English
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
Verb
cross my heart and hope to die (third-person singular simple present crosses my heart and hopes to die, present participle crossing my heart and hoping to die, simple past and past participle crossed my heart and hoped to die)
- (idiomatic, intransitive) Added to a promise or a statement to show how serious one was about being honest in what one said
Usage notes
- Most frequently used by parents for children, but also between children and in childlike situations.
- In some circles it is said to be the 'ultimate' promise a parent figure can make to a child.
Translations
Translations
- Chinese: 我对天发誓，否则不得好死
- Finnish: vannon kautta kiven ja kannon, kautta kiven ja kannon
- French: croix de bois, croix de fer, si je mens, je vais en enfer (fr)
- German: versprochen ist versprochen und wird auch nicht gebrochen
- Hungarian: isten bizony, bizony isten, úgy éljek, isten engem úgy segéljen, isten látja lelkemet, ide a rozsdás bökőt
- Italian: giurin giurello, tutto il mondo è bello, ma la mia parola è la più bella di tutte, giuro su quello che ho di più caro
- Japanese: 嘘ついたら針千本飲ます (うそついたらはりせんぼんのます, uso tsuitara hari senbon nomasu)
- Korean: 거짓말하면 천대 맞기 (geojinmalhamyeon cheondae matgi)
- Polish: z ręką na sercu (pl)
- Portuguese: juro pela minha vida
- Romanian: zău (ro), mă jur pe ce am mai scump, mă jur pe ce am mai sfânt, să mor eu, să moară mama, să n-am noroc
- Russian: зуб даю (zub daju)
- Spanish: cruces de madera, que si miento me muera (Spain), palabra de honor (Spain), lo juro por la Virgencita de Guadalupe (Mexico), lo juro por mi madre (Mexico)
- Turkish: ekmeğim düşmanım olsun
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See also