If you’ve learned a foreign language (or several), or just taken high school Spanish, French or German, you’ve come across words and phrases that do not translate. They just don’t have an exact translation.
Professionals like those at TrueLanguage are adept at creating precise translations for legal documents, e-learning materials, business documentation, or websites. They know that there are words and phrases for which no exact translation exists, and their job is to know the appropriate words or phrases that can convey the original intent.
That skill takes deep knowledge and experience.
If you’re reading this article, you most likely understand why it’s important to use professional translators who comprehend the idiosyncrasies of the languages they’ve mastered. Translation professionals understand languages with all the quirks and differences that set them apart from each other. And as you know, some words and phrases just do not translate.
Here is a sampling of words from around the world that are either impossible to translate with great accuracy, or just extremely hard to deal with.
Toska is a Russian word that describes spiritual anguish. Author Vladimir Nabokov said, “No single word in English renders all the shades of toska.” Melancholy, anguish, sadness with no cause, a non-specific longing – these come close but there is no direct translation.
What word would you use to describe a state of pain and torment caused by a glimpse into one’s own misery? For a Czech speaker, that word is litost. A fun fact – Czech is, of course, spoken in the Czech Republic, but it’s also recognized as a minority language in Poland, Serbia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Austria.
I’m sure this has happened to you on many occasions. A joke was so poorly told that you couldn’t stop laughing at how bad it was. Apparently, that’s a common enough experience in India that they have a word for it – jayus.
It’s truly unfortunate to look worse after a haircut than you did before, and the Japanese have a word for it. Age-otori.
Who hasn’t thought of a witty rejoinder to a comment or question? Now, who has thought of a great comeback later when it’s too late? The French call this l’esprit de l’escalier. Literally “staircase wit.”
I’m sure you’ve stepped outside to see if someone was coming. How would you describe that in one word? In the Inuit language, you’d use the word iksuarpok.
The German language has several great words that fit our category. Schadenfreude, or deriving pleasure from another person’s misfortune, is one that has found common use in other languages. (A side note – those types of words are known as loan words.) A word from German not in common use in other languages is Backpfeifengesicht. Translated, it refers to a face in need of a fist. I’m sure you may have encountered a Backpfeifengesicht in your life, but it’s not going to find its way into business translations for the most part.
This article has presented a small taste of the different words that could cause confusion in foreign-language readers and possibly cause you to lose them as customers or associates. The takeaway? When you need a translation service, always rely on professionals who know the most appropriate words for translating your content and preserving its essential meaning in the target language.
Please check back in two weeks for our next article. We’ll be talking more about this subject, as well as loan words, and providing some fascinating examples. If you’re looking for translation professionals who know the true meaning and precise cultural context of key words, expressions, and terms in their native language, and who can translate your materials effectively, contact us at TrueLanguage. We’re here to help.
