One of the fun things about learning a new language is discovering how different cultures describe everyday objects and concepts. Sometimes, these descriptions are so literal and imaginative that they bring a smile to our faces (and maybe a few confused looks). Here are some examples of words in other languages that, when translated literally, are probably not what you expected.
Play
Literal translation: Shield ToadÌý
Actual meaning: Turtle
The Dutch word for turtle is "schildpad," which translates to "shield toad." It’s a descriptive term that paints a vivid picture of a turtle carrying its protective shell like a knight’s shield, even if it amusingly refers to the turtle as a toad.
Literal translation: Grief BaconÌý
Actual meaning: Excess weight gained from emotional overeating
The Germans have a knack for creating compound words that perfectly capture complex emotions. "Kummerspeck" is one such word, combining "Kummer" (grief) and "Speck" (bacon) to describe the extra pounds one might gain from comfort eating during tough times.
Literal translation: Pompous LemonÌý
Actual meaning: Grapefruit
The French word for grapefruit is "pamplemousse," which sounds like "pompous lemon." While grapefruits are indeed larger than lemons, the term adds a humorous flair to this citrus fruit.
Literal translation: Over tableÌý
Actual meaning: The time spent chatting and relaxing at the table after a meal
In Spain, meals are not just about eating; they are social events. "Sobremesa" refers to the time spent lingering at the table, enjoying conversation and company after the meal is finished.
Literal translation: Dragon fodderÌý
Actual meaning: A peace offering to a partner after a quarrel
Another gem from the German language, "Drachenfutter" combines "Drache" (dragon) and "Futter" (fodder) to describe a gift given to calm an angry partner.
Literal translation: Staircase witÌý
Actual meaning: The perfect retort or comeback that one thinks of only after the moment has passed
The French phrase "l’esprit de l’escalier" describes the phenomenon of thinking of the perfect comeback too late. It’s a poetic way of expressing that frustrating moment when the right words come to you after the conversation has ended.
Literal translation: Outside beerÌý
Actual meaning: The act of enjoying a beer outdoors
In Norway, "utepils" is the delightful experience of drinking beer outside, especially when the weather is nice. It’s a word that perfectly captures the simple joy of enjoying a cold beverage in the great outdoors.
Literal translation: A face that needs a slapÌý
Actual meaning: A face that is begging to be slapped
Literal translation: Cat ladyÌý
Actual meaning: An old woman who takes care of stray cats
Literal translation: UnveiledÌý
Actual meaning: Sleep-deprived
In Spanish, "desvelado" literally means "unveiled," but it’s used to describe someone who is sleep-deprived. It’s a poetic way of saying that someone’s lack of sleep has been revealed.
So, the next time you’re learning a new language, keep an eye out for these delightful gems—they’re sure to bring a smile to your face. Does your own language have any similarly amusing or descriptive words? You might be surprised at what you discover.
Read our blog posts 'Words that can't be translated into English' and 'English tongue twisters to test your English skills'.
As the leaves turn golden and the air becomes crisp, it's not only the ghosts and ghouls that come out to play. Halloween may happen only once a year, but learning about spooky idioms and phrases can add an exciting twist to your language journey throughout the year. So, grab your torch and let's delve in.
It’s almost Halloween, and the ghosts and vampires will soon be coming out to play. Did you know that although we often associate Halloween with pumpkin carving and eating candy, the festival has much older origins?Ìý
is an ancient Gaelic festival that celebrates the end of the harvest and the start of winter. This is why people often associate the colors of orange and black with Halloween: orange is the color many leaves turn in autumn and black is the color of the darker winter months.
People used to believe that spirits walked the Earth on the night of Samhain. The tradition of dressing up as ghosts and demons started as a way to hide from the spirits who walked the streets. Similarly, people used to leave treats outside their houses for the spirits and from this came the tradition of trick-or-treating.
So to help get your younger students in the Halloween spirit, here are five spooky ideas to try in your primary classes.Ìý
Pumpkin carving is fun - but it’s also messy and pumpkins can be really heavy. Instead, bring in an orange for each student and give them a black marker pen. Get them to draw a scary face on their orange and then write a short text describing it.Ìý
My pumpkin orange, Ghoulie, has two big eyes. He’s got a small nose and a big mouth, with lots of teeth. This Halloween, he’s going to sit outside my house. He’s going to scare people but he doesn’t scare me. I think he’s very funny.
This is a great way to practice questions and review language with your younger students. Have your students cut out bat shapes on card and tell them to write a question on the back of each one. They can write personal information questions, such as ‘What do you eat for breakfast?’ or questions related to topics you’re studying at the moment, like ‘How do you spell dinosaur?’Ìý
Attach a paper clip to each bat and put them on the floor, with the questions face down. Then attach a magnet to a piece of string.
Divide the class into teams and have students take turns to fish a bat from the floor. When they catch a bat using the magnet, a student from another team asks them the question written on the bat. If the team can answer correctly, they keep the bat. If they don’t answer correctly, the bat goes back on the floor.
When all the bats have been fished, the team with the most wins.Ìý
This is a good activity to review prepositions of place and house vocabulary. Before you start, elicit some scary things from the students, such as ghost, spider, witch, zombie. If these words are new for your students, draw a picture dictionary on the board for them to refer to in the next stage.
Next, give students an outline of a house with the rooms labeled, but without any furniture. Then dictate a sentence to the students and have them draw what you say on their individual houses. For example, ‘In the kitchen, there’s a big cupboard. In the cupboard, there’s a witch.’ Or, ‘In the living room, there’s an old sofa. A zombie is sitting on the sofa.’
You can then divide the class into pairs or small groups and have them take turns dictating sentences to each other. When they finish, they can compare their pictures and then write a short story about their haunted houses.Ìý
Draw a 7x5 grid on card and add Start and Finish squares. Number the other squares so the students know what direction to move in. Then, on some of the squares write Trick and on some of the other squares write Treat. Finally, prepare a set of ‘trick’ and ‘treat’ cards for each group. (There are some ideas for tricks and treats below).Ìý
Before students play, teach them some phrases to use while playing the game. For example:
Then divide the class into groups of four and give each group a board, a set of ‘trick-or-treat’ cards, a dice and a counter. Have them take turns to roll the dice and move. If they land on a TrickÌýor Treat square, they have to take a card and do what it says. Then they put the card at the bottom of the pile.ÌýThe winner is the first person to reach the Finish square.
Ideas for ‘trick’ cards
Ideas for ‘treat’ cards
Are your students bored of celebrating Halloween every year? Mix things up with stories or readers. Allowing their imagination to run wild. There are lots of you can use or get inspiration from, creating your own. If you want your pupils more involved you could also have them make or take part in your very own 'create your own adventure' spooky story.Ìý
After reading the story, have your students create comic strips of different parts of the book and display them around the classroom. If your students prefer theatrics, get them to act out or sing parts of the story.Ìý
Why is it that some groups work smoothly together, whereas for others it always seems to end in arguments? It may seem logical to avoid group work with classes where it often leads to disagreement, but is there such a thing as ‘healthy disagreement’?
Perhaps the groups that appear to be working well together are actually just letting one or two people do everything? This would certainly avoid conflict, but they might also be avoiding learning very much.Ìý
Sometimes conflict is a necessary step that teachers (of all subjects, not just language teachers) have to acknowledge as an important part of a learner's development.Ìý
