
There are many options for how to translate the Russian expression “Baba s vozu – kobyle legche” into Ukrainian. Each of them retains the idea of relief, which arises when the burdensome element disappears. Expressions adapted to Ukrainian culture give phraseologisms even greater expressiveness and naturalness, and allow you to convey the emotional connotation of relief in different contexts.
Earlier, we told you how to translate the Russian expression “Как аукнется, так и отключнется”: the best Ukrainian equivalents.
