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Can someone translate this phrase from Urdu to English

"Hum Dushman ko maza chaka dain gy"

ہم دشمن کو مزہ چکھا دیں گے

The literal English of this phrase is "We Will let the enemy enjoy the taste of his defeat", but there should be a proverb of it in English which I am unable to find.

It is used in battle field by the leaders to encourage their soldiers for war and make them passionate to win.

It can also be used in daily life to let someone know that we can defeat our enemy for sure in a way that the enemy will remember his defeat forever and he will not be able to fight or even think of fighting against us.

Thanks

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    Translation from Urdu or Hindi is off-topic on English Language Learners. We may be able to help you find a suitable English proverb, but we would need to know not just the literal English translation of the phrase, but when it would be used and what it expresses.
    – user230
    Feb 3, 2017 at 6:16

4 Answers 4

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The OP's vivid description can be summed up in either a word or with an idiom

humiliate

VERB Make (someone) feel ashamed and foolish by injuring their dignity and pride:

‘They stripped him of his dignity and tried humiliating him by showing him throughout the world.’

The noun form, humiliation, can also be used to great effect.

‘Now it seems Scotland is determined not to endure such humiliation again.’
‘they suffered the humiliation of losing in the opening round’

  • You can make someone suffer humiliation (noun)
  • A person can be soundly defeated and feel humiliated (adjective)
  • An opponent can humiliate the adversary (verb)

licking

informal A heavy defeat or beating:

‘when his father found him, Ray got the worst licking of his life’

You can give someone a licking, or the worst licking of their life.

lick the dust

An enemy, or person who licks the dust is someone who is defeated, and is made to grovel, it was first used in the Bible

"They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust."


bring somebody/something to their knees

Sanctions were imposed in an attempt to bring the country to its knees.
The strikes brought the economy to its knees.

Use this British English metaphor to say that someone was severely beaten in a competition, race, or game e.g. He was brought to his knees, or to threaten somebody; e.g. We shall bring you to your knees,


A more informal equivalent would be

make mincemeat of somebody

(British English) to defeat someone very easily in an argument, competition, or fight

E.g. The invading army made mincemeat out of our troops.


The following American English idiom could be used for someone who boasted victory but was then defeated (in a competition or election) and proved wrong.

eating crow

Eating crow is an American colloquial idiom, meaning humiliation by admitting wrongness or having been proven wrong after taking a strong position. Crow is presumably foul-tasting in the same way that being proven wrong might be emotionally hard to swallow.

Oxford Dictionaries provide this example of usage

‘You will be eating crow for following a leader who has no intention of following through with his promises.’

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  • @SyedaZunairah my pleasure, I have to admit I enjoyed writing the answer.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Feb 3, 2017 at 9:33
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    @Mari-LouA All of these are correct, but "make mincemeat of" and "bring to their knees" are kind of old-fashioned. Similarly, you don't really hear "I'm going to give them a licking" anymore. "Lick the dust" is not quite right to my ears, but a similar expression "make them eat dirt" is. There are a number of modern expressions not mentioned yet, but I'll put those in a separate answer.
    – Andrew
    Feb 3, 2017 at 16:40
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    @Mari-LouA also "eat crow" means to make someone feel shame for a position they previously supported. It's usually used with friends or acquaintances who you want to prove wrong, and doesn't (normally) work in the context of a defeated or humiliated enemy.
    – Andrew
    Feb 3, 2017 at 16:59
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I think it's more common and idiomatic if you use the following sentence:

We'll teach you/the enemy a (good) lesson.

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  • Ok @Khan thanks alot. Still I think its better with the idiom Feb 3, 2017 at 9:59
  • @SyedaZunairah, And I think what I have said is very close to your sentence in Urdu. Subak sikhana has almost the same meaning as maza chakhana. Nevertheless, I cannot contradict the answer given by @ Mari-LouA who is a learned user of this site.
    – Khan
    Feb 3, 2017 at 14:51
  • yeah, no doubt in literal meanings it is the best one and also easier to understand. Feb 3, 2017 at 16:40
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We will make them taste defeat.

This is probably the most direct translation into English. I'm not sure if it is common but it would be understood. Other, similar expressions:

We will grind them beneath our boots

We will grind them into the dust/dirt.

Or the ever-popular:

We will kick the shit out of them.

Military commanders are free to use all kind of colorful expressions, though. If you watch modern war movies, where the commanding officer is making a speech, you will hear all kinds of interesting phrases.

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In english, let can mean either allow or make sure that. If the latter, and you are going to actively remind the enemy of their defeat (or a friend about some personal victory), you can use the expression rub someone's nose in it.

Paul didn't get into the team, and John's been rubbing his nose in it ever since.

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