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);

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by JPablo

... you’ve got another thing coming o you’re in for a disappointment (colloq);

The common expression uses 'thing' instead of 'think', but according to an internet search you're not the only one who thinks it should be think.

[Elaina]

Maybe......
-left me high and dry

[María José]

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.

I wonder what became of Iris... Hadn't seen any of her old posts for like a million years.

Originally Posted by 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);

You meant you've got another thing coming.
All this talk has reminded me of a student who asked me the meaning of 'to long for' and then said he was going to hit me, but after a while rectified and said he had meant to say hit on me...
J/K: We joke constantly in that class as they are all grown ups and get on very well together.
Iris/Gemma/María.

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by Rusty

The common expression uses 'thing' instead of 'think', but according to an internet search you're not the only one who thinks it should be think.

Originally Posted by María José

You meant you've got another thing coming.

Yes, I agree with "you've got another thing coming" as the most widely spread and used expression, but in the CONTEXT of my sentence I put as an example... "if you think... [whatever] you've got another think coming", seems more appropriate.

I believe (I may be wrong) that the "think" version is more common in England... (At least a British person who I asked, immediately told me the version with "think" as the "real McCoy" and not the one with "thing"...)

Anyhow... like some Gospel says... De todo hay en la viña del Señor, meaning that there are many choices that may be valid...
Thank you for your input!

You can also check
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=120
or search in Google, "you've got another think" vs "other thing" and will see different views on the matter.

[CrOtALiTo]

That could work as to leaves with wish of something?

Quedarse con deseos de algo.

Welcome again María José
Always I liked your name.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

That could work as to leaves with wish of something?

Quedarse con deseos de algo.

"To leave one wishing for something," is the correct way to phrase what you posted, but you won't hear it said that way very often.

This story leaves me wishing for another (story).

There are several, more colloquial, ways to say the same thing:

This story leaves/makes me thirsty for more.
I long to hear another story (like that).
I'm yearning to hear another story (like that one).
This story leaves me wanting another.
I could listen to stories like that all day.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by Rusty

"To leave one wishing for something," is the correct way to phrase what you posted, but you won't hear it said that way very often.

This story leaves me wishing for another (story).

There are several, more colloquial, ways to say the same thing:

This story leaves/makes me thirsty for more.
I long to hear another story (like that).
I'm yearning to hear another story (like that one).
This story leaves me wanting another.
I could listen to stories like that all day.

You have said.

To leave one wishing of something.
Please, I haven clear the use of the one there with the -ING uses.

Now I haven't clear the phrase
I'm yearning to hear another story (like that one).

What does yearning means?

I will be grateful with your answer.

[Rusty]

to yearn (for) something = anhelar algo (quedarse con las ganas)

I'm yearning to hear another story.
Anhelo oír otra historia.
Me quedo con las ganas de oír otra historia.