cross my heart and hope to die

English

Alternative forms

• cross my heart
• cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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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)

1. (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
• 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: 약속하다 (ko) (yaksokhada), 맹세하다 (ko) (maengsehada)
• 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
• Spanish: lo juro por mi vida
• Turkish: haç çıkarıp ölmeyi yeğlerim

See also

• pinky swear