Determining English equivalents for words or phrases in other languages.
0
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0answers
13 views
Which one to use as general Personal Pronoun: he, she or it [duplicate]
The issue
On my mother language, Portuguese, we have a lot of little differences to English on Pronouns.
My question
Which phrase is correct? Since I don't know if user is a man or a woman (or a ...
0
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8answers
188 views
Single word for “unqualified truth”
Suppose someone (let's call him Alex) is bad at playing soccer, but he does not want to hear that.
Now if someone says to Alex in his face, "you are a really bad soccer player", what would be an apt ...
-2
votes
1answer
68 views
Ek kaan se suno aur dusre kaan se nikaal do in English proverb? [closed]
I know a Hindi proverb, but I would like to know translation of same in English.
How will we say in form of proverb/idiom
Not listening or paying attention to the words that come out of your ...
1
vote
3answers
98 views
What is the name of a repair shop specialized in fixing flat tires?
Here in Brazil we have "borracharias" a repair shop with many tires where they replace or fix flat tires. "Borracha" means rubber. Neither Google Translate nor Wikipedia could help me to find an ...
0
votes
1answer
73 views
Words like Schadenfreude or Sauerkraut [closed]
What are some composite German words such as "Schadenfreude" or "Sauerkraut" that are commonly used in English and with no English equivalents?
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0answers
32 views
What is more natural “timeout” or “time exceeding” or other for not engineer? [closed]
What is more natural "timeout" or "exceeding time" or other?
I want to express that "time is up" abstract.
Examples:
Time exceeding occurred - please hurry up.
Timeout occurred - please answer.
...
0
votes
1answer
50 views
How to say “he was waiting long time but not … (did not reach goal)”? [closed]
How to say "he was waiting long time but not ... (did not reach goal)"?
I have problem with some translation I want express such expression that "someone" is waiting long but not finished it since ...
0
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0answers
39 views
Is the English correct? What's the best translation or interpretation? [duplicate]
I'm reading a technical IT document that can be found here.
So, the question is, in the phrasebelow:
A challenge password
is it correct write "a" instead of "an"? Why?
What is its' best ...
1
vote
1answer
77 views
Correct translatation of the German word “Folgeverhalten” in the technical domain of control feedback systems
I have asked various online dictionaries about the translation of the German word Folgeverhalten.
At these dictionaries it is translated as "subsequent behaviour" or "following behavior". I am in ...
2
votes
4answers
266 views
Is there an idiom about wasting money and a window?
Is there an equivalent to the french idiom
Jeter l'argent par la fenêtre
which means throwing money through a window? (I'm not sure about the translation, especially through.)
0
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0answers
70 views
Looking for an English equivalent of a Russian nursery rhyme [closed]
I am translating a Russian song into English and I am looking for the equivalent of a traditional Russian nursery rhyme mentioned in this song. I expect it to be a well-known English nursery rhyme or ...
0
votes
3answers
133 views
I can't understand the meaning of this sentence
Her class is learning about the environment, and Judy is startled to learn about the destruction of the rainforest and the
endangered species in her own back yard—not to mention her own family's ...
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votes
1answer
62 views
german tourist or German tourist? [closed]
I have learned that 'german' as a noun, written with upper case letter whilst 'german' as an adjective should be with lower case letter. Please guide me more by posting the rules if necessary, thank ...
3
votes
4answers
92 views
Is a “To Do List” familiar to other countries?
I'm researching if a "to do list" is a familiar term or concept to English speakers around the world.
I found this related question on how to spell to do. Specifically, Hugo's answer hints that to-do ...
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2answers
100 views
permit vs cause causality
On English causality: Does the superset of permissive action always incorporate the possibility of direct causative action? That is if I translate a statement as X permitted Y but X actually caused Y ...
5
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3answers
472 views
Is there an English equivalent for the Swedish expression “the droplet that caused the beaker to overflow”?
In Swedish, the expression "det var droppen som fick bägaren att rinna över", directly translated to "the droplet that caused the beaker to overflow", is used to express that enough is enough. Is ...
2
votes
3answers
128 views
Is there an English term for “L'esprit de l'escalier”?
L'esprit de l'escalier or l'esprit d'escalier (literally, staircase wit) is a French term that describes the predicament of thinking of the perfect comeback too late.
