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Uns wird schon was einfallen

is translated into

We'll come up with something

How? I can force myself to understand by (in English):

uns : to us
wird : will be
schon : already
was : something
einfallen : happen

==> To us, there is what is given.
Is my understanding correct?

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7
  • if you don't know how to solve a problem yet, but you're sure you will find a solution, you say this. something like "we will find an answer"
    – Tommylee2k
    Nov 22, 2017 at 13:17
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    I recommend DeepL.
    – IQV
    Nov 22, 2017 at 13:36
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    You chose two wrong word-translations: schon translates to presumably and einfallen is so different from to happen, that I can't imagine a context where they match.
    – guidot ♦
    Nov 22, 2017 at 14:04
  • Ok, I got that.
    – Chan Kim
    Nov 22, 2017 at 15:36
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    Don't try to translate word for word, it rarely works
    – PiedPiper
    Nov 22, 2017 at 21:35

3 Answers 3

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First of all: was here is short for [irgend]etwas, hence your translation to something is correct.

Einfallen can have different meanings, but happen is none of them. The right meaning here is come to mind.

I don't see how you got from your word-translations to the last sentence, a more literal translation than We'll come up with something could be

Something will come to our mind.

Schon, according to Duden can express emotional empowerment, but has no literal translation in this context, so let's just ignore it for now.

I am not sure if I answered your question properly, please let me know if you have further questions.

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    Thanks for the meaning of was and einfall. And I think 'come up with ..' has the same meaning with 'manage to devise and idea' or 'use anything that comes to our mind'. Your answer definately helped perfectly.
    – Chan Kim
    Nov 22, 2017 at 15:35
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„Uns wird schon was einfallen“ in an optimistic term that carrys a bit of „We’ll think about that when we get there“ as well as „Don't worry, everything will be fine“. A free translation could be „We will find a way.“ That is including you don’t know yet what the solution will be while you are saying it, but you still believe (or want people to believe) you will find it in time. „wird“ (werden) is just indicating the future here. „einfallen“ is the verb to „Einfall“ which may be translated as „idea“ but also „inspiration“. It has the idea of something coming to you (your mind) from outside, so „inspiration“ in a less generalized understanding might be even closer.

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  • Yes, thank. To add it, I think schon here implies that the good idea didn't come up yet, but it's almost like already has come up, showing how sure the speaker is. Do you agree?
    – Chan Kim
    Nov 23, 2017 at 6:38
  • I would rather go with presumably as a translation of schon. Schon here describes that the person is confident, that something will come to their mind.
    – RoyPJ
    Nov 23, 2017 at 8:27
  • I too would say here that schon expresses the speaker's confidence. So if you really want to include it in the translation you could go with "I'm sure we will find a way."
    – RHa
    Nov 24, 2017 at 15:53
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"Einfallen" literally means "fall into." As Roy pointed out, that "fall into" could mean "fall into mind." And I would translate "schon" as "yet" in this context.

So a literal translation could be, "To us something will yet fall into mind," which translates more idiomatically into "We'll come up with something."

It could also mean, "Things will yet fall into place (for us)."

"Happen" has a "remote" relation to "einfallen." As a translation, I wouldn't consider it totally wrong, but I wouldn't consider it completely correct either.

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