Why are some words difficult to translate? (2024)

Why are some words difficult to translate?

Translation can also be difficult because of cultural differences. Words often reflect the culture and the society that use them. Therefore, words that are able to describe very specific things or emotions might now exist in other languages.

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(TED-Ed)

Why do some words not translate?

Words that are untranslatable normally are tied to an experience that is unique to a specific culture or society. An example of an untranslatable word is komorebi, a Japanese word that refers to the sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees.

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(Denglisch Docs)

What is the most difficult word to translate?

Interestingly, the hardest word in the world to translate is Ilunga. This word belongs to the Luba-Kasai or Tshiluba language, which is spoken by more than 6 million speakers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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(Ilham Febri)

What words Cannot be translated?

These Words Can't Be Translated Into English
  • Iktsuarpok – Inuit. ...
  • Prozvonit – Czech. ...
  • Aware – Japanese. ...
  • Utepils – Norwegian. ...
  • Extrawunsch – German. ...
  • Toska – Russian. ...
  • Voorpret – Dutch. ...
  • Tartle – Scottish.

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(Raihan Maulana)

What is it called when a word doesn't translate?

Untranslatability is the property of text or speech for which no equivalent can be found when translated into another language. A text that is considered to be untranslatable is considered a lacuna, or lexical gap. The term arises when describing the difficulty of achieving the so-called perfect translation.

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(ZReaX Studios)

What are the limits of translation?

On an average, it is estimated that a human translator can translate 200-250 words in an hour. This corresponds to 1000-1500 words per day, considering breaks, checks etc. If your document is made up of 10,000 words or more, it would easily take 10 working days to be translated.

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(Business Day TV)

Why is it hard to translate Spanish to English?

Spanish as a language is markedly different from English, which makes Spanish translation particularly tough. It is a Romance language that is closely associated with Portuguese and Italian.

(Video) Spanish Words that are Impossible to Translate in English
(World Friends)

What is hard to translate in English?

Difficult Words to Translate into English

'Pochemuchka' – this Russian word describes a person who asks too many questions. 'Tsundoku' – a Japanese word to describe the fact of leaving a book unread after buying it. 'Shlimazl' – a Yiddish word used to name an unlucky person.

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(Leigh Dictionary)

What are the hardest English words to pronounce?

Twelve Hard Words to Pronounce in English
  1. Anemone. This word is quite difficult to pronounce because of the prevalence of M & N sounds and the [uh-nee] ending that appears to be uttered like the numeral 'one', making the word anemone tricky to say. ...
  2. Mischievous. ...
  3. Colonel. ...
  4. Epitome. ...
  5. Remuneration. ...
  6. Draught. ...
  7. Quinoa. ...
  8. Onomatopoeia.
Apr 15, 2022

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What two elements are important for an ideal translation?

Here are the two elements that are important for an ideal translation:
  • Accuracy. Well, accuracy refers to how correctly words are translated; in other words, something that is free from errors or mistakes. ...
  • Readability. Readability refers to how easy it is for the reader to read the content.
Jan 18, 2022

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(Abroad in Japan)

What word exists in every language?

According to scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, there is only one word in existence that's the same in every language, and that word is 'huh'.

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(SpongeMind TV)

What is the most beautiful French word?

Here are the most beautiful French words
  • Papillon – butterfly.
  • Parapluie – umbrella.
  • Paupiette – a piece of meat, beaten thin, and rolled with a stuffing of vegetables, fruits or sweetmeats.
  • Romanichel – gypsy.
  • Silhouette – silhouette.
  • Soirée – evening.
  • Tournesol – sunflower.
  • Vichyssoise – from vichy.
Dec 5, 2017

Why are some words difficult to translate? (2024)

Does English have any untranslatable words?

Words like tennis or rugby don't have equivalent terms in other languages. They are simply known worldwide by their English terms. Of course, this phenomenon isn't unique to the English language. Pad Thai, burrito, taco, Tae Kwon Do, and wienerschnitzel are foreign words that are used worldwide as well.

Why do words sometimes look wrong?

It's just a common brain glitch called wordnesia. This problem crops up when you can't spell the simplest words. When familiar words suddenly seem like the strangest things. We don't know what exactly happens in the brain when wordnesia occurs, but some researchers have an idea.

Why do some words sound weird?

This is called semantic satiation and it happens because our brains translate words into ideas. When a word is repeated, the brain just focuses on the sound of the word and not the meaning, which is why it can start to sound like gibberish.

What's it called when you say a word so much it loses meaning?

Semantic satiation is a psychological phenomenon in which repetition causes a word or phrase to temporarily lose meaning for the listener, who then perceives the speech as repeated meaningless sounds.

What is the importance of translation?

Translation is necessary for the spreading new information, knowledge, and ideas across the world. It is absolutely necessary to achieve effective communication between different cultures. In the process of spreading new information, translation is something that can change history.

What is Translatability and Untranslatability?

If the information can be successfully delivered, the SL text or unit is translatable. If the information is not understandable for the TL readers, thus the untranslatability exists. However, the understanding of the text is relative, so the translatabilty and untranslatability are not absolute.

Are there any untranslatable English words?

Untranslatable Words in The English Language
  • Auto Tune. No, this doesn't refer to something automatically tuning up a piece of machinery. ...
  • Hyggelig And Koselig (Scandinavian) ...
  • Radar. ...
  • Googly. ...
  • Treppenwitz (German) ...
  • Tennis. ...
  • Conclusion.
Aug 22, 2017

What two elements are important for an ideal translation?

Here are the two elements that are important for an ideal translation:
  • Accuracy. Well, accuracy refers to how correctly words are translated; in other words, something that is free from errors or mistakes. ...
  • Readability. Readability refers to how easy it is for the reader to read the content.
Jan 18, 2022

What is a literal translation of a text?

Literal translation, direct translation or word-for-word translation, is a translation of a text done by translating each word separately, without looking at how the words are used together in a phrase or sentence.

What do translators try to balance in an ideal translation?

Translators try to balance an ideal translation by using their skills and indulging their maximum efforts in their work.

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