A TikToker has recently shared a funny story about his friend from the Czech Republic not knowing the word for a moth, after they had infested a cupboard, so instead described them as “cupboard birds”.
For those who don’t have English as their first language, there are many words that can be a struggle, which leads to them trying their best to come up with an alternative word or phrase.The TikTok video led to a string of comments from others who have experienced the same situation.
But did you know that some words and phrases in the English language can’t be translated into any other language?
The team at Preply have shared 8 words and phrases that have no translation to another language, and are completely lost in translation.
Serendipity
Serendipity refers to the occurrence of delightful discoveries that happen by chance or accident, often while searching for something completely different. It embodies the idea of finding something unexpected and favourable when you least expect it.
Unfortunately, this concept can be difficult to convey in foreign languages. For example, in French, the word “heureux hasard” is the closest translation to serendipity. Although the French term conveys the concept of good luck, its literal translation as “happy accident” doesn’t fully encompass the profound sense of unexpectedness and delight that serendipity embodies.
It’s about to go down
The phrase “go down” is literal, something quite literally going down. However, the term “about to go down” has a whole different meaning, and instead indicates that an exciting or significant event or situation is about to happen imminently.
At one point, this term generally conveyed criminal intent, but today, it can refer to any noteworthy event, such as a business deal, a party, or an argument, for example.
Unfortunately, this term can’t be directly translated. The phrase “something is about to happen” doesn’t convey the urgency and excitement tied to the phrase “it’s about to go down”.
Bandwagon
The literal meaning of the word “bandwagon” is a wagon that carries the band for a circus. However, in today’s society, it has another meaning entirely. It references brief trends that are easy to adopt and easier to abandon, that many people adopt at once.
You will have definitely heard “jumping on the bandwagon” in English before, but you won’t have heard the equivalent in any other languages.
Insight
Insight is a sudden understanding or realisation that brings clarity and deeper understanding about a specific issue or situation, often resulting in a new perspective or solution. It involves gaining a profound and often unexpected understanding, which can lead to valuable discoveries or breakthroughs.
With the word being quite difficult to define in English, it’s no surprise that there are no definite translations of the word.
Cold turkey
Linguists believe that the phrase “cold turkey”, originally from Canada, does not pertain to the post-thanksgiving meal enjoyed by many Americans. Instead, it describes the act of abruptly quitting a habit or addiction without any other assistance, emphasising the challenging nature of the process.
The phrase does not, unfortunately, have an equivalent in other languages except English, so it’s very difficult for it to be translated.
Flabbergasted
The origin of the word “flabbergasted,” which denotes a state of extreme astonishment bordering on shock, is elusive in English etymology and is believed to potentially stem from the combination of “flabber” and “aghast.” Over time, the term has acquired humorous or sarcastic undertones, adding a playful dimension to its meaning.
Again, this term has no concrete translation in any other language, and is exclusively English.
Old School
The term “old school” goes beyond simply indicating something is old; it specifically refers to items or ideas from a different era that are still recognisable and familiar. For instance, music enthusiasts might label 80s music as “old school,” but they wouldn’t typically use the term for 1700s waltzes.
Often associated with nostalgia, “old school” evokes sentiments of longing from those who miss aspects of the relatively recent past. However, this term isn’t used in other languages.
Go pear-shaped
Typically employed by British English speakers, this idiom is believed to have originated from Royal Air Force pilots. Allegedly, during the 1940s, RAF pilots found it highly frustrating when attempting aerial manoeuvres, as their intended circular patterns would often result in an irregular oval or “pear-shape” instead. Nowadays, it’s commonly used to describe something going wrong.
However, because this idiom is so culturally specific, you could call an attempted translation of this pretty pear-shaped.
