Thread: Wannabe?

Hi everyone, I would like to know... how do you translate 'wannabe'? is it something like 'aspirante'? Please forgive my ignorance haha

Thanks Hebe, I hear that term a lot in songs and tv shows and I'm really curious about it...

I've never heard "wannabe" used in any way but as a negative remark that implies that the "wannabe" will NEVER be as good, successful, talented, etc. as the person or thing the "wannabe" is emulating. Let's say that I am president of a software company that I hope will some day be as successful as Microsoft. I call my firm Cybersoft, my logo may look like Microsoft's, etc. Will the firm ever be remotely as successful as Microsoft? Probably not. Chances are it will always be just a "wannabe". If you met someone who dressed like Chayanne, sang like Chayanne, and called himself Shyanne, he would probably be a "wannabe" too. If a child dresses like what he thinks a cowboy looks like or maybe he wears a white coat and pretends to be a doctor, we say he is playing. If an adult does it, he's a "wannabe".

No sé cúal sería un buen equivalente en español, pero "aspirante" me parece muy débil y adulto. Un "wannabe" casi da tristeza por su modo de ser.

Thanks a lot guys, you deserve some reputation points

Probablemente no pueda traducirse en solo una palabra... de todas formas me gustaría no quedarme solo con el sentido despectivo del término sino pensar que fue adoptado de ese modo por el uso cotidiano =/

I am new to the forum so I may have a different viewpoint. I think you can use the term wannabe (this spelling) in English and Spanish or perhaps more correctly in Spanglish and Espanglish. The term has entrenched itself into the American Latino dialect from Pandilla and Rap influences when referring to a young person who associates regularly with the gang members but is not officially a part of the gang.

Joel El Detective

Originally Posted by El Detective

I am new to the forum so I may have a different viewpoint. I think you can use the term wannabe (this spelling) in English and Spanish or perhaps more correctly in Spanglish and Espanglish. The term has entrenched itself into the American Latino dialect from Pandilla and Rap influences when referring to a young person who associates regularly with the gang members but is not officially a part of the gang.

Joel El Detective

Thank you for your explanation Detective! It is very interesting, because slang words' meanings are very difficult to find. The urban dictionary says something like Thomas says and I found it quite negative. I don't really think wannabe has a positive cognotation.
What do you think?

As Hebe pointed out there are some uses where it is not specifically negative but an indication of a person who has not yet achieved the wanted status. In my field gang member wannabes usually have status among the "gang bangers" in that they are trusted and allowed to share in gang commuity activites but are not yet fully acepted. Here, the wannabe status provides protection from outsiders and status among peers. Definitely not a negative in their eyes.

Joel El Detective

Thanks Joel! that was just what I expected to hear (read), I was looking forward to a non-negative definition of Wannabe =P

I really appreciate your help guys =)