This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
Hubdeckelventil
nach Kirchmayr-Kessler modifiziert nach Zechner genäht

Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

begeistern

English translation:

sell on the idea of

Added to glossary by David Williams
Jan 14, 2010 14:52
14 yrs ago
9 viewers *
German term

begeistern

German to English Marketing Marketing
Context:

"Nach einer Studie* des Bundesverbandes XYZ ist es der Branche in den 80er Jahren gelungen, 2,5 – 3% eines jeden Jahrganges für ein eigenes (Sportartike) zu begeistern."

I'm not sure how best to put this so that it doesn't sound like the industry was persuading, cajoling or forcing people to buy their products. Also, I'm not too sure about "eines jeden Jahrganges" since this has nothing to do with school/university leavers, for example, as most owners of this type of item buy their first one by the time they have reached an average age of about 40 (but any time before that really, though not often later).
Proposed translations (English)
3 +3 sell
4 +2 to enthuse
3 +3 inspired
4 +1 the branch persuaded 3% of the age group to buy their own (equipment)
3 +1 to get excited, age-group
3 +1 ...generate so much interest that...
2 to instill the desire to own a [product]

Discussion

David Williams (asker) Jan 20, 2010:
Unfortunately it seems to be worryingly widespread...
David Williams (asker) Jan 20, 2010:
Very thorough yes Not an English native speaker, mind you...
British Diana Jan 20, 2010:
Sure, it's fine My, you sure have a strict proofreader... I think your new version is fine (but I found nothing wrong with the old one, either)
David Williams (asker) Jan 20, 2010:
Since my translation wasn't close enough to the original "Jahrgang" the proof-reader has come back to me on this one. What do you think of

"According to a study... the industry was able sell some 2.5 – 3% of the population born in any particular year on the idea of buying their own ..."?
British Diana Jan 15, 2010:
persuade vs convince It says in the definition offered by Orla:
According to a traditional rule, one persuades someone to act but convinces someone of the truth of a statement or proposition.
Might I just point out that in this case my Answer "The industry persuaded 3% of the age group..." would be more correct than using "convince" !
oa_xxx (X) Jan 15, 2010:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/convince

their entry about convince is also interesting!
I would have gone for age group for Jahrgang - an age group can be as wide or as narrow as you want it incl 0 - 6 mths. Doesnt really matter that altersgruppe comes up too.
oa_xxx (X) Jan 15, 2010:
youve probably already decided on something but just thought convince or motivate might be more positive alternatives to persuade etc.

successfully convinced.. to actually buy...

the entry in the free dictionary about enthuse is quite interesting - not really to answer this question I have to admit but in general ;-)
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/enthuse
David Williams (asker) Jan 15, 2010:
In a similar vein what about "Lust auf ... machen"? e.g. "Die Aussteller werden präsentieren und Lust auf Sommer, Sonne, Strand und Meer machen"? How does "The exhibitors will present their wares and inspire a longing for summer, sun, sand and sea" sound?
David Williams (asker) Jan 15, 2010:
Like I said, Spud I am trying to put this so that it doesn't sound like the industry was persuading, cajoling or forcing people to buy their products, but it is not a question of simply interesting people in their products. A LOT of people are interested, certainly more than 2.5 - 3%.
Peter Downes Jan 14, 2010:
@David Why not use "interest"? They managed to interest, created interest in the target group - sell, cajole,persuade sound to forceful.,
David Williams (asker) Jan 14, 2010:
Indeed Although once "hooked", people tend to remain keen enthusiasts until an old age.
OK, I'll give you a clue. It is indeed something big, costing about as much as a car (with prices ranging all the way from the cheapest new car prices to the cost of supercars).
TonyTK Jan 14, 2010:
I think the ... ... "of the population each year" is OK. The German sounds like nonsense anyway (unless specific age groups are mentioned earlier on in the text). I doubt that 2.3% of the 85 year-olds were persuaded to buy this thing. Apropos the "thing": can you give us a clue? Is it something big like a home sauna or a treadmill? Or is it a set of skis/a tracksuit ...?
David Williams (asker) Jan 14, 2010:
Age groups crop us elsewhere e.g.:
Junge Familien der Altergruppe 25/40 stellen daher für die zukünftige Entwicklung die wichtigste Zielgruppe dar.

So I really rather doubt that the much narrower-sounding Jahrgang should also be "age group".
Johanna Timm, PhD Jan 14, 2010:
Jahrgang hier eindeutig "age group"
http://dictionary.reverso.net/german-english/Jahrgang
David Williams (asker) Jan 14, 2010:
Thanks for the contributions below. How about: "According to a study performed by ... the industry was able sell some 2.5 – 3% of the population each year on the idea of buying their own XYZ in the 1980s"?

