Which word has a meaning similar to translated

Handling translator’s false friends International words are words in the source and target languages

Handling translator’s false friends International words are words in the source and target languages which are more or less similar in form. n The formal similarity is usually the result of the two words having the common origin, mainly derived from either Greek or Latin eg. Parliament, theorem, diameter, etc. n

Handling translator’s false friends n Give your examples of international words

Handling translator’s false friends n Give your examples of international words

Handling translator’s false friends n Words that are similar in form but different in

Handling translator’s false friends n Words that are similar in form but different in meaning are called pseudointernational or translator’s false friends

Pseudointernational words n 1) - Are classified into 2 main groups: Words which are

Pseudointernational words n 1) — Are classified into 2 main groups: Words which are similar in form but completely different in meaning, eg. It lasted the whole decade. She has a very fine complexion. Well, he must be a lunatic.

Handling translator’s false friends n 2) There are many pseudointernational words which are not

Handling translator’s false friends n 2) There are many pseudointernational words which are not fully interchangeable though there are some common elements in their semantics.

Handling translator’s false friends n The translator should bear in mind that a number

Handling translator’s false friends n The translator should bear in mind that a number of factors can preclude the possibility of using the formally similar word as an equivalent:

1) Semantic factor The semantic factor resulting from the different subsequent development of the

1) Semantic factor The semantic factor resulting from the different subsequent development of the words borrowed by the two languages from the same source, eg. n Idiom – 1. идиом, 2. диалект (наречие), 3. стиль. n

n South Vietnam was a vast laboratory for the testing of weapons for counter-guerrilla

n South Vietnam was a vast laboratory for the testing of weapons for counter-guerrilla warfare.

n n n 2) The stylistic factor resulting from the difference in the emotive

n n n 2) The stylistic factor resulting from the difference in the emotive or stylistic connotation of the correlated words, eg. “career” Davy took on Faraday as his assistant and thereby opened a scientific career for him.

n 3) The co-occurrence factor reflecting the difference in the lexical combinability rules in

n 3) The co-occurrence factor reflecting the difference in the lexical combinability rules in the two languages. The choice of an equivalent is often influenced by the usage preferring a standard combination of words to the formally similar substitute.

n n n So, a “defect” has a formal counterpart as «дефект» but “theoretical

n n n So, a “defect” has a formal counterpart as «дефект» but “theoretical and organizational defects” will be rather “подсчеты/есептеулер“. A “gesture” may be rendered in another way: The reason for including only minor gestures of reforms in the program… (жалкое подобие реформ)

n 4) The pragmatic factor reflecting the difference in the background knowledge of the

n 4) The pragmatic factor reflecting the difference in the background knowledge of the members of the two language communities which makes the translator reject the formal equivalent in favor of the more explicit or familiar variant.

n n The American Revolution was a close parallel to the wars of national

n n The American Revolution was a close parallel to the wars of national liberation in the colonial and semi-colonial countries. The counter-revolutionary organization was set up to suppress the Negro-poor white alliance that sought to bring democracy in the South in the Reconstruction period.

n The senator knew Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation by heart.

n The senator knew Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation by heart.

COLLOCATIONAL ASPECTS OF TRANSLATION ATTRIBUTIVE GROUPS n there is a considerable dissimilarity in the

COLLOCATIONAL ASPECTS OF TRANSLATION ATTRIBUTIVE GROUPS n there is a considerable dissimilarity in the semantic structure of attributive groups in English and in Russian. This dissimilarity gives rise to a number of translation problems.

n n The first group of problems stems from the broader semantic relationships between

n n The first group of problems stems from the broader semantic relationships between the attribute and the noun. the attribute may refer not only to some property of the object but also to its location, purpose, cause, etc.

n n As a result, the translator has to make a thorough analysis of

n n As a result, the translator has to make a thorough analysis of the context to find out what the meaning of the group is in each particular case. He must be also aware of the relative freedom of bringing together such semantic elements within the attributive group in English that are distanced from each other by a number of intermediate ideas.

n Thus a resolution submitted by an executive body of an organization may be

n Thus a resolution submitted by an executive body of an organization may be described as «the Executive resolution» and the majority of votes received by such a resolution will be «the Executive majority» .