Merriam-Webster dictionary ...
7
votes
4answers
309 views
What is the English equivalent to the Japanese word 学者バカ, “Scholar’s fool”?
I’m interested in the words “instant omniscience,” which Calvin Trillin, a former editor for Time magazine, used in a New Yorker magazine article (March 20) entitled "Time Edit":
“There were some ...
-3
votes
1answer
64 views
Whats the meaning of “Outta” In a song of Metallica called “ain't my bit-ch” [closed]
((Dear Native English Speakers Please Help Me.))
Metallica is my favorite band and I love them but I have some serious problems in translating and understanding the meaning of the lyric entitled ...
9
votes
3answers
423 views
How do you tell when you're reading a poor translation?
John Ciardi, in his foreword to his translation of Dante's Divine Comedy, observes that any translation is, at best, a failure. He means it is impossible to convey the depth and levels of meaning of ...
0
votes
3answers
220 views
Russian: nationality and ethnic groups
In Russian language there are 2 different words that are translated into English as "Russian".
The first is nationality. For example (in English), Russian man (even he's Tatar or Chechen, but has ...
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votes
3answers
103 views
Meaning: “Any more” in context [closed]
I am not sure about the meaning of the "any more" in the following phrase and how can I spot it:
Would the things I've said and done matter any more?
1) Would it matter any longer?
2) Would it ...
1
vote
4answers
102 views
Can “how not” stand for “of course”? [closed]
In Spanish, "how not" can mean "of course". I'm not sure whether one can translate literally that expression. Is the following correct English?
When I went to the spa I chatted with Ann for a ...
7
votes
3answers
464 views
Is there the gerund of the verb “can”?
I would like translate a Portuguese phrase into English:
Esta técnica é bem poderosa, podendo ser extendida para várias outras questões.
In English I got:
This technique is very powerful and ...
-2
votes
2answers
159 views
Is this sentence written correctly? [closed]
Since my English is not my mother language, some English rules are still strange to me, especially when I translate.
The situation is that a twitter user (Joe) clicks on the 'follow' button in ...
3
votes
3answers
346 views
What does “military profile” mean?
The word "military profile" is sometimes in the news.
For example,
(1) India Monday said it was 'conscious and watchful' of China's growing military profile
and...
(2) NATO to raise military ...
8
votes
13answers
818 views
Does English have words to describe the lowest rank member of society? [closed]
For example, in Indonesia we have "rakyat". In English we may have citizen but the word actually has power connotation rather than powerless connotation.
Another word is peasant. But that seems to ...
-2
votes
2answers
113 views
“hanging on the rope of”
I'm looking for two single words, a verb and a noun, with similar content, which could be best inserted in these sentences:
In some countries workers are entirely _______ 1 of/to/on their ...
7
votes
10answers
376 views
Equivalent of sarcastic song “non ti preoccupare, l'importante è partecipare” among Italian football supporters
Is there an equivalent in English or American sports culture of the sarcastic song that originated among Italian football supporters, that they sing to the losing opposition team? It's like this:
...
10
votes
3answers
166 views
How should a person holding a foreign military rank be addressed?
While researching how to call a person that holds a rank at a foreign (non English speaking) military, I came to very confusing results:
Wikipedia is not consistent on the issue:
it sometimes gives ...
14
votes
7answers
740 views
English equivalent of a Kannada proverb
The saying goes like "ಬಡವನ ಸಿಟ್ಟು ದವಡೆಗೆ ಮೂಲ".
When roughly translated to English it means:
A poor man's anger only hurts his jaw [due to all the grinding of teeth in the process].
How to ...
33
votes
10answers
2k views
“To shoot out of cannon into sparrows”
In Russian we have idiom/saying "To shoot out of cannon into sparrows" (literal translation) which is used to convey an idea of applying too drastic measures to small problems. I believe there should ...
4
votes
5answers
232 views
Is there an English idiom “in threes and fives” to describe arriving, gathering, or leaving of people in a pair, trio, or group in succession?
We say ‘san-san-go-go – 三三五五’ in Japanese to describe the status of people coming, arriving, gathering, going, or leaving in a pair, trio, or group in succession in such a way, People gathered in the ...
