Meaning of куда мне

Question

I saw the following exchange:

Будешь поступать в институт? - Куда мне, мне б в училище поступить".

Since there's no question mark, I'm led to believe that куда мне is rhetorical here, and quite possibly an idiom. (Also, I admit, I don't really know what the second sentence means).

also (да) куда там?, (да) где уж (там)?, (да) где (уж) (там) мне/нам/ему/тебе etc? — Баян Купи-ка, Oct 05 '16 at 19:00
@БаянКупи-ка: Thank you very much for your answer - I have no idea what to make of it. — CocoPop, Oct 05 '16 at 19:15
Oh! Thank you very much. I thought you were asking me something :) So these can be used in the same way? — CocoPop, Oct 05 '16 at 22:08
yep, they certainly can.... also (да) какой там? only that this denotes impossibility/skepticism about chances due to unfavorable circumstances rather than incapability — Баян Купи-ка, Oct 06 '16 at 07:39

score 11 · Accepted Answer · edited Jan 01 '22 at 18:44

11

Куда as a particle may ironically express a negation, doubt, or impossibility.

It may be translated as a rhetorical question:

Болею уже несколько дней: куда там работать!
I've been sick for several days. How am I supposed to work?!

Куда же мне петь! Голоса нет.
How am I supposed to sing? I have no voice!

edited Jan 01 '22 at 18:44

CocoPop

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answered Oct 05 '16 at 13:25

artptr

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score 7 · Answer 2 · edited Jan 01 '22 at 18:45

7

You are right, куда мне (and also куда ему, куда им etc) is an idiom that means:

I'm not good / smart / skilled enough.

So the second sentence could be translated as:

I'm not smart enough for university — I hope to get into a trade school.

edited Jan 01 '22 at 18:45

CocoPop

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answered Oct 05 '16 at 13:20

Dmitry

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score 5 · Answer 3 · edited Jan 01 '22 at 18:46

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Куда with the dative (куда мне, куда тебе, куда им) is used to skeptically express doubt. In your example, it can be translated as "(I don't think) I'm able to do it — I'd be happy just to be admitted into a vocational school."

edited Jan 01 '22 at 18:46

CocoPop

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answered Oct 05 '16 at 13:22

Abakan

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score 3 · Answer 4 · edited Jan 01 '22 at 18:49

Куда is a particle, colloquial, used with pronouns in the Dative (куда мне, куда ему, куда нам, etc.) to express doubt, skepticism

куда тебе до него! you'll never be able to do it like him! куда мне, мне б в училище поступить.— I'm not so smart (I can't do it) — I'd be happy just to get into a vocational school. Куда мне in general means that my skillset/knowledge isn't high enough to get or to reach something. Or I can't do something due to certain circumstances.

Meaning of куда мне

4 Answers4