Quedarse con las ganas

[Iris]

A student asked me today for an English expression to translate quedarse con las ganas de hacer algo and I coudn't come up with anything good . Any ideas? Thanks.

[poli]

If I'm no mistaken this means to have the desire to.or to be left with the desire to do something

[Iris]

It's to be left with the desire, but it doesn't convey exactly the same meaning. But, thanks, it's the best translation I've seen so far.

[Tomisimo]

Me quedé con las ganas de ir a la playa...
Man, I really wanted to go to the beach...

I think that's the best way to convey the meaning and intent of the expression. Basically: Hubo planes de ir, pero por algún motivo no se pudo, y todavía quieres ir.

Some other possible translations:

I still want to go to the beach...
Not going to the beach really disappointed me and I still want to go...

[Iris]

Thanks, that's more or less what I told him. So I suppose he'll have to make do with one of those. You know what students are like sometimes, they don't totally believe you if you tell them there isn't an exact expression, they want languages to be like maths. But this one is not like that, so he'll be grateful.

[Tomisimo]

You're absolutely right. There's not always good translations for all expressions.

[tatozapo]

i kept with the wanting jaja
Iris.. no es fácil esto porque "quedarse con las gánas" es muy juguetón, seguro ese alumno no pensaba en cosas limpias.
entonces como traducimos eso sin sonar vulgar ni con un doble sentido?

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Iris

Thanks, that's more or less what I told him. So I suppose he'll have to make do with one of those. You know what students are like sometimes, they don't totally believe you if you tell them there isn't an exact expression, they want languages to be like maths. But this one is not like that, so he'll be grateful.

That's right. What do you know anyway?

It also depends on what he had in mind...

[ROBINDESBOIS]

Leave me hanging

[JPablo]

I kind of agree with Robindesbois... and everyone else.
Oxford Superlex gives some good options too,
queríamos ir pero al final nos quedamos con las ganas (fam) = we wanted to go, but it wasn’t to be;
me quedé con las ganas de decirle lo que pensaba = I never got to tell him what I really thought;
si te crees que te va a decir que sí te vas a quedar con las ganas (fam) = if you think he’s going to say yes, you’ve got another think coming o you’re in for a disappointment (colloq);