Jayus (Indonesian) – A joke so unfunny that you can’t help but laugh. Nowadays, people generally know that these words and phrases don’t necessarily have a religious connotation to them. Words with no specific English translation keeping the same nuance or connotation. 4. The 15 words are: Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan) - A look between two people that suggests an unspoken, shared desire. 4 min read . There is no single word equivalent in Polish, so ‘jinx’ has to be translated to ‘something that brings bad luck.’, The use of ‘shallow’ to mean something that is not deep has no direct equivalent in French, so has to be translated as ‘peu profond.’ The same is true in Italian. One example is Gemütlichkeit... source: Älskade Traditioner's Page Source: Words That Cannot be Translated in English Awkward is the perfect word to describe that peculiarly British blend of embarrassment, discomfort and uncertainty that arises most often in social situations when someone has said something that they shouldn’t. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. As extensive as the English language might be, other languages continue to have many words that are completely absent! But can you translate imbranato, goffo, impacciato, maldestro, a disagio back to English? 1. Beatles is the more famous English word to the world that cannot be translated in all the languages. On the other hand, maybe it is not surprising. Insight is the ability to gain a deep, accurate and intuitive understanding of someone or something. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Global Site - English. 3. Well, here are some foreign words … ), on in somebody's country, city or home turf.Although some European languages have a word that can sometimes be used to mean chez (da in Italian, bei in German, bij in Dutch), none is as versatile as that French word. It means that when you are not really angry at someone, but you are not happy about them either. comment (5) Mike Stellar. Jinx can either refer to an object (or person) that brings bad luck, or be used as a verb. Write a comment underneath and let us know! Javascript is disabled in your browser. 'Pastry' also becomes 'massa.' Blaze Press May 13, 2014 Leave a Comment. That's why those responsible for collating it in the Oxford English Dictionary see fit to issue an update every quarter. Share Post. Here are 15 French words that we can’t directly translate into English. Tsundoku (Japanese) – When you buy a book and never get round to reading it. The word ‘off’ is hard to translate into French. The October 2019 update, for example, saw some 650 new words, phrases and senses added to the dictionary. Every language has words that can’t be translated directly into other languages. Here are some of the Filipino words that we find difficult to translate into English. Not a phase or pile of words that can be used in a similar fashion. However, due to its sociological use, the word has been exported into many other languages. As such, we thought it would be fun to add a few to this article. PAMBAHAY . There are also some English words that, while they do translate into Portuguese, lose much of their definition in the process. Serendipity This English word refers to the coincidental discovery of beneficial objects or events. We have collected some of the most interesting and accurate words that can't be translated into English. We all love words - that is why we are here reading listverse. Five Beautiful Chinese Words That Cannot Be Translated Into English. It was last updated in November 2019 **. It is defined as: "A situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, characterized by a string of blunders and miscalculations.". Firstly, the grammar is – uhm – challenging. Share. The web be filled with this. Then there's angels' share, which refers to the portion of whisky that is lost through evaporatio while the whisky ages in oak barrels - a term that non-whisky-producing countries will certainly struggle to replicate simply in their own languages. These are words which have, for the most part, not become loan words, but describe concepts we generally understand in English but need many more words to convey. Have you ever left writing a term paper for the night before it’s due? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Have you ever experienced something in life and wanted to describe that exact moment in time but didn't have an appropriate word for it? I think of good friends, cold beer, and a warm fire. Litost (Czech) – Defined by Czech writer Milan Kundera as “a state of torment created by the sudden sight of one’s own misery”. Basta. Hi! Awkward is the perfect word to describe that peculiarly British blend of embarrassment, discomfort and uncertainty that arises most often in social situations when someone has said something that they shouldn’t. 6. Some foreign words have no English equivalent, Viraha is a Hindi word with no English translation, Oodal is a Tamil word with no English translation, Odnoliub is a Russian word with no English translation, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, 10 untranslatable words from around the world, More Than Just A Word – Untranslatable Words Of Love From Around The World, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo English words that cannot be translated into anoth... Bush OKs waterboarding because he once heard drown... A windy night in Denver; RIP Broccoli – 10/06 – 5/08; Weight Loss Could Save Billions And Lower Gas Prices; Kate's Arm; Is it gay if… Doug the Bum; Torture by the Inch; 0.025 Gallon Gas Reciept; Ask HolyJuan: My wife is faking it 5. Share this blog with everyone. English words that can’t be translated by one word in French Helicopter parenting This word– used to speak about parents who pay extremely close attention to their children’s experiences and problems, particularly at educational institutions– doesn’t have an equivalent in French. And when it comes for Chinese language, it is all the more truthful. Global Site - English. INFOGRAPHIC: 15 words you cannot translate into English July 8, 2014 September 23, 2015. But there are some of the Filipino words that are quite difficult to translate into English. Grace Bains. In addition, Western English-speaking countries and Japan have many cultural differences, and those differences are … I can think of many German words. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. I recently moved to the German-speaking part of Switzerland, and as a result, I’ve been trying to pick up German, which is a tricky endeavor. Even if you don’t have any hint about Chinese language, you must be aware how different it is from English and other Western languages. Awkward is translated into italian in many words... as imbranato, goffo, impacciato, maldestro, a disagio etc so it can be translated! Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? 3 min read . Others relate to the addition of new words, phrases and senses. Filipinos always have words for everything. Many of these have evolved in the English language very recently as a result of cultural and political occurrences. Jayus (Indonesian) - A joke so poorly told and so unfunny that one cannot help but laugh. Author Info Adrián Lago. Pleeeeeeease! This is a sizeable task. Odnoliub (Russian) - Someone that only has one love in their life. Your comment will be published as soon as possible. It is a word that many other languages struggle to incorporate in quite the same way. There are up to 7,000 languages spoken across the world; and in the UK, only 14 per cent of people can speak two languages in addition to their native, according to a report by the European Union in 2012. I hate people with ignorant comments thinking they're smarter than the author. Google's free service instantly translates words, phrases, and web pages between English and over 100 other languages. Finally, we couldn't leave out xoxo. Filipinos are known for our immense skills in being creative. 1. Which English words have no equivalent in your native language? Schnapsidee (German) – A plan which is hatched when you are drunk, or a plan so ridiculous you must have been drunk when you thought it up. Another English word with no one-word French equivalent is "Peck", which translated into French is "Donner de coupe de la bec" or "Attack with the front of the beak." Home | Question Time | Something Is Up | Connecting Dots | Stay Away | Overload | Our Man in Paris | WLJ Weekly | Book Wrangler | Cobras | The Edge of the Pacific | The Surreal Beach | On Location | Botanicals | Quotes. Do you know if words in other languages that cannot be translated in English? Can you find more English words without a direct translation into Spanish? So here we have come up with a list of several Filipino words that you cannot translate into English: TAMPO. Some of the most prominent examples of phrases that cannot be directly translated into English involve Allah. Oodal (Tamil) – The fake anger lovers display following an argument. The beautifully illustrated book Lost in Translation showcases a collection of words you never knew you needed before. Languages are beautiful in the sense that they give words … You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Awkward. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. It may come as a surprise that despite the increasingly globalised society we live in and the fact that learning foreign languages are encouraged, there remains some foreign words which have no English translation. Hopefully you've learned a little in the five years since you posted. With translating them in translation showcases a collection of words that are quite to... Press May 13, 2014 Leave a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines brings! Favorite words that have no English translation not be translated into English keeping the same.. 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