{"id":1564,"date":"2023-11-27T21:39:03","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T20:39:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jktranslate.com\/?p=1564"},"modified":"2024-03-03T21:37:45","modified_gmt":"2024-03-03T20:37:45","slug":"words-and-concepts-that-dont-translate-well-in-other-languages","status":"publish","type":"blogs","link":"https:\/\/jktranslate.com\/en\/words-and-concepts-that-dont-translate-well-in-other-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"Words and Concepts that Don\u2019t Translate Well in Other Languages"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part of being a good translator is understanding the subtle nuances of language. As anyone who has tried to rely solely on Google Translate can tell you, understanding a language takes more than a list of word definitions and grammar rules. One of the benefits of using a\u00a0trusted translating service like JK Translate<\/a>\u00a0is that our translators understand these nuances and can help bridge people who speak different languages. Part of building that bridge is knowing how to explain ideas that may be foreign to other cultures. To illustrate what we mean, here are some words and concepts that don\u2019t translate well in other languages.<\/p>\n

Idioms and Other Sayings<\/h2>\n

I hate to \u201clet the cat out of the bag,\u201d \u201cburst your bubble,\u201d or \u201crain on your parade,\u201d but idioms and phrases that are common in one culture often don\u2019t translate well into other languages. When an expression has a connotation beyond its literal meaning, then you can expect things to get lost in translation. In Swedish, there is a saying \u201cAtt glida in p\u00e5 en r\u00e4kmacka.\u201d The literal translation is\u00a0 \u201cTo slide in on a shrimp sandwich.\u201d but it refers to somebody who didn\u2019t have to work to get where they are.\u00a0In French<\/a>, there is an idiom that goes, \u201cSe regarder en chiens de fa\u00efence.\u201d The literal translation,\u00a0 \u201cTo look at each other like earthenware dogs.\u201d, may be confusing, but it basically means to look at each other coldly, with distrust.<\/p>\n

Highly Specific Situational Words<\/h2>\n

Some situations are so ubiquitous that everyone experiences them at some point or another. Some languages have specific words to describe these highly specific situations, and these words often don\u2019t translate easily. In the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego, the word \u201cmamihlapinatapai\u201d captures that unique look shared between two people, when both are wishing that the other would do something that they both want, but neither want to do. In Thai, \u201cgreng-jai\u201d expresses the feeling you get when you don\u2019t want someone to do something for you because it would be a pain for them. In Indondensian, there\u2019s a word for that old trick where you tap someone lightly on the opposite shoulder from behind to fool them; It\u2019s \u201cmencolek.\u201d The Japanese even have a word for doing nothing, \u201cboketto,\u201d which describes the act of gazing vacantly into the distance without thinking. Sometimes, these phrases can cross cultures with time. Most people in the United States are familiar with the idea of \u201cdeja vu,\u201d the feeling that you\u2019ve experienced a situation before, which is a phrase with French origins.<\/p>\n

Words to Describe Certain Kinds of People<\/h2>\n

Languages throughout the world have invented clever ways to describe people by their behavior or how you feel about them. For example, people in France may describe someone as \u201cSeigneur-terraces\u201d, which describe coffee shop dwellers who sit at tables a long time but spend little money. Similarly,\u00a0the Germans<\/a>\u00a0have \u201cbackpfeifengesicht\u201d to describe a face badly in need of a fist. A \u201ckaelling\u201d in Danish refers to a parent who loudly berates their children in public.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fun to see the different ways multiple languages handle different concept. Something that is considered unremarkable in one culture is deserving of a specific word in another. When working with a language barrier, it\u2019s vital to have a translation team that helps you understand any words or concepts that don\u2019t translate well.\u00a0If you need translation services, JK Translate can help<\/a>. Our team can accurately translate more the 35 languages with attention to detail and nuance.\u00a0Send us a message online<\/a>\u00a0if you need help with any translation issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part of being a good translator is understanding the subtle nuances of language. As anyone who has tried to rely solely on Google Translate can tell you, understanding a language takes more than a list of word definitions and grammar rules.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5430,"parent":0,"template":"","categories":[],"class_list":["post-1564","blogs","type-blogs","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jktranslate.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blogs\/1564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jktranslate.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blogs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jktranslate.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blogs"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jktranslate.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blogs\/1564\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jktranslate.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jktranslate.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jktranslate.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}