Best foreign words

[Skeptisk]

Sometimes other languages have words that aren’t directly translatable in English. I expect it works the other way too.

German seems to have loads of them.

I just learnt a new one today: Drachenfutter. The literal translation is dragon food but the actual meaning is the gifts you buy your other half to placate them after you have screwed up!

Kummerspeck is another great one: literally worry bacon but it means the fat you put on from comfort eating.

[Exiled Imp]

Could be wrong, but I would say those are metaphors, which often do not translate.

"Gambatte" in Japanese is difficult to translate as a single word in English

[threespires]

Je donne ma langue au chat.
I give my tongue to the cat.

Meaning - I give up.

[popeyewhite]

I am sorry

Not really 'foreign' but ancient English from the 20th century.

[Lefty]

Zwaffel, zwafellen, zwaffelt

The cloggies here will know what I mean

[vixen1700]

Always been a fan of 'bat' in German since doing it at school:

[HairyMaclary]

Korwa gets used in our house and none of us are Polish.

[Roofless Toothless]

I believe that traditionally the best example of this kind of imported untranslatable word is schadenfreude, which means in German taking pleasure in another’s misfortune. Sadly, this doesn’t appear to me a shining reflection on the German personality, though I am sure this is unjustified.

My own favourite, from Spanish, is simpatico, a word we do not have that sums up a person that is charming, likeable and easy to get along with.

[Frankthered]

vixen1700 said:

Always been a fan of 'bat' in German since doing it at school:

Yes, that's a good one!

I always thought strassenbahnhaltestelle was a very long-winded way to say tram stop.

[Doofus]

Krankenhaus

[119]

is universal I believe.

[Roofless Toothless]

Frankthered said:

Yes, that's a good one!

I always thought strassenbahnhaltestelle was a very long-winded way to say tram stop.

German has lots of words like this. They are called composite words as they are built up from a series of shorter words strung together. I always enjoy, Earschplittenloudenbangen, which means an atomic bomb, and Schneissentite, which is German for a Virgin.

[Doofus]

Any opportunity to post this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3_tRPRt9x8

[CanAm]

I wish I could remember the word in Gaelic that Dave Allen was describing in one of his shows. Rather like some words quoted above, he said, "It doesn't have a literal translation into English; it's rather like the Spanish word 'Mañana', though it doesn't convey the same sense of urgency."

[Batfoy]

vixen1700 said:

Always been a fan of 'bat' in German since doing it at school:

I think that literally means flying mouse if I'm not mistaken. Always went well with the gag about the German for Batmobile - Fledermauswagen or flying mouse car.

'Quick Robin, to the flying mouse car!'

[NDA]

Fingerspitzengefühl is always a good one to throw into a sentence.

[Turtle Shed]

I'm learning German, and I must thank that nation for the word "Morgenmuffel".

[vaud]

German normally wins due to compound words

Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung

[fly by wire]

G P T

pronounced j'ai pété

I have farted

[TGCOTF-dewey]

Backpfeifengesicht - a face in need of fist / slap.

My favourite German word.