Tag Archives: untranslatable words
The German Word ‘Sitzfleisch’ Posted by Constanze on Oct 31, 2018
Guten Tag! Today I’d like to talk about another ‘untranslatable’ German word, namely: Sitzfleisch. This is a word that has been adopted by the English language, too, and which some think explains the German people’s efficient and productive nature. But before we get into that, let’s look at the word in more detail. Das Sitzfleisch…
Untranslatable German Words: Der Saftladen Posted by Sten on Jul 24, 2018
In our series on untranslatable words, we look at words in German that have no direct English equivalent. Today, we look at the curious, but enjoyable Saftladen. What does Saftladen mean? According to the Duden, a Saftladen is a: “schlecht geführter Betrieb; schlecht geführter, schlecht sortierter Laden” (badly managed establishment; badly managed, badly assorted establishment) So basically, a Saftladen Nichtskönner is a place…
German Words For All Seasons Posted by Constanze on Jul 4, 2018
Guten Tag! So if you’re not already aware, German is full of amazing words for concepts we would need several words to describe in English. This is because of the German language’s ability to create compound nouns. Today I’d like to show you a few words for concepts that do exist in English, but which…
German Similes To Make You Smile Posted by Constanze on Jun 13, 2018
Guten Tag! After what feels like a lot of grammar and vocabulary posts from me, it’s time for something a little more light-hearted. Today I’d like to bring you a quirky German phrase. The phrase is: grinsen wie ein Honigkuchenpferd. Grinsen wie ein Honigkuchenpferd This phrase translates to ‘To smile like a honey cake horse’…
Untranslatable German Words: der Schickimicki Posted by Sten on May 3, 2018
A friend of mine told me this week: “Schickimicki is one of my favorite German words!” It made me realize, it is quite a cute word! It also made me wonder: How would you accurately translate it to English? It is harder than you might think. Let’s go! Click here for previous posts in this series of…
The Curiosity of the Word “Handy” Posted by Sten on Apr 19, 2018
Last weekend, we looked at the word USB-Stick, a so-called Scheinanglizismus (pseudo-anglicism), an English-looking word, that actually has no, or not the same, meaning in the English language. I thought it would be fun to dive a little deeper into these Scheinanglizismen. Today, we look at the German word Handy. Handy? Yes. Handy. Previous installments of Curious Words The Curiosity…
German Car-Related Words Posted by Constanze on Apr 18, 2018
Guten Tag! Germany is world-famous for its cars, so it’s no wonder that there are several, quirky German words and phrases related to vehicles and driving in general. Today I’d like to introduce you to a few of these words and phrases! The first word is das Elefantenrennen. This literally translates to ‘elephant running’ and…