# In honor of Star Wars Day: Foreign language equivalents of "May the force be with you." **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2015, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238 "2015-05-04T13:27:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/1 "2015-05-04T13:27:30Z")
Obviously, the pun “May the Fourth be with you,” doesn’t work in any other language but English. But how does Star Wars’s most classic meme get translated? Happy Star Wars Day, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/2 "2015-05-04T13:47:10Z")
German: “Möge die Macht mit dir sein”. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/3 "2015-05-04T14:28:34Z")
French: _Que la Force soit avec toi._ ---
**Author:** ![funky\_little\_lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@funky\_little\_lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funky_little_lee)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/4 "2015-05-04T14:31:25Z")
Spanish: _Que la fuerza sea contigo._ ---
**Author:** ![funky\_little\_lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@funky\_little\_lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funky_little_lee)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/5 "2015-05-04T14:34:04Z")
Portuguese:\* Que a força seja com você.\* ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/6 "2015-05-04T14:35:09Z")
Russian: Пусть сила будет с тобой. - although I think the “official” one is: “Да пребудет с тобой сила.”. Which is a bit weird but I guess it fits with the ambiance. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/7 "2015-05-04T14:45:39Z")
> [@funky\_little\_lee](#): > > Spanish: _Que la fuerza sea contigo._ Correction: “que la fuerza este contigo”. I know the difference between “ser/estar” is something most students struggle with in spanish class. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/8 "2015-05-04T15:00:01Z")
Yodaspeak: “Be with you, the Force may.” ---
**Author:** ![funky\_little\_lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@funky\_little\_lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funky_little_lee)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/9 "2015-05-04T15:22:11Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Correction: “que la fuerza este contigo”. I know the difference between “ser/estar” is something most students struggle with in spanish class. I thought about that, but decided that \*ser \*would suggest a more permanent condition. Actually, I also thought about _te acompañe_ or\* vaya contigo. \* Tried to find how it was translated for the actual film but couldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/10 "2015-05-04T15:33:06Z")
Anyone want to take a stab at Klingon? Or would that open a paradox? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/11 "2015-05-04T15:45:27Z")
Yiddish: Mei der kraft zayen mit ir. I tried it with Hebrew characters, but it was too difficult getting it to post correctly. Kept CPing backwards. I also know it in ASL, but I’m not up making an MP4 right now. Anyway, it’s probably out there. I’ll look for a link. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/12 "2015-05-04T16:07:11Z")
> [@funky\_little\_lee](#): > > I thought about that, but decided that \*ser \*would suggest a more permanent condition. > > Actually, I also thought about _te acompañe_ or\* vaya contigo. \* > > Tried to find how it was translated for the actual film but couldn’t. From googling it seems to be: “La Fuerza Estará Contigo” ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/13 "2015-05-04T16:10:08Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Obviously, the pun “May the Fourth be with you,” doesn’t work in any other language but English. That specific pun doesn’t work in French but there’s a radio show host here whose name is **Eric Laforge**. One of his liners is: “Que _Laforge_ soit avec toi.” (May Laforge be with you) which is paradoxically both silly and appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/14 "2015-05-04T18:41:01Z")
Finnish: Olkoon voima kanssanne. Swedish: Må kraften vara med dig. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/15 "2015-05-04T18:41:28Z")
In Afrikaans, strictly, it would be “Mag die Mag met jou wees.” But since the words for “may” and “force” are the same spelling/pronunciation (“Mag”, which is pronounced kinda like the English word “much” would be if the -ch was the -ch in “loch”) it’s clunky two alternatives would be: to use the translation of “Let the Force be with you” : “Laat die Mag met jou wees” or to translate “Force” as “Energy” or “Power” (I know, physicists, I know…) because it scans better (same word): “Mag die Krag met jou wees” In Xhosa it’s far less complicated: Amandla abenani which strictly is “Power be with you” but the meaning is close enough and it makes a great slogan (our anti-apartheid slogan was “Amandla Awethu” which means “Power to the People”) ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/16 "2015-05-04T19:30:47Z")
In Latin American spanish is “Que la fuerza te acompañe”. I don’t know how they mangled it in Spain spanish, I’m 90% sure they mangled it though, their translation of “Wolverine” as “Lobezno” (Wolf Cub) is all the precedent I need. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/17 "2015-05-05T05:51:59Z")
In Latin: Sit vis vobiscum. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/18 "2015-05-05T07:40:24Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Obviously, the pun “May the Fourth be with you,” doesn’t work in any other language but English. I don’t think it’s at all obvious. There could be a few other languages where the words for “four” and “force” sound similar enough to make the pun work. (And this needn’t be a complete coincidence, either; many Germanic languages have words for “four” which sound like ours, and some of them may also use some variant of the Latin/French “fortia”/“force” instead of or alongside the native Germanic-derived terms.) ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/19 "2015-05-05T09:41:25Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Anyone want to take a stab at Klingon? > Or would that open a paradox? According to Bing’s translator: chaq raD. You can also choose to have it displayed in Klingon script, but that’s probably not too helpful, either. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238/20 "2015-05-05T11:05:40Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > I think the “official” one is: “Да пребудет с тобой сила.”. Which is a bit weird but I guess it fits with the ambiance. How does that translate into English? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-star-wars-day-foreign-language-equivalents-of-may-the-force-be-with-you/719238.md?page=2)