Buzz
After reading a comment from a Mytour contributor on a previous list about Untranslatable words, I felt inspired to share my first official Mytour list on words that convey concepts which are difficult to translate from English into other languages. It’s no surprise that there are hundreds of words unique to English. The Oxford English Dictionary includes over 250,000 distinct words, excluding many technical or slang terms, making English one of the most vocabulary-rich languages, if not the most. Below, you’ll find examples of words that pose a challenge when trying to translate them. Many of these words are now used in other languages as loanwords.
10. Pimp
Before any multilingual readers start objecting, let me clarify that I’m talking about the transitive verb (not the noun): “pimp,” which essentially means “to embellish” or “to dress up.” This verb gained popularity through TV shows like: Pimp My Ride. Though originally paying tribute to hip-hop and street culture, it has now become mainstream and commercially popular. The Spanish slang term “Pompear,” used in several Latin-American countries, developed as a direct offshoot with a similar meaning.
9. Auto-tuned
We’ve all become accustomed to those mechanical, robot-like voices coming from singers in the past decade. It’s so common that we’ve even invented a word for it (a concept other languages don’t have). This adjective describes a “singer” whose off-key errors and mistakes in pitch are digitally corrected, making them appear flawless. Since the term is quite recent, it remains largely untranslatable into other languages.
8. Trade-off
This term refers to a scenario where one has to give up one quality in order to gain another. It involves a decision-making process where the individual is fully aware of both the pros and cons of each option. This concept is especially challenging to translate into other languages without using several words or providing a detailed explanation.
7. Spam
You’ve probably heard of spam, but here’s a quick reminder. Spam refers to the practice of sending unsolicited, bulk messages through electronic messaging systems. No language has a single word for this concept, and the term 'spam' itself is widely used as a loanword in many languages. Of course, spam is also a type of canned meat. Delicious.
6. Bromance
This is a bit of a retro term, no longer widely used. First coined in the 1990s, it refers to a very close but non-romantic relationship between two or more men. In many cultures, including American culture, a bromance is often misinterpreted as a form of homosexuality, and as a result, no other culture has created a unique term to describe such a relationship. While this idea can be explained in many languages, no other language has a word equivalent to 'bromance.'
5. Facepalm
This widely recognized term refers to the act of slapping one’s palm against their forehead, usually to show frustration or disbelief. While the term is common in English, it is surprisingly rare to find an original term for this gesture in other languages, despite it being a frequently observed expression.
4. Kitsch
Kitsch refers to any artwork that is regarded as a poor imitation of an existing style. The term is also used more broadly to describe art that is perceived as pretentious, outdated, or in bad taste. Except in German, where the word originated before being adopted into English, the concept remains untranslatable into other languages.
3. Googly
A googly (a term in cricket) refers to a type of delivery bowled by a right-arm leg spin bowler. It is a powerful weapon in a leg spinner's arsenal and can be one of their most effective balls for taking wickets. The googly is used sparingly because its surprise factor is what makes it so effective. The term is so uniquely tied to the English language that there isn’t a Wikipedia article on it in any other language. If it were to be translated into a language like Spanish, it might read as: “Tiro de Cricket curvado hecho por un tirador con la derecha,” or “Curved Cricket shot made by a bowler with his right hand.”
2. Serendipity
Serendipity refers to a fortunate discovery made by accident. It can also be described as a lucky find, coincidence, or accident. In June 2004, it was voted one of the ten most difficult English words to translate by a British translation company. However, because of its widespread sociological use, the word has made its way into many other languages.
1. Gobbledygook
This term refers to any text filled with jargon or particularly convoluted English, making it excessively difficult to comprehend or even completely unintelligible. It was coined in 1944 by former US Representative Maury Maverick (pictured above). Even professional translators of literature find this term to be a significant challenge.
