tough guy

Swedish translation: tuff kille/tuffing

20:45 Jun 6, 2007
English to Swedish translations [PRO]
Slang / Swedish youth, college and street slang
English term or phrase: tough guy
Hello. I'm interested in and am doing research on Swedish youth, street and college slang. What is Swedish slang for "tough guy" besides "harding"? Please let me know. Thank you.
Mavericker (X)
Swedish translation:tuff kille/tuffing
Explanation:
Besides hårding you can say tuffing, tuff kille, buse, värsting. Take a look at this page

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2007-06-07 08:58:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The only word that have a positive connotation could be tuffing as it means also couragous. The other words have more or less a negative meaning. " drummel" means more a person that is clumsy. Hope these explanations can help you

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2007-06-07 19:31:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

All the other terms are negative as far as I am concerned. If you need a word that sounds positive I should use hårding och tuffing.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day11 hrs (2007-06-08 08:18:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

råskinn is a person, guy, who likes to fight and make trouble, so I do not think it has a positive meaning. Maybe it means something different in Norwegian

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days13 hrs (2007-06-09 09:49:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yes, You could use hård kille but it sounds better tuffing which means the same thing

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days12 hrs (2007-06-10 08:59:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yes, I have answered your question. Se here over. I said that tuff kille is ok but tuffing sounds better. It is a better Swedish I think. Are you going to chose some answer. We have talked about this atgument for a while now. In which context do you need the word?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days12 hrs (2007-06-10 09:00:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

All these words are not all slang terms. The slang terms are drummel, tuffing, hårding råskinn. Hård and tuff kille are not slang terms as far as I am concerned...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days23 hrs (2007-06-10 20:00:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

tuffing or hårding are the words that you serch for. maybe more hårding as it means in the sense that you say

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 days (2007-06-13 06:40:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

tuff nöt/hård nöt att knäcka means that it is a big problem a difficult problem to resolve, not that the guy is hard. you can either say hård grabb or tuff grabb if you do not want to use kille...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 days (2007-06-13 06:41:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

What does negl means I have not met that word before..`? IN swedsih negl does not mean anything...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 days (2007-06-13 07:44:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I should still use hårding or tuffing for this expression

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 days (2007-06-14 07:47:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I have never heard about hård nagel in swedish so I should not use it. It can take som time to me to answer as your and my time zone are different. I would still go for hård kille/tuff kille/hårding/tuffing. You know, you do not have to translate directly from word to word, the important thing is to haver the meaning right...

Good luck
Selected response from:

Annika Hagdahl Manni
Italy
Local time: 15:48
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2tuff kille/tuffing
Annika Hagdahl Manni
5värsting
Jenny Sundelin


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
tuff kille/tuffing


Explanation:
Besides hårding you can say tuffing, tuff kille, buse, värsting. Take a look at this page

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2007-06-07 08:58:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The only word that have a positive connotation could be tuffing as it means also couragous. The other words have more or less a negative meaning. " drummel" means more a person that is clumsy. Hope these explanations can help you

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2007-06-07 19:31:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

All the other terms are negative as far as I am concerned. If you need a word that sounds positive I should use hårding och tuffing.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day11 hrs (2007-06-08 08:18:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

råskinn is a person, guy, who likes to fight and make trouble, so I do not think it has a positive meaning. Maybe it means something different in Norwegian

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days13 hrs (2007-06-09 09:49:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yes, You could use hård kille but it sounds better tuffing which means the same thing

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days12 hrs (2007-06-10 08:59:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yes, I have answered your question. Se here over. I said that tuff kille is ok but tuffing sounds better. It is a better Swedish I think. Are you going to chose some answer. We have talked about this atgument for a while now. In which context do you need the word?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days12 hrs (2007-06-10 09:00:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

All these words are not all slang terms. The slang terms are drummel, tuffing, hårding råskinn. Hård and tuff kille are not slang terms as far as I am concerned...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days23 hrs (2007-06-10 20:00:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

tuffing or hårding are the words that you serch for. maybe more hårding as it means in the sense that you say

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 days (2007-06-13 06:40:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

tuff nöt/hård nöt att knäcka means that it is a big problem a difficult problem to resolve, not that the guy is hard. you can either say hård grabb or tuff grabb if you do not want to use kille...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 days (2007-06-13 06:41:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

What does negl means I have not met that word before..`? IN swedsih negl does not mean anything...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 days (2007-06-13 07:44:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I should still use hårding or tuffing for this expression

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 days (2007-06-14 07:47:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I have never heard about hård nagel in swedish so I should not use it. It can take som time to me to answer as your and my time zone are different. I would still go for hård kille/tuff kille/hårding/tuffing. You know, you do not have to translate directly from word to word, the important thing is to haver the meaning right...

Good luck


    Reference: http://www.synonymer.se/?query=h%E5rding
Annika Hagdahl Manni
Italy
Local time: 15:48
Native speaker of: Swedish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hello. Are those all slang terms?

Asker: Hello hagdahlmanni-thank you for responding. I've seen the term "drummel" used as a Swedish slang. Do all of these terms you posted including the one I just mentionaed have a positive connotation?

Asker: Hello and thank you. Are there any other terms that have a positive connotation?

Asker: Hi. Why would "tuff kille" have a negative connotation, if it literally means "tough guy"? Can I use an expression like, "hard kille"?

Asker: Hello hagdahlmanni-thank you for responding. You still didn't answer the question. Why is "tuff kille" a negative term to use?

Asker: Hello. I can use either "hard negl" or "hård negl" to mean "tough guy"? Can I also use "hard nöt" and "tuff nöt"?

Asker: "Hard nail" is a term I've seen used to mean "tough guy"-how what this expression translate to Swedish?

Asker: HI-can I use "hård nagel"?

Asker: Hello Jenny and thank you for responding. Have you ever seen "tuff nöt/hård nöt " used to mean "tough guy"? Please let me know. :D


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  finntranslat (X)
7 hrs

neutral  Martin Englander: No offense, but "tuffing" or "tuff kille" gives a rather oldfashioned feeling. When you hear "tough quy" I imagine a South Central gangster, but when I hear "tuffing" I think of a person who smokes, spits on the floor and uses swearwords.
17 hrs

agree  Kjelle: tuffing, a "värsting" has problems with the police etc "tuffing is just very...tough
1 day 9 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

18 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
värsting


Explanation:
Jag är ju förstås Norrlänning från början, men så var det vi kallade våra "tough guys" i skolan :)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2007-06-07 15:43:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry, I did not realize you where native English... What I was saying is that this is what we called the "tough guys" is school. It is a little rougher than "tuffing" because it suggests that the guy is of the worst possible kind... ;)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day13 hrs (2007-06-08 10:13:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"hårding" would work, it would suggest the guy is hard, tough. If you want a positive undertow I would use "hårding", it makes me think of a guy with tatoos in leather on a motorcycle ;)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 days (2007-06-16 20:34:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I have never heard anyone use the term "hård nagel" in Swedish. If you where to use it you would have to say "hårdnagel". Rule #1 in Swedish is to always put it together as long as the two words are one thing, sometimes words get very long... anyhow, how about "bråkstake"? This suggests he is a young troublemaker...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 days (2007-06-18 12:45:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"tuff nöt" and "hård nöt" means, just as the gentleman above described to you, that there is a problem to resolve, whereas it refers to "a hard nut to crack", not a tough guy.

Jenny Sundelin
Local time: 09:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi Jenny-thank you for responding. Can you think of any other salngs that have a positive connotation?

Asker: Hi-can I use an expression like "hård nagel"? "Hard nail" is an expression I've seen to mean "tough guy" in slang.

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search