Some words and phrases in the English language cannot be precisely translated into other languages. Certain words can be translated into some languages, but not others. Sometimes other languages need to use a close substitute to translate it. And other words and phrases just exist in English.
- jinx – cannot be translated into Italian or Polish with a single word. The Polish language needs to use a translation for “something that brings bad luck.”
- awkward – has no equivalent in Italian. The closest is scomodo, meaning uncomfortable.
- shallow (meaning superficial) has no Italian equivalent.
- insight – has no direct Spanish translation.
- nice – is a vague word that can have a subtle range of different meanings that many other languages cannot reproduce.
- put – has no German equivalent. Germans use place, set, or lay for translating.
- off- is hard to translate into French. The translation is covered by de, but de means more of, from, or by.
- bully – there is no Portuguese word for bully. Maybe there are no bullies in Portugal or Brazil!
- fortnight – this British English term, meaning two weeks, has no translation into American English.
These words and phrases don’t have translations into any (or many) languages:
- serendipity – a coincidental discovery of something beneficial.
- about to go down (as in Things are about to go down at Twitter today).
- tabling an item – office talk
- bandwagon – I guess you can’t get on it in other languages.
- cold turkey
- flabbergasted
- silly
- scroll (used as a verb)
- spam – something undesirable but plentiful. And yes, the word does come from that disgusting meat in a can (sorry, Hawaii).
- cheesy (not the pizza kind, but the “insincere” or “of poor quality” kind).
- gobbledygook – the lack of translation is understandable!
- pimp
- hillbilly
- brouhaha (a noisy big deal)
- facepalm
- baloney (not the sandwich king, which is bologna)
- bamboozle
- trade-off
And there are probably many more!
Fun to read– thank you.
I love the Spanish translation of anti- (or counter-) clockwise.
“en el sentido contrario al de las agujas del reloj”
Really trips off the tongue, doesn’t it?
😉
I’m looking for a word in English to give a name to the relationship I have with my sister-in-law. We are divorced from two brothers. Thanks for a fun column!
Thank you! You might have to make up that word — or maybe it exists??
Sister Outlaws?
A definite possibility. I used to call my mother’s in-laws, the outlaws.
Great list. Thanks!
You’re welcome!