I'm still not happy about the Jahrgang thing though. The average age of owners is actually 56, with the majority of first-time buyers being under 40.
David Williams (asker) Jan 14, 2010:
Seems too weak to me I'm sure this sport appeals to at least 25 - 30% of the population, if not more. The "problem" is the cost. So, in a way, the industry managed to get 2.5 - 3% of the population to buy (although not by force, obviously). Naturally, how strong the industry's role in getting people to buy actually is is open to debate.
franglish Jan 14, 2010:
@David appeal to should work here

Proposed translations

+3
29 mins
Selected

sell

The industry was able to sell its products to x% of...

or x% of x bought products from...
Note from asker:
You're right, I think it's as simple as that. Thanks!
Peer comment(s):
agree Lancashireman : or even 'sold them on the idea of' // By adding the extra word, you appear to have 'set up an Aunt Sally to knock down yourself'.
47 mins
sold them on the idea of buying...sounds a bit bulky to me//ah, so you meant: sold them on the idea of their products? hmm, okay, guess so.
agree Ingeborg Gowans (X) : w/ Andrew: I like: sold them on the idea of ...
1 hr
see my note to Andrew...
neutral philgoddard : I know this is what it basically means, but this is a bit of a colorless translation for begeistern.
1 hr
you're right but none of the others sound right (to me anyway)
agree TonyTK : with Andrew. "Begeistern" is often a tricky one, and none of the others work for me. "Enthuse" is a dead give-away that it's a translation ...
2 hrs
enthuse certainly doesn't work, indeed!
neutral Bernhard Sulzer : "selling" is what happened, but the phrase expresses "persuading/ getting people to buy" the stuff. Just my thoughts.
1 day 13 hrs
I agree my suggestion is pared down
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Many thanks!"
+2
25 mins

to enthuse

to fill a person with enthusiasm/ardor
Peer comment(s):
agree melindak
16 mins
Thank you, melindak. :)
agree robin25
16 hrs
Thank you, Robin. :)
Something went wrong...
+3
25 mins

inspired

"According to a study by the Association of XYZ * , in the 80s the industry succeeded in inspiring 2.5 - 3% of each class year of its own (sports articles?)."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 26 mins (2010-01-14 15:19:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Is it Sportartikeln in brackets?
Note from asker:
No, I have just replaced the name of the organisation and the actual item in question for reasons of confidentiality.
As I mentioned above, this has nothing to do with class years. @ TonyTK: I had the same problem, but you can certainly "inspire someone to buy".
Peer comment(s):
agree Helen Shiner : Whoops, just overlooked your answer and put the same thing - now deleted./Succeeded in inspiring them to buy ...
17 mins
neutral TonyTK : "Inspiring ... of" doesn't sound right to me. Can you inspire somebody of something? Or have I misread your sentence?
23 mins
agree philgoddard : Your suggested translation doesn't quite work, but this is a good word to use. "Inspired ... to buy"
2 hrs
agree Kevser Oezcan
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
41 mins

to get excited, age-group

I think "jahrgang" means age-group here, given the limited context.

"In the 80ies xxx could exite xxx % of any age-group enought about xx so that they would purchase their own. " Or such
Peer comment(s):
agree William Murphy : XXX age group(ing) would get excited about XXX
1 hr
neutral mill2 : your suggestion is not idiomatic English
15 hrs
Something went wrong...
1 hr
German term (edited): für ein eigenes [Produkt] begeistern

to instill the desire to own a [product]

Something along these lines might work. In marketing lingo the phrase "to instill the/a desire to own" is often used.

The industry managed to instill a desire in 2.5-3% of each [Jahrgang] to own a [product XY]... / to own their own XY.

In 2.5-3% of each [Jahrgang] the industry succeded in instilling a desire to own...

Well, I'm not sure how this sounds to you as a native speaker - probably not very elegant. Just take it as another idea to build on.

Für "Jahrgang" könnte "age group" passen, auch wenn das etwas weiter gefasst ist.
Note from asker:
Yes, sounds good (sorry, hadn't read this before posting my second discussion entry) but I think age group is too wide, isn't it?
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

the branch persuaded 3% of the age group to buy their own (equipment)

I agree that it is a question of getting these people to buy the stuff for themselves.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-01-14 16:15:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks, Andrew, "Branch" is indeed not the right word, it should be "industry" I was concentrating too much on how to render the term "begeistern", sorry about that.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-01-14 16:33:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Well, David, with you it is kinda difficult to hit the "goldene Mitte" not too weak, not too strong....;-)

However, I must say that I think "begeistern" is actually pretty strong, because if the potential buyers had not been made enthusiastic about this sport somehow they wouldn't have bought their own equipment.
You could of course simply say "get the people to buy" as in my exploanation. Let's see if I get any peer support....
Note from asker:
As I said above, persuaded sounds too strong/forceful/negative. This isn't anything like insurance policies or other products that make use of power-selling.
Peer comment(s):
agree Bernhard Sulzer : agree with your explanation. If "persuaded" is too strong, maybe "motivated" or maybe "wowed". :)
1 day 12 hrs
Thanks, Bernhard, altrhough I would draw the line at "wowed" ("Furchtbares Englisch");-)
Something went wrong...
+1
1 day 3 hrs

...generate so much interest that...

...they managed to generate so much interest during the 1980s that 2.5-3% of each age-group decided to treat themselves/ buy/purchase /invest in their very own XXXX

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2010-01-15 17:59:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.student-online.net/woerterbuch.shtml?q=begeistern...
Peer comment(s):
agree Bernhard Sulzer : the long way home :)
10 hrs
danke, Bernhard :))
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search