Tag Archives: untranslatable words
The Curiosity of the Word “USB-Stick” Posted by Sten on Apr 14, 2018
You know the words “flash drive”, “pen drive”, “thumb drive” – but “USB-Stick”? No, that is not a way to refer to the little, helpful memory – at least not in English. But in… German? How did such an English-sounding word make it in the German language, even though it is not related to the English…
The German Heimat Posted by Constanze on Apr 4, 2018
The concept of Heimat is often referred to as a uniquely German concept that cannot be adequately translated – even though it seems like a fairly straight-forward word. On first glance, you see the word das Heim (home) in there, and although Heimat does mean home, this word talks about quite a different concept of…
German In Horse Riding: Losgelassenheit Posted by Constanze on Mar 21, 2018
Hello and welcome to another post on untranslatable German words, in which I bring you the quirkiest, most unusual words the German language has to offer – ones which there are often not a direct translation for! Today we are discussing a German word used in English: die Losgelassenheit. What is die Losgelassenheit? Die Losgelassenheit…
Untranslatable German Words: Verschlimmbesserung Posted by Constanze on Oct 18, 2017
Guten Tag, and welcome to another ‘untranslatable words’ post! This is a series where we look at words unique to the German language, and try to find an equivalent English translation for them. So without further ado, today’s word is: die Verschlimmbesserung. What does die Verschlimmbesserung mean? Die Verschlimmbesserung describes an action that is supposed…
3 Lazy German Words Posted by Constanze on Aug 30, 2017
Guten Tag! Today I’d like to bring you not one, not two, but three ‘untranslatable German words’ for your amusement. These are words that do not have a direct translation in English, and are often rather interesting and/or quirky. It’s rainy and dull here today, and I’m sure many people just want to be at…
Untranslatable German: Das Backpfeifengesicht Posted by Constanze on Jul 26, 2017
Guten Tag and welcome to another ‘untranslatable words’ post, where I bring you the quirkiest words the German language has to offer. Today’s word is a popular one that was requested by a reader: das Backpfeifengesicht. What is the meaning of das Backpfeifengesicht? A Backpfeifengesicht is the word for a face you don’t like…
Untranslatable German Words: Tante-Emma-Laden Posted by Sten on May 18, 2017
We all have this Großmutter (grandmother), Onkel (uncle) or Tante (aunt) that complains that all the big Supermarktketten (supermarket chains) are taking over, and there is no space left on the market for the small shops, wie es früher mal war (like it once was back in the day). So as a sign of resistance, Tante Emma opened her own little grocery store. That is a Tante-Emma-Laden…