Need a translation, please?

[Viitala2012]

Good afternoon, I am working on a remembrance tattoo. My Grandfather was from Finland and he and my gram have passed. Unfortunately, no one in the family learned the language. I would like to get "The memories are in my heart forever". I know what the online translators give, but was hoping to verify the validity of what I got from those. Thanks!

[Jukka Aho]

Good afternoon, I am working on a remembrance tattoo. My Grandfather was from Finland and he and my gram have passed. Unfortunately, no one in the family learned the language. I would like to get "The memories are in my heart forever". I know what the online translators give, but was hoping to verify the validity of what I got from those. Thanks! :)

A nice gesture, but I would suggest against taking a tattoo in a language you don’t know by heart.

There are a number of ways to convey the idea — including idiomatic or poetic expressions — but a straightforward word-for-word translation might end up sounding clumsy. Are you planning to accompany the text with a picture or some other element that would help make the connection to your grandparents? Or is it just going to be the text?

Whatever you do, please do not trust online translators for anything important, much less for translating text you would be displaying on your skin more or less permanently. The online translators will easily produce comically incorrect or unintelligible gibberish, much like the ”English“ you see at Engrish.com. (You might want to check out Hanzismatter as well for some cautionary examples.)

[linforcer]

Man, that sounds like an awful idea. I mean, I know you didn't come here to hear that, as I'm sure you've thought it through.

I'm here learning Finnish so I can't give you the translation. I would if I could (regardless of my opinions).

[painajainen]

Yeah it might be a bit dangerous to have a tattoo done in a language you don't know, but to me that sounds like a cool gesture, and if you're anyway gonna do it, here's a decent translation (so that you won't go fooling around with Google Translate!): "muistot säilyvät sydämessäni" - the memories are stored in my heart. I know it sounds really stupid as a direct translation but that'd be an idiomatic translation. And in that sentence you don't need the word "always" since säilyä already includes the thought that they'll be there always.

I think that'd be actually a sentence most Finns would misspell, since you pronounce that "sydäMMessäni" but write only with a single M.

But you can trust me I'm a native speaker and a grammar nazi.

[Upphew]

But you can trust me I'm a native speaker and a grammar nazi.

Siulla on kaks ämmää sydämmessäs!!

[Pursuivant]

I'd do something "originally finnish" like mummo & vaari or äijö & ämmi in a lover's heart... well, I'd maybe put perkele...

[Pursuivant]

"muistot säilyvät sydämessäni" - the memories are stored in my heart. I know it sounds really stupid as a direct translation

It sounds stupid in Finnish too. Pickled memories in a heart-shaped cellar.

[heffer]

"The memories are in my heart forever"

The memories = Muistot
are in = ovat
(my) heart = sydämessäni
forever = ikuisesti

-> Muistot ovat sydämessäni ikuisesti

There you go.

[heffer]

Muistot ovat sydämessäni ikuisesti

There you go.

[jahasjahas]

Muistot ovat sydämessäni ikuisesti

There you go.

Except it sounds pretty awkward. My vote goes to the earlier "muistot säilyvät sydämessäni".

Though if nobody's going to understand the text anyway, OP could use something like "Aja hiljaa sillalla" which at least looks nice.

[AldenG]

Tuli tuli tuulen siivillä.