/r/DoesNotTranslate

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Post quirky and niche words/phrases from foreign languages that can't easily be translated.

Welcome to Does Not Translate!

Post those quirky and niche words/phrases from foreign languages that can't easily be translated. The "Does not translate" isn't meant to be literal. It simply means we like words or phrases that don't have direct equivalents in other languages.


Format:

[Language]-"Word"-Definition

Please link to a definition

If you post a legitimate link and it does not appear, just send a mod message asking it be cleared.


Related Subs:

/r/FalseFriends

/r/languagelearning

/r/translationstudies

/r/translator

/r/Languagebuds

/r/TranslatedNews

/r/logophilia

/r/DoesNotTranslate

24,809 Subscribers

0

I'm Chilean

That means that even most of Spanish speakers doesn't understand me. Posting here will be funny.

1 Comment
2025/01/28
01:44 UTC

92

[Chinese] 为爱伸缩 - To wear a piece of clothing that’s not available in your size, because you really like it

Literally means “To expand or contract for love”.

Often seen in clothing resale posts as “为爱伸缩失败”,which is a succinct way of saying “I got this even though it’s the wrong size for me, I couldn’t make it work so now I’m selling it, that’s why it’s a different size from all my other listings”.

5 Comments
2024/12/17
06:43 UTC

33

English words with no translation

Qti Maz is an Armenian word with no direct English translation. It's used to describe someone who is overly concerned with trivial details.

There are so many words like this in other languages. In Korean, for example, there's In-yun, which describes an eternal kind of love or a past-life connection. (Yes, I just watched Past Lives-incredible movie.)

This got me thinking: are there any English words that don't directly translate into other languages? I'm a native English speaker, and l've been racking my brain all morning trying to come up with some!

42 Comments
2024/11/03
16:52 UTC

35

[Swedish] Idiotförklara – to declare to be an idiot

Pretty transparent (idiot + declare), but has a nice, kinda tongue-in-cheek ring to it.

Jag blev idiotförklarad av hela Sverige efter min insändare = I was idiot-declared by all of Sweden after my letter to the editor

4 Comments
2024/09/26
17:14 UTC

11

Croatian grandfather.

So my grandfather passed at 96, 2 years ago. He was quite the character. He had several sayings He would say through my life that he never properly translated for me, and I think that's because they were dirty. One in particular I tried to get him to translate on his death bed, but dementia had taken over and the moments of clarity just weren't long enough. I'm hoping someone here can help. I don't know how to spell the words properly so I'll spell ot out phonetically.

Die die bush o die, leap a sir-a e or I.

He always told me it meant "liar liar pants on fire..." But he started to admit that it meant "God God, please bring me a pretty woman to ****"

5 Comments
2024/09/26
02:32 UTC

79

[Chinese] 面试陪跑 - To attend a job interview where the candidate is already chosen and you are just there to maintain the illusion of fairness

Literally means “interview running companion”.

8 Comments
2024/08/19
09:21 UTC

22

[Chinese] 顺拐 (shùn guǎi): opposite-to-normal arm swing when walking

Normally when you walk, your arms move the opposite way to your legs of the same side in order to maintain balance (e.g. your right arm swings forward when your left leg takes a step). When you stretch the arm and leg of the same side when walking, it's described as 顺拐 in Chinese

7 Comments
2024/08/08
22:08 UTC

1

Cyrillic to English, apparently this is slang?

"ебало широкое"

2 Comments
2024/07/23
01:07 UTC

0

Probisvijet (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian)

I’m too fucking high to even translate this somebody help me lmao

2 Comments
2024/07/14
23:08 UTC

35

[Swedish] knyta näven i fickan - lit. 'to clench one's fist in one's pocket': to be outraged at something, but not doing anything about it

3 Comments
2024/07/09
19:27 UTC

27

[Korean] 서리 - stealing fruits or crops from farms and eating them

서리(suh-ree)/서리하다 refers to stealing foodstuffs such as fruits, veggies, and chickens from farms as a group, with the specific purpose of eating them right away. It is mostly considered a children's prank, assuming something like one watermelon was taken. Basically think of Merry and Pippin stealing Farmer Maggot's crops in Lord of the Rings.

However, If you steal foodstuffs with the purpose of selling them, it is referred to as stealing (도둑질) like any other act of stealing. The practice is likely dead in Korea at this point, since very few rural areas would have kids running around by themselves in this day and age. I remember reading about this in the 90s and it already felt like something from a bygone era, especially for a city kid. But the word lives on!

+Edited to add the pronunciation

8 Comments
2024/07/06
02:51 UTC

16

Help for a book title!!

I really need help. I am looking for a [foreign] word that encompasses the feeling that you are no longer the person you wanted to be or the person you once used to be. A feeling that you no longer know who you are. I'm writing a book about a young man whose parents are both dead, and he has become a completely different person due to the pain he's been through. He even goes by a different name. I want this word to be the title of the book.

15 Comments
2024/06/30
15:49 UTC

12

[Hebrew] קיין (kayan) - a man with large testicles.

https://he.wiktionary.org/wiki/קין . This is an ancient word, originating in the Talmud.

5 Comments
2024/06/24
20:23 UTC

0

AMA: LangX | Practice, Learn, Succeed! – A New Era in Language Learning! 🌟

0 Comments
2024/06/22
11:00 UTC

38

Looking for a single word in any language that bares a meaning similar to the expression "It is what it is', would appreciate some help

64 Comments
2024/05/12
05:04 UTC

19

[Request] burning anger caused by sadness

I’ve been unable to find a term for this, I imagine.l there isn’t a word in English for it.

Specifically, an anger brought upon by a deep sadness or despondency, or an outrage at injustice.

6 Comments
2024/04/28
14:58 UTC

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