What does Margu say in Klaus?

During the Christmas season, what better to lift the mood than a binge-worthy, light-hearted animated Christmas film? Klaus (2019) is Netflix’s Christmas adventure comedy film that traces back the origin of the beloved character, Santa Claus. Claus is what has inspired the film’s name- Klaus.

Led by a lazy and spoiled postman, Jesper Johansen, he is sent to the isolated town of Smeerensburg, where two rival communities are locked in a long-standing feud and refuse to speak to each other.

His father gives him a tough task: deliver 6,000 letters and set up a post office there.

However, since no one in the town communicates with one another, delivering letters seems almost impossible. This makes his mission challenging. How can he finish the job of posting letters when people won’t even talk? That’s when he met Klaus (a lonely woodsman who lives outside the town and makes toys).

Soon, a chain of goodwill begins when Klaus suggests that Jesper deliver toys to the children. At the same time, Jesper devises a plan. He encourages the kids to write letters to Santa, sharing the main idea of their wishes.

This is how the tradition of Santa Claus continues, and even helps Jesper reach his letter goals in the film.  

Amidst all this is the character Margu, a little Sámi girl who doesn't speak the town’s language. The language barrier causes her not to write the letters, and that’s when Jesper helps her out.

Margu belongs to the Sámi community, who live in the northern regions of Norway.

Their community is the first to join Santa’s gift-giving journey. According to reports by Polygon, the creators did not turn the Sámi people into elves, who are usually shown as Santa’s companions.

Director Sergio Pablos told Polygon that he wanted Margu to speak Sámi to bring authenticity to the community on screen.

So, the team chose a real Sámi child, Neda Labba, from Tromsø, Norway, to voice Margu. Pablo and Neda communicated through translators during the recording.

This real-life experience helped shape the scenes between Jesper and Margu, where they form a bond despite the language barrier.

Recently, many people have been wondering what Margu actually said in the Sámi language while speaking to Jesper.

This article lists her dialogues from different scenes in the film, along with their translation.

What did Margu say in the Klaus? 

The dialogue’s translation is picked up via a Reddit thread trending online. 

39:10 – Posso ter um brinquedo?
Translation: Can I have a toy?

39:22 – Poderia eu também ter um, por favor?
Translation: Could I also have one, please?

54:04 – Olá carteiro
Translation: Hello, postman

54:12 – Pode falar comigo agora, então?
Translation: Can you speak with me now, then?

1:00:00 – Eu esperei (tanto) tempo
 Translation: I’ve waited for (so) long

1:00:10 – Você vai me ajudar? Finalmente!
Translation: Are you going to help me? Finally!

1:00:14 – Eu não acho que você me entende
Translation: I don’t think you understand me

1:00:53 – Você é burro.
Translation:  You are a dummy

1:01:20 – Eu realmente gostaria de um brinquedo
Translation:  I would really like a toy

1:01:39 – Eu gostaria de um trenó.
Translation: I would like a sleigh, a biiig sleigh

1:01:46 – Ele é um pouco idiota, certo?
Translation: He’s a little bit of a dummy, right?

1:04:29 – (Margu) - Mãe, pai! Ele veio, ele veio!
Translation: (Margu) - Mom, Dad! He came, he came! 

(Pai) - Oh, que trenó legal!
Translation: Oh, what nice sleigh! 

(Mãe) - É frio, você deveria colocar o chapéu. E não deslize muito rápido
Translation: (Mother): It’s cold, you should put on your hat. And don’t sleigh too fast

1:04:41 – Assim é como você trenó (difícil de ouvir)
Translation: This is how you sleigh (difficult to hear)

01:10:48 – Foi ele quem me ajudou
Translation:  It was he who helped me

(Pai) - Ouvimos que você pode precisar de ajuda
Translation: (Father) - We heard that you might need help

(Mãe) - Obrigado! Você a fez tão feliz
Translation: (Mother) - Thank you! You made her so happy

(Pai) - No três! Um, dois, três!
Translation: (Father) - On three! One, two, three!

1:12:58 – Oh Deus, ele mal se encaixa (algo) ele é um homem grande
Translation: Oh gosh, it barely fits (something), he is a big man

1:15:06 – O que está acontecendo?
Translation: What is happening?

1:17:26 – Jesper! Não vá, Jesper! Jesper…
Translation: Jesper! Don’t go, Jesper! Jesper, (I don’t understand)