5
votes
1answer
95 views
Equivalent for Dutch commode?
In Holland we use commode to indicate a dressing table or lowboy specifically for changing diapers and dressing a baby:
The commode is usually ditched after the babies have grown out the diapers. ...
14
votes
4answers
530 views
Best word for Spanish “integral”
In Spanish there's a word "integral" which, when used as an adjective, means something like "it includes everything".
When we say "servicio integral" we mean that the service includes all aspects ...
18
votes
9answers
1k views
How can I translate the words for the two types of bathrooms found in Russia into English?
I work in real estate, and sometimes I have to translate respective inscriptions from my native Russian into English. I get stuck in some cases where not only linguistic, but cultural differences have ...
7
votes
1answer
109 views
English equivalent of Catalan expression “fer la senyora” for moving heavy furniture
There is an expression in Catalan:
Fer la senyora
Which would be translated as moving it "like a lady" defined as the action of moving a heavy piece of furniture (e.g. a wardrobe) that involves ...
1
vote
4answers
175 views
'Horeca', is it English? Alternatives?
In Dutch there's a quite commonly used word that denotes the commercial sector around selling food and beverages for immediate (or near-immediate, e.g. take-out meals) consumption: horeca. (This ...
10
votes
12answers
1k views
Is there a single noun in English for “jerry-rigged”?
"Gambiarra" in Brazilian Portuguese means a device, solution, or means to an end made impromptu, usually in a sloppy way and lacking care. I was wondering if there was a single word in English for ...
3
votes
4answers
132 views
A case that exhibits all the possible conditions a subject can suffer from?
We have this Hungarian phrase "Állatorvosi ló", which literally translates to "Veterinarian horse".
It originated in 19th century Hungarian literature, when someone created an illustration of a horse ...
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votes
0answers
296 views
What is the English word for the Hindi word 'Jugaad' which means attaining a result in a crude/easy way? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is there a single noun in English for “jerry-rigged”?
Jugaad in Hindi refers to an object that has been produced/modified in a crude/primitive way. I do not know its ...
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votes
1answer
45 views
“ground occupied..” meaning
I cannot figure out the meaning of this sentence:
There is a ground in between the voluntary and the involuntary
occupied by expressions that were once learned but come to operate
...
0
votes
2answers
94 views
Interpretation of paragraph in Homer's Iliad Book II [56] translated by Samuel Butler
I'm having some problem understanding the phrase "but do you others go about among the host and prevent their doing so" in the context of the following paragraph:
The dream then vanished and I ...
-1
votes
1answer
283 views
Meaning of “to be” in the example
I cannot get the meaning of the following:
The failure to include these actions, which could be easily performed,
might by their absence betray an otherwise convincing claim to be
feeling fear ...
5
votes
4answers
229 views
What would be a colloquial word for using public transport for free?
My English roommate and I were just having a conversation about what colloquial word(verb) you would use if you used public transport for free. In German we have the term "schwarzfahren." The ...
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votes
2answers
73 views
Is “subordinated” a good translation of the Italian legal term “subordinato”? [closed]
I've found this translation http://www.wordreference.com/iten/subordinato but I am not sure if English legals use subordinate to define a party that is subordinated to another.
Any suggestion?
EDIT: ...
1
vote
1answer
126 views
A single word for “blind” and “slow on the uptake” [closed]
We have a word tiomny in Russian which has the meanings blind, dim, and dumb. Is there a word (possibly slang) in American English which is as close in meaning to both blind and slow on the uptake?
15
votes
6answers
1k views
Friendlier way to express you paid for a person's drink/dinner and expect it to be paid back
In Dutch we have the word voorschieten. In English it translates — according to Google Translate — to "advance, lend, disburse". The Dutch word voorschieten is used in an informal setting between ...
10
votes
10answers
475 views
Equivalent expression to Spanish “cutting by the healthy part”
What would be an equivalent expression to the Spanish "cortar por lo sano", probably something like "cutting by the healthy part", to convey the idea that to solve a problem from spreading, like ...
5
votes
5answers
194 views
Reflexive possessive pronoun
Is there a single word (similar to Russian свой for those familiar with Russian) which I could put into this sentence?
By tomorrow, one of us will see the money in __ account.
meaning that
...
