we will see whose words will fulfill

mrmvp

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
United Arab Emirates
Current Location
United Arab Emirates
we will see whose words will fulfill.

The word " words" in this context mean "command."

The sentence is a literal translation from Arabic language.

In a situation in which two people are arguing.

A says : I will go or do something.

B says : No, you will not do or leave. ( B challenging A and added we will see whose words, command or opinion will happen.

Is there a idiom or expression that represent the given example?
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
"We will see whose words will fulfill."

The word "words" in this context means "command." The sentence is a literal translation from Arabic. language.

It would/might be used in a situation in which two people are arguing.

A: says: I will go or do something. (This is a very unnatural sentence. No native speaker would use those six words as a sentence.)
B: says: No, you will not. do or leave. (B is challenging A and added we will see whose words, command or opinion will happen.)

Is there an English idiom or expression that represents the given example expresses the same thing?
Note my corrections above. I don't understand the underlined part at all. Can you explain it a different way?
 

mrmvp

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
United Arab Emirates
Current Location
United Arab Emirates
Note my corrections above. I don't understand the underlined part at all. Can you explain it a different way?

Thank you.

If there is a conversation between two people, let us say two friends, X and Y

X says : we will go to park first.

Y insisted that we go to the beach.

X challenge Y by saying "we will see whose opinion or suggestion will happen or take place".

It's like saying, say what you want to do and I will (eventually ) do what I say.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
If there is a conversation between two people, let us say two friends, X and Y

X says no colon after "says" "We will go to the park first".
Y insisted insists that we they go to the beach.
X challenges Y by saying "We will see whose opinion or suggestion will happen or take place".

It's like saying no comma here "Say what you want to do and I will (eventually ) do what I say".
This still makes no sense, I'm afraid. The layout doesn't help. I'm going to write what I think is the dialogue you're suggesting:

X: We'll go to the park first.
Y: No, we'll go to the beach first.
X: We'll see whose suggestion will actually happen.


Is that what you mean?

Your dialogues consisting of a mixture of direct and indirect speech are really hard to follow.
 

mrmvp

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
United Arab Emirates
Current Location
United Arab Emirates
This still makes no sense, I'm afraid. The layout doesn't help. I'm going to write what I think is the dialogue you're suggesting:

X: We'll go to the park first.
Y: No, we'll go to the beach first.
X: We'll see whose suggestion will actually happen.

Your explanation is perfect. I'd like to add that it is kind of challenging Y that you will do what I say ,and your suggestion won't ever happen over my dead body.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Your explanation is perfect. I'd like to add that X it is kind of challenging Y that by saying "You will do what I say, and your suggestion won't ever will happen over my dead body".
In that case, my suggestion of "We'll see whose suggestion will actually happen" isn't what you mean. You need something more direct. In fact, X replying with "Over my dead body!" would make it clear that they'll be going to the park first, regardless of what Y wants.
 

mrmvp

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
United Arab Emirates
Current Location
United Arab Emirates
In that case, my suggestion of "We'll see whose suggestion will actually happen" isn't what you mean. You need something more direct. In fact, X replying with "Over my dead body!" would make it clear that they'll be going to the park first, regardless of what Y wants.

Thank you for your correction.

I used the idiom" over my dead body" to express that it can be used in more direct flammable situation. I feel it is similar to "We'll see whose suggestion will actually happen".

It can also be used in a normal situation.

Today's match between Arsenal and Chelsea.

A is a hardcore fan of Arsenal.

B A is also a hardcore fan of Chelsea.

Both argue which team will win, then A (challenging B by saying ) we will see which team we win.
 

jutfrank

VIP Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
We'll see whose suggestion will actually happen.

Is that what you mean?

It seems that's exactly what mrmvp means.

The closest translation I can think of is We'll see (about that).
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Thank you for your corrections.
If I'd made just one correction, the singular would be correct.
I used the idiom" over my dead body" to express show that it can be used in more direct flammable situation. I feel it is similar to "We'll see whose suggestion will actually happen".
You used the idiom incorrectly. We don't use it with a negative (as you did). We use a positive statement and follow it with the idiom.
You'll borrow my car over my dead body!
He'll start dating my ex-girlfriend over my dead body!

