Monday, 12 January 2015

German expressions that you should't translate word by word into English

Actually I wanted to write a blog post about Fernweh today, but I realised that an English expression for Fernweh doesn’t exist. However you can paraphrase it and say: having an ache for distant places or to crave for travel. While searching for a proper translation for Fernweh, I discovered some other German words that cannot be translated into English and found out some interesting and funny facts about them. For instance, we use the phrase Bist du lebensmüde? in German in various situation. Are you tired of living is mostly connected with committing suicide or suicidal tendency. Then there is the Bavarian word Biergarten, an English person would rather refer to an open-air drinking establishment. If he would reach his destination in Bavaria with this glossing-over is doubtful. To conquer one‘s weaker self sounds good, but the Germans are not satisfied with the translation of this expression, so they say den inneren Schweinehund überwinden. Another example for the difference of the two languages is Fremdschämen. Who isn’t used to this common expression? Of course, the English. Originally they didn’t have a verb for it and used empathetic embarrassment, but I think recently the phrase to feel embarrassed for someone is accepted as well.
Of course every language has its own words and phrases, because every language has its own grammar, structure and its own history, I just puzzled by those words and felt the need to share them with you.

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