Hi
There is a very common expression in my language whose literal translation in English would be something like this:
keep someone's heart
Or
hearten someone
We use this expression when someone does something only for someone else. A man goes to a party only because his wife wants to go there. A mother goes to the cinema to watch a film (she hates) only because her daughter likes it.
So, we use the expression this way.
- He only danced there because he wanted to keep his wife's heart/ hearten his wife.
- As a husband, you really don't know how to keep a heart.
I am sure the red parts are not natural English. Could you please tell me an equivalent?
Thanks,
Tom
Comments
He wanted to stay in her good graces.
He went for her sake.
Thanks, Anon.
I did a bit of research and also found this. Does the following sentence sound natural to you?
('Angry' wife)
You don't even know how to win your wife's heart.
Or
You could learn to do things for other people's sake.
Are the red parts OK?
Tom
No. Winning a heart is a one-shot deal. That's how he got her to marry his sorry self.
OK.