It can also be used in a normal situation. For example, imagine there is a match today 's match between Arsenal and Chelsea. A is a hardcore Arsenal fan. of Arsenal. B A is also a hardcore Chelsea fan. of Chelsea.
Both argue say they know which their team will win, then but A no bracket here then challenges B by saying no bracket here "We will see which team we will win".
Yes, we understand the concept, but the fact is that no native speaker would say "We will see which team will win" in that dialogue. It's much too stilted and formal. Also, it's not a challenge. It's just a statement.
I like jutfrank's "We'll see".
 

probus

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 7, 2011
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Canada
You have slightly misunderstood the meaning of fulfill @mrmvp. Your sentence would be understandable although a little unnatural as "... whose words will be fulfilled." As you wrote the sentence, it is nonsensical.
 

mrmvp

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
United Arab Emirates
Current Location
United Arab Emirates
If I'd made just one correction, the singular would be correct.

You used the idiom incorrectly. We don't use it with a negative (as you did). We use a positive statement and follow it with the idiom.
You'll borrow my car over my dead body!
He'll start dating my ex-girlfriend over my dead body!


Yes, we understand the concept, but the fact is that no native speaker would say "We will see which team will win" in that dialogue. It's much too stilted and formal. Also, it's not a challenge. It's just a statement.
I like jutfrank's "We'll see".

Thank you all for your contribution.

With regard to " We'll see" it is close to what I mean.

In Arabic, we would say "we'll see whose team will win? or whose decision will make ? That is, your decision or mine ( it can be used in challenging context or to prove your the decision maker)

However, we have the same usage of "we'll see" in both languages as in :

A. We need to stop in the middle of road trip to get snacks and have the car filled up gas. (we don't fill up gas ourselves, gas station attendant does)

B. We'll see.

I guess the closest answer is by teacher @jutfrank
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Thank you all for your contributions.
Take care with singular and plural nouns.
With regard to "We'll see", it is close to what I mean. In Arabic, we would say "We'll see whose team will win" or "Whose decision will make we go with?"
"We'll see whose team will win" is not a question. You keep putting a question mark after it. It's a statement.
Don't put a space after opening quotation marks.
All full sentences and questions inside quotation marks must start with a capital letter.
That is to say, we'll find out later if your decision or mine will prevail (it can be used in challenging contexts or to prove you're the decision maker).
I don't really understand this at all, if I'm honest. With regard to the football match, it's no-one's decision who wins. The people are stating their opinion or their desire. Everyone will find out at the end of the match who actually won. With the "park v beach" conversation, again it's more of a desire not a decision.
Don't put a space after an opening bracket.
However, we have the same usage of "We'll see" in both languages, as in:

A. We'll need to stop in the middle of the road trip to get snacks and have the car filled up with gas. (We don't fill it up with gas ourselves; the gas station attendant does it.)
B. We'll see.
That's a rather unnatural context but I suppose it works to a certain extent.
I guess the closest answer is by teacher @jutfrank.
I agree that jutfrank's "We'll see" or "We'll see about that" is probably the phrase you're looking for. However, it seems to me that the expression is used differently in Arabic from how it's used in English. It's usually used in a slightly sarcastic way and tone of voice is very important. It's hard to get this across in writing.

Helen: I'm going to win the karaoke competition on Saturday night.
Sarah: Yeah. We'll see!

Bob: I'm planning to ask the boss for a pay rise later. I'm not leaving her office till I've got one.
Susan: Really? We'll see!

Terry: I'm going to thrash you at tennis tomorrow.
Tom: We'll see about that!
 

mrmvp

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
United Arab Emirates
Current Location
United Arab Emirates
I don't really understand this at all, if I'm honest. With regard to the football match, it's no-one's decision who wins. The people are stating their opinion or their desire. Everyone will find out at the end of the match who actually won. With the "park v beach" conversation, again it's more of a desire not a decision.
Thank you for your response. I really appreciate every word you wrote and corrected.

With regard to football match, I don't say that the expression is only used when making a decision. Please see post #8, but rather "We'll see" is more likely to challenge the other person by saying "You will see for yourself whose team will win". In this context, it is not used in a funny or sarcastic tone.

You conversation examples are somehow used in Arabic with funny or sarcastic tone. That is to say, A says "I will get A+ in math (He has poor performance in that subject) B responds "Huh we'll see". This sarcastic tone is equivalent in both languages.
 
Top