n If a word-for-word translation of the name of the executive body (e. g.

n If a word-for-word translation of the name of the executive body (e. g. the «Executive Committee» — исполнительный комитет) may satisfy the translator, the other two attributive groups will have to be explicated in the Russian translation as (try to guess)

n n «резолюция, предложенная исполкомом» and «большинство голосов, поданных за резолюцию, которая была предложена

n n «резолюция, предложенная исполкомом» and «большинство голосов, поданных за резолюцию, которая была предложена исполкомом»

n The second group of problems results from the difficulties in handling multi-member attributive

n The second group of problems results from the difficulties in handling multi-member attributive structures. The English-speaking people make wide use of «multi-storied» structures with complicated internal semantic relationships.

n n The tax paid for the right to take part in the election

n n The tax paid for the right to take part in the election is described as «the poll tax». The states where this tax is collected are «the poll tax states» and the governors of these states are «the poll tax states governors». Now these governors may hold a conference which will be referred to as ‘the poll tax states governors conference» and so on.

The semantic relationships within a multimember group need not be linear. Consider the following

The semantic relationships within a multimember group need not be linear. Consider the following sentence: “It was the period of the broad western hemisphere and world pre-war united people’s front struggle against fascism” (analyze the structure of the attr group) n

n Это был период широкой предвоенной борьбы против фашизма за единый народный фронт в

n Это был период широкой предвоенной борьбы против фашизма за единый народный фронт в Западном полушарии и во всем мире.

n n The same goes for attributive groups with latent predication where a whole

n n The same goes for attributive groups with latent predication where a whole sentence is used to qualify a noun as its attribute «He was being the boss again, using the its-my-money-now-do-as-you’retold voice».

n Here correspondences can also be described in an indirect way only by stating

n Here correspondences can also be described in an indirect way only by stating that the attribute is usually translated into Russian|Kazakh as a separate sentence and that this sentence should be joined to the noun by a short introductory element. Cf. :

n The Judge's face wore his own I-knew-theywere-guilty-all-along expression.

n The Judge’s face wore his own I-knew-theywere-guilty-all-along expression.

n На лице судьи появилось обычное выражение, говорившее: «Я все время знал, что они

n На лице судьи появилось обычное выражение, говорившее: «Я все время знал, что они виновны» .

n There was a man with a don't-say-anythingto-me-or-I'll-contradict-you face. (Ch. Dickens)

n There was a man with a don’t-say-anythingto-me-or-I’ll-contradict-you face. (Ch. Dickens)

n Там был человек, на лице которого было написано: что бы вы мне ни

n Там был человек, на лице которого было написано: что бы вы мне ни говорили, я все равно буду вам противоречить.

n 3) An attributive group may be transformed into a similar group with the

n 3) An attributive group may be transformed into a similar group with the help of a suffix which is formally attached to the noun but is semantically related to the whole group. Thus «a sound sleeper» may be derived from «sound sleep» or the man belonging to the «Fifth column» may be described as «the Fifth columnist».

n As a rule, in the Russian translation the meanings of the original group

n As a rule, in the Russian translation the meanings of the original group and of the suffix would be rendered separately, e. g. : человек, обладающий здоровым (крепким) сном (крепко спящий человек), and человек, принадлежащий к пятой колонне (член пятой колонны).

4) As often as not, translating the meaning of an English attributive group into

4) As often as not, translating the meaning of an English attributive group into Russian may involve a complete restructuring of the sentence, e. g. : n To watch it happen, all within two and a half hours, was a thrilling sight. n Нельзя было не восхищаться, наблюдая, как все это происходило на протяжении какихнибудь двух с половиной часов.

Translate the following attributive groups n n n 1. hearty eater; 2. practical joker;

Translate the following attributive groups n n n 1. hearty eater; 2. practical joker; 3. conscientious objector; 4. sleeping partner; 5. stumbling block; 6. smoking concert;

Translate the following attributive groups

Translate the following attributive groups

HANDLING PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS n Phraseological units are figurative set expressions often described as

HANDLING PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS n Phraseological units are figurative set expressions often described as «idioms».

