Asking non-native English speakers.

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[–] 67 points 1 month ago (8 children)

In Spanish.
Sobremesa, the period you stay at the table after lunch or dinner having a coffee or some drinks while chatting.

Aprovechar, is basically the opposite of to waste. So depending on the context is to take advantage of something, to make the most of, make a good use, give a second use or reuse leftovers for something else.

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  • [–] 8 points 1 month ago

    The old-school English word for aprovechar was "thrift" or being thrifty. These days I hear it used mostly in the specific sense of saving cash. I don't often hear it much anymore in terms of conserving resources, but that is where it came from, and if you use it in that sense people will understand you.

    As for sobremesa, that's not something I've enjoyed enough for it to have its own word, unfortunately.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    Second one is "appreciate" in English.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    Not really. "Aproverchar" means more like "I have this things that I would normally throw out but I will used for X instead". You wouldn't say "I had some left over chicken so I appreciated it to make corquetas".

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  • [–] 50 points 1 month ago* (13 children)

    Does it count if English just steals your words?

    Schadenfreude, Zeitgeist, Weltanschauung, Kindergarten.

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  • [–] 13 points 1 month ago (3 children)
  • [–] 5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    Blitzkrieg translates pretty well doesn't it? Fast war?

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  • [–] 6 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    The problem is when they steal a word and then change the meaning.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

    You don't want to go down that road.
    "beamer, handy, mobbing, shooting..."

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  • [–] 41 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (6 children)

    Russian is more productive than English, so there's a bunch of "we just smushed a bunch of prefixes and suffixes on it" words that don't have a great English equivalent, like недоперепить -- to drink quite a lot but not succeed at drinking too much. I don't think we properly have листопад which is the equivalent of "snowfall" but for autumn leaves. I really miss успевать -- to successfully have enough time to do something. There's also кипяток -- water that has been boiled but then slightly cooled, like 200-205 degrees F. The canonical examples are тоска , which is a kind of melancholy longing, and авось which expresses optimism but I basically never heard anyone actually say.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 month ago

    I think авось has a general meaning similar to "god willing", or "with some luck", not simply some optimism. Like "авось успеем" -> "with some luck, we can make it in time". I do agree it's an old-fashioned word which I haven't really heard in a while.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    As someone who speaks the exact bare minimum amount of Russian to get by in Estonia (so basically hello, please, thank you, fuck you, good bye), there's a couple Russian words of the "not in front of your babushka" type that IMO lose a bit of character when translated to the English phrases that mean the same thing:

    похуй - universal answer whenever someone raises a concern

    хуйня - very versatile word

    I'll let you do the honor of translating them.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    very versatile word

    So, pretty much anything and sometimes exact opposite thing 🥲

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  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago

    Pretty much.

    In the context of how I hear it used in Estonia at least, it both means something is very annoying, or it means it's so unimportant it doesn't matter. It also just means "thingamajig". I suspect there are use cases I can't think of right now or ones that I don't even know.

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  • [–] 21 points 1 month ago (10 children)

    Guten Appetit! (German term equivalent to "cheers" for drinking - but for eating.)

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  • [–] 16 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (6 children)

    That one is really interesting, because a lot of languages has it, from guten apetit, through dobrou chuť to itadakimasu. But english was out of school that day I suppose.

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  • [–] 27 points 1 month ago (5 children)

    English stole 'Bon Apetit" from French fair and square!

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  • [–] 8 points 1 month ago (4 children)

    As English often does - if it makes sense in another language and is easy for English speakers to understand the context it's used, they're quite happy stealing it. Especially French.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    That's because English isn't a language, it's three other languages in a trenchcoat, stealing stuff from every other language.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 month ago

    Celtic, western Germanic (Angles, Saxons, Frisian), Latin, northern Germanic (Danish, Norse), and in 1066 finally French (which is a mixing bowl in its own right). The trenchcoat is way more crowded than you think.

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  • [–] 17 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    Gezellig in Dutch. Used to describe a situation that's cosy and fun togetherness. Can also be used to describe a place that looks inviting (to have that good time in). I guess 😃

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  • [–] 16 points 1 month ago (13 children)

    Sisu. Its a mix of courage, determination, resilience, keeping your nerve, doing a scary or difficult thing even though you know that odds of succeeding are low. Its also done quietly, no complaining or boasting about it. You can mutter some curse words quietly to yourself.

    Closest English word for it might be "guts" or "grit". But those don't really explain it completely.

    Finnish.

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  • [–] 8 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    As your southern neighbour, I knew someone would have to mention sisu.

    Now someone needs to explain Finland's national emotion, vitutus.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 month ago (4 children)

    I know this one. From the title of the movie about one of your lads exacting cinematic vengeance on Nazis.

    Beautiful stuff. 💛

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  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    I haven't seen that one. Heard its good fun.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 month ago (5 children)

    What is the difference between grit and sisu? As in, for you, grit is (this set of qualities) vs sisu is (this set of qualities)?

    I am asking because the qualities you used so far... They are grit.

