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I have seen an advertisement for a restaurant which starts to accept prepaid company access cards. The text is written in native language and in English.

English variant: "No need of cash?"

My translation of czech variant: "Don't you have a cash?"

I think that their translation is wrong. I would rather express it as: "No cash?"

Can somebody elaborate on this topic? Thanks

Leos Literak
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1 Answers1

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The question mark is certainly off.

Also, I would not use of, but for. No need of cash sounds as if I am asking you to hand over your excess cash. You have cash you have no use for? I'll take it off your hands!

As a slogan they could use:

No need for cash.

Meaning that you do not need to have cash on you in order to pay.

If however the rest of the advertisement follows up on the question, which I suspect it does, you need to keep the translation also as a question, of course. Your "No cash?" is a fine solution for that:

No cash? No problem!

oerkelens
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  • so their "No need of cash?" is incorrect, is not it? – Leos Literak Jun 20 '14 at 07:28
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    Yes, it is incorrect. Because of the question mark, and the use of of. :) – oerkelens Jun 20 '14 at 07:29
  • I just saw it again: "No need of cash? Pay with your Siemens card!" – Leos Literak Jun 20 '14 at 09:42
  • @LeosLiterak That is indeed a very badly formed slogan. I wish some companies would let someone proofread their translations before plastering them all over in public - but then again, it can be quite amusing :) They basically say "If you do not need any money, use this card", in other words, "our card will surely cost you money!" – oerkelens Jun 20 '14 at 11:11
  • You should have seen their other papers. E.g. "How to build islands of safety" slogan illustrated with skyscrapers flooded by stormy sea :-) (side note: is my sentence correct? with or by skyscpapers; stormy) – Leos Literak Jun 20 '14 at 11:30
  • @LeosLiterak - with or by are both correct, stormy is correct :) I would say "a stormy sea" though :) – oerkelens Jun 20 '14 at 11:34
  • Thanks. I always have troubles with that articles (a, an, the). Maybe idea for next question. – Leos Literak Jun 20 '14 at 11:36