Five aspects of idioms’ meaning that will influence the translator's choice of an equivalent

Five aspects of idioms’ meaning that will influence the translator’s choice of an equivalent in the target language 1. the idiom’s figurative meaning, 2. its literal sense, 3. its emotive character, 4. stylistic register, 5. national colouring. n

n n The figurative meaning is the basic element of the idiom's semantics:

n n The figurative meaning is the basic element of the idiom’s semantics: «red tape» means bureaucracy, «to kick the bucket» — to die, «to wash dirty linen in public» — to disclose one’s family troubles to outsiders.

n n The figurative meaning is inferred from the literal sense.

n n The figurative meaning is inferred from the literal sense. «Red tape», «to kick the bucket», and «to wash dirty linen in public» also refer, respectively, to a coloured tape, an upset pail and a kind of laundering, though in most cases this aspect is subordinate and serves as a basis for the metaphorical use.

idioms Positive

idioms Positive «to kill two birds with one stone» Negative “to find a mare’s nest» Neutral «Rome was not built in a day»

Phraseological units Bookish (to show one's true colours) Colloquial (to be a pain in

Phraseological units Bookish (to show one’s true colours) Colloquial (to be a pain in the neck)

Besides, an idiom can be nationally coloured, that is include some words which mark

Besides, an idiom can be nationally coloured, that is include some words which mark it as the product of a certain nation. n For instance, «to set the Thames on fire» and n «to carry coals to Newcastle» are unmistakably British. n

 Factors which complicate the task of adequate identification, understanding and translation of idioms:

Factors which complicate the task of adequate identification, understanding and translation of idioms: — First, an idiom can be mistaken for a free word combination, especially if its literal sense is not «exotic» (to have butterflies in one’s stomach) but rather trivial (to measure one’s length, to let one’s hair down)

n Second, a SL idiom may be identical in form to a TL idiom

n Second, a SL idiom may be identical in form to a TL idiom but have a different figurative meaning. Thus, the English «to lead smb. by the nose» implies a total domination of one person by the other (cf. the Russian «водить за нос» ) and»to stretch one’s legs» means to take a stroll (cf. the Russian «протянуть ноги» )

n Third, a SL idiom can be wrongly interpreted due to its association with

n Third, a SL idiom can be wrongly interpreted due to its association with a similar, if not identical TL unit. For instance, «to pull the devil by the tail», that is to be in trouble, may be misunderstood by the translator under the influence of the Russian idioms «держать бога за бороду» or «поймать за хвост жар-птицу»

n Fourth, a wrong interpretation of a SL idiom may be caused by another

n Fourth, a wrong interpretation of a SL idiom may be caused by another SL idiom similar in form and different in meaning. Cf. «to make good time» and «to have a good time»

n n Fifth, a SL idiom may have a broader range of application than

n n Fifth, a SL idiom may have a broader range of application than its TL counterpart apparently identical in form and meaning. For instance, the English «to get out of hand» is equivalent to the Russian «Oтбиться от рук» and the latter is often used to translate it:

n n n The children got out of hand while their parents were away.

n n n The children got out of hand while their parents were away. В отсутствии родителей дети совсем отбились от рук. But the English idiom can be used whenever somebody or something gets out of control while the Russian idiom has a more restricted usage: What caused the meeting to get out of hand? Почему собрание прошло так неорганизованно?

n n There are four typical methods to handle a SL idiom in the

n n There are four typical methods to handle a SL idiom in the translating: First, the translator can make use of a TL idiom which is identical to the SL idiom in all five aspects of its semantics, e. g. «to pull chestnuts out of the fire for smb. » — таскать каштаны из огня для кого-либо.

n Second, the SL idiom can be translated by a TL idiom which has

n Second, the SL idiom can be translated by a TL idiom which has the same figurative meaning, preserves the same emotive and stylistic characteristics but is based on a different image, that is, has a different literal meaning, e. g. «make hay while the sun shines»

n n Third, the SL idiom can be translated by reproducing its form word-for-word

n n Third, the SL idiom can be translated by reproducing its form word-for-word in TL, e. g. «People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. » — Люди, живущие в стеклянных домах, не должны бросать камни.