    Its also done quietly, no complaining or boasting about it

    Is this the difference? Everything looks grit to me.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (3 children)

    Theres a sort of Finnish flavor to it. Just like theres grit, then theres Aussie grit. Its kind of difficult to put into words, "grit" is just a part of "sisu", theres more to it.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (2 children)

    Sorry, but if you can't articulate the difference I don't believe there is one.

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  • [–] 14 points 1 month ago (3 children)
  • [–] 26 points 1 month ago

    In JavaScript, this.

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  • [–] 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 child)

    German: Konjunktiv I and II. Most people first learning German will hear the Konjunktiv II in its usage similar to a subjunctive in english ("Wenn das so wäre" - "If it were that way"), but it does so much more. You can switch full sentences to the Konjunktiv II, but that immediately implies that you doubt the statement being presented. For instance, if you say "er hätte es vergessen", you're essentially saying "he allegedly forgot it, but I really doubt it", just by using the Konjunktiv II.

    Then, there's the Konjunktiv I, which is similar, but instead of voicing your disapproval, you're staying completely neutral. Taking the example from before, it would be "er habe es vergessen", with which you're saying, "he allegedly forgot it, and I neither support nor disavow that statement" - again, all only with a change of verb form. It's wonderful when you're relaying something someone else said without adding your own evaluation.

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  • [–] 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (7 children)

    Fjøs is where farm animals are kept. "Barn" is more general and translates to "Låve", while Fjøs doesn't really have an English translation.

    Nisse is a mythological creature that is part goblin, part santa, part Gnome, but not really either of them. They're usually benign and pretty cool.

    Hygge (noun) /hyggelig (adjective) means having a cosy, lighthearted or fun atmosphere, usually in company of others

    EDIT: By the way, Nissen lives in the Låve

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  • [–] 6 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    Hygge became too popular so that's started making it's way into English. Hopefully that one sticks around. The pronunciation will never be correct though. Nisse sounds awesome though.

    What's the difference between a Låve and a Fjøs?

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  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago

    Fjøs is specifically where animals are kept. Låve is more generic, but it's usually where you store stuff such as hay and produce. Sometimes the two are combined into one building and It's common to refer to the ground floor as Fjøs, and the floor above as Låve.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (1 child)

    Fjøs

    Animal pen or animal barn.

    Hygge

    That one I could never understand why Danish people think it's not "safe and cozy". Everytime they told me about hygge, or described it, etc, it was always safe and cozy. Like a damn Gryffindor common room.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 month ago (8 children)

    Dreich - there is no direct English equivalent. It's weather that's wet and cold and dark and grey and unchanging. It can also mean depressing and tedious for obvious reasons.

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  • [–] 12 points 1 month ago (4 children)
  • [–] 3 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    Dreary is not necessarily wet or cold.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

    I would never call hot weather “dreary”

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  • [–] 31 points 1 month ago (4 children)

    Shaka, when the walls fell

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  • [–] 14 points 1 month ago (3 children)
  • [–] 9 points 1 month ago

    Javertus. (Danish)

    It's a thing that sticks out, and you don't know what it is, but it has the function of sticking out. Like a naturally occurring bulgy peak or other unknown long shape coming out of something else.

    It's most often used as slang for penis, but otherwise it might be found on trees or wooden objects.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 month ago

    I'm having real trouble thinking of any in Estonian that truly don't have a good translation, there's only one I can think of on the spot like this.

    Midagi läbi ussimunni ajama - Literally translated: to drive* something through a worm's dick. Commonly used in car repairs and other similar contexts: Some space is super narrow and you need to put something it through exactly at the correct angle. Can be used with "goes through" as well (käib läbi ussimunni), but even then it's generally still describing some sort of activity, not someone literally walking through a tight spot. I can't think of an English expression that's truly equivalent, though I could just be missing something.

    * ajama itself means to drive as in "drive insane" or "steer a herd of cattle", not "drive a car". But also "sitta ajama" = "to bullshit".

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  • [–] 12 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    お疲れ様 (good job+"you look tired"+"I an acknowledging this and presenting recognition of your effort")

    Keigo modifiers. ご覧 vs 見る. They both mean "look". One is, somehow, more polite.

    Kansai dialect. しばいたろか ("wanna get smacked?" but it's playful) or まいど ("thanks" but also "nice to see you again" and "hello" but only in specific contexts between specific people. Mess it up and you'll probably hear the other Kansai term previously described.)

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (1 child)

    I am having trouble understanding your point here. While cool info I think you might've misunderstood the assignment?

    お疲れ様

    Thank you for the effort? You look tired, must've been a hard day?

    This is the best example you have in your comment.

    Keigo modifiers

    Every language has more and less polite/formal ways to ask about something. "Where do you live" is less polite/formal than "where do you reside".

    Kansai dialect

    I am not sure if dialects are words or concepts that dont translate well. The examples you used are more idiomatic rather than unique.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 month ago (7 children)

    Lanche, the meal between lunch and dinner

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  • [–] 3 points 1 month ago*

    Lanche

    In proper, British English, daily meals are as follows

    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Elevenses
    • Lunch
    • Afternoon tea
    • Proper tea
    • Dinner
    • Supper
    • Elevenses (because people forget there are two elevenses)
    • Midnight snack (which can last up to eight hours)

    Lanche is an afternoon tea.

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