n Fourth, instead of translating the SL idiom, the translator may try to explicate

n Fourth, instead of translating the SL idiom, the translator may try to explicate its figurative meaning, so as to preserve at least the main element of its semantics

GRAMMATICAL ASPECTS OF TRANSLATION n n HANDLING EQUIVALENT FORMS AND STRUCTURES Grammaticality is an

GRAMMATICAL ASPECTS OF TRANSLATION n n HANDLING EQUIVALENT FORMS AND STRUCTURES Grammaticality is an important feature of speech units. Grammatical forms and structures, however, do not only provide for the correct arrangement of words in the text, they also convey some information which is part of its total contents.

They reveal the semantic relationships between the words, clauses and sentences in the text,

They reveal the semantic relationships between the words, clauses and sentences in the text, n they can make prominent some. part of the contents that is of particular significance for the communicants. n

n The syntactic structuring of the text is an important characteristics identifying either the

n The syntactic structuring of the text is an important characteristics identifying either the genre of the text or its author’s style.

n n In many cases, however, equivalence in translation can be best achieved if

n n In many cases, however, equivalence in translation can be best achieved if the translator does not try to mirror the grammatical forms in the source text. There are no permanent grammatical equivalents and the translator can choose between the parallel forms and various grammatical transformations. He may opt for the latter for there is never an absolute identity between the meaning and usage of the parallel forms in SL and TL.

n For instance, both English and Russian verbs have their infinitive forms. The analogy,

n For instance, both English and Russian verbs have their infinitive forms. The analogy, however, does not preclude a number of formal and functional differences.

n We may recall that the English infinitive has perfect forms, both active and

n We may recall that the English infinitive has perfect forms, both active and passive, indefinite and continuous, which are absent in the respective grammatical category in Russian.

n The idea of priority or non-performed action expressed by the Perfect Infinitive is

n The idea of priority or non-performed action expressed by the Perfect Infinitive is not present in the meaning of the Russian Infinitive and has to be rendered in translation by some other means.

n Cf. 'The train seems to arrive at 5.

n Cf. ‘The train seems to arrive at 5. » — Поезд, видимо, приходит в 5. and ‘The train seems to have arrived at 5. » — Поезд, видимо, пришел в 5.

n A dissimilarity of the English and Russian Infinitives can be also found in

n A dissimilarity of the English and Russian Infinitives can be also found in the functions they perform in the sentence. Note should be taken, for example, of the Continuative Infinitive which in English denotes an action following that indicated by the Predicate:

n Parliament was dissolved, not to meet again for eleven years.

n Parliament was dissolved, not to meet again for eleven years.

n Не came home to find his wife gone.

n Не came home to find his wife gone.

n n Парламент был распущен и не созывался в течение 11 лет. Он вернулся

n n Парламент был распущен и не созывался в течение 11 лет. Он вернулся домой и обнаружил, что жена ушла.

n A similar difference can be observed if one compares the finite forms of

n A similar difference can be observed if one compares the finite forms of the verb in English and in Russian. The English and the Russian verbs both have active and passive forms, but in English the passive forms are more numerous and are more often used. As a result, the meaning of the passive verb in the source text is often rendered by an active verb in the translation:

n This port can be entered by big ships only during the tide.

n This port can be entered by big ships only during the tide.

n A most common example of dissimilarity between the parallel syntactic devices in the

n A most common example of dissimilarity between the parallel syntactic devices in the two languages is the role of the word order in English and in Russian. Both languages use a «direct» and an «inverted» word order. But the English word order obeys, in most cases, the established rule of sequence: the predicate is preceded by the subject and followed by the object.

n This order of words is often changed in the Russian translation since in

n This order of words is often changed in the Russian translation since in Russian the word order is used to show the communicative load of different parts of the sentence, the elements conveying new information (the rheme) leaning towards the end of non-emphatic sentences.

n Thus if the English sentence

n Thus if the English sentence «My son entered the room» is intended to inform us who entered the room, its Russian equivalent will be «В комнату вошел мой сын» but in case its purpose is to tell us what my son did, the word order will be preserved: «Мой сын вошел в комнату» .

n The predominantly fixed word order in the English sentence means that each case

n The predominantly fixed word order in the English sentence means that each case of its inversion (placing the object before the subject-predicate sequence) makes the object carry a great communicative load. This emphasis cannot be reproduced in translation by such a common device as the inverted word order in the Russian sentence and the translator has to use some additional words to express the same idea: n Money he had none. n Денег у него не было ни гроша.

n n I. Translate the following sentences with the special attention to the choice

n n I. Translate the following sentences with the special attention to the choice of Russian equivalents to render the meaning of the English infinitives. 1. The people of Roumania lived in a poverty difficult to imagine. 2. The Security Council is given the power to decide when a threat to peace exists without waiting for the war to break out. 3. The general was a good man to keep away from. 4. This is a nice place to live in. 5. He stopped the car for me to buy some cigarettes. 6. Jack London was the best short-story writer in his country to arise after Edgar Рое.

n n П. Note the way the meaning of the English passive forms is

n n П. Note the way the meaning of the English passive forms is rendered in your translation of the following sentences. 1. The Prime-Minister was forced to admit in the House of Commons that Britain had rejected the Argentine offer to negotiate the Folklands’ crisis. 2. The amendment was rejected by the majority of the Security Council. 3. He rose to speak and was warmly greeted by the audience. 4. The treaty is reported to have been ratified by all participants.

HANDLING EQUIVALENTLACKING FORMS AND STRUCTURES n A lack of equivalence in the English and

HANDLING EQUIVALENTLACKING FORMS AND STRUCTURES n A lack of equivalence in the English and Russian systems of parts of speech can be exemplified by the article which is part of the English grammar and is absent in Russian||Kazakh.

n n As a rule, English articles are not translated into Russian for their

n n As a rule, English articles are not translated into Russian for their meaning is expressed by various contextual elements and needn’t be reproduced separately. But in some cases there is a need to translate the meaning of the English article.

n Consider the following linguistic statement: 'To put it in terms of linguistics: a

n Consider the following linguistic statement: ‘To put it in terms of linguistics: a sentence is a concrete fact, the result of an actual act of speech. The sentence is an abstraction. So a sentence is always a unit of speech; the sentence of a definite language is an element of that language. »

n It is obvious that an entity cannot be both a concrete fact and

n It is obvious that an entity cannot be both a concrete fact and an abstraction. The difference between «a sentence» (любое отдельное предложение) and ‘the sentence» (предложение как понятие, тип предложения) should be definitely revealed in the Russian translation as well.

n n Even if some grammatical category is present both in SL and in

n n Even if some grammatical category is present both in SL and in TL, its subcategories may not be the same and, hence, equivalent-lacking. Both the English and the Russian verb have their aspect forms but there are no equivalent relationships between them. Generally speaking, the Continuous forms correspond to the Russian imperfective aspect, while the Perfect forms are often equivalent to the perfective aspect.

n However, there are many dissimilarities. Much depends on the verb semantics. The Present

n However, there are many dissimilarities. Much depends on the verb semantics. The Present Perfect forms of non-terminative verbs, for instance, usually correspond to the Russian imperfeclive verbs in the present tense:

n I have lived in Moscow since 1940. 102 n Я живу в Москве

n I have lived in Moscow since 1940. 102 n Я живу в Москве с 1940 г.

n The Past Indefinite forms may correspond either to the perfective or to the

n The Past Indefinite forms may correspond either to the perfective or to the imperfective Russian forms and the choice is largely prompted by the context. Cf. :

n After supper he usually smoked in the garden. После ужина он обычно курил

n After supper he usually smoked in the garden. После ужина он обычно курил в саду.

n After supper he smoked a cigarette in the garden and went to bed.

n After supper he smoked a cigarette in the garden and went to bed. После ужина он выкурил в саду сигарету и пошел спать.

n The Past Pefect forms may also be indifferent to these aspective nuances, referring

n The Past Pefect forms may also be indifferent to these aspective nuances, referring to an action prior to some other action or a past moment. Cf. :

n n I hoped he had read that book. (а) Я надеялся, что он

n n I hoped he had read that book. (а) Я надеялся, что он читал эту книгу, (б) Я надеялся, что он (уже) прочитал эту книгу.

n n A special study should be made of the translation problems involved in

n n A special study should be made of the translation problems involved in handling the Absolute Participle constructions. To begin with, an Absolute construction must be correctly identified by the translator. The identification problem is particularly complicated in the case of the «with»-structures which may coincide in form with the simple prepositional groups.

n The phrase

n The phrase «How can you play with your brother lying sick in bed» can be understood in two different ways: as an Absolute construction and then its Russian equivalent will be «Как тебе не стыдно играть, когда твой брат лежит больной (в постели)» or as a prepositional group which should be translated as «Как тебе не стыдно играть с твоим больным братом» .

n Specific translation problems emerge when the translator has to handle a syntactical complex

n Specific translation problems emerge when the translator has to handle a syntactical complex with a causative meaning introduced by the verb ‘to have» or «to get», such as: «I shall have him do it» or «I shall have him punished». First, the translator has to decide what Russian causative verb should be used as a substitute for the English «have» or «get».

n Depending on the respective status of the persons involved, the phrase

n Depending on the respective status of the persons involved, the phrase «I shall have him do it» may be rendered into Russian as «Я заставлю его (прикажу ему, велю ему, попрошу его и т. п. ) сделать это» or even «Я добьюсь (позабочусь о том, устрою так и т. п. ), чтобы он это сделал» .

n Second, the translator must be aware that such complexes are polysemantic and may

n Second, the translator must be aware that such complexes are polysemantic and may be either causative or non-causative. The phrase ‘The general had his horse killed» may refer to two different situations.

n Either the horse was killed by the general's order (Генерал приказал убить свою

n Either the horse was killed by the general’s order (Генерал приказал убить свою лошадь) or he was killed in combat and the general was not the initiator of the act but the sufferer (Под ним убили лошадь). An error in the translator’s judgement will result in a distorted translation variant.

n Many equivalent-lacking structures result from a noncausative verb used in the typical causative

n Many equivalent-lacking structures result from a noncausative verb used in the typical causative complex. Preserving its basic meaning the verb acquires an additional causative sense. Cf. : n They laughed merrily. n Они весело смеялись. n They laughed him out of the room. n Они так смеялись над ним, что он убежал из комнаты.

n n n In such cases the translator has to choose among different ways

n n n In such cases the translator has to choose among different ways of expressing causative relationships in TL. Cf. : The US Administration wanted to frighten the people into accepting the militarization of the country. .

n n Администрация США стремилась запугать народ, чтобы заставить его согласиться на милитаризацию страны.

n n Администрация США стремилась запугать народ, чтобы заставить его согласиться на милитаризацию страны. Не talked me into joining him. Он уговорил меня присоединиться к нему. It should be noted that such English structures are usually formed with the prepositions «into» and «out of as in the above examples

HANDLING MODAL FORMS

HANDLING MODAL FORMS

Find the words in the text which have a similar meaning to the following.

various


worldwide


to start


information


weather


to tell again


a problem


amusing

reshalka.com

Английский язык ENJOY ENGLISH Английский с удовольствием 6 класс Биболетова. SECTION 2. More about the UK. Номер №39

Решение

Перевод задания
Найдите в тексте слова, которые имеют значение, подобное приведенному ниже.
разные
по всему миру
начать
информация
погода
сказать еще раз
проблема
занимательный

 
ОТВЕТ

various – different


worldwide – all over the world


to start – to begin


information – facts


weather – climate


to tell again – to remind


a problem – trouble


amusing – enjoyable

 
Перевод ответа
разный − разный
по всему миру − по всему миру
начать − начать
информация − факты
погода − климат
сказать еще раз − напомнить
проблема − проблема
занимательный – доставляющий удовольствие

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  1. Lexical
    translation challenges can be caused by

  • homonyms,

  • converted
    words,

  • monosemantic
    words,

  • polysemantic
    words,

  • lacunas,

  • realia,

  • neologisms,

  • pseudo-international
    words,

  • obsolete
    words,

  • archaic
    words,

  • emotionally
    charged words,

  • stylistically
    marked words,

  • deictic
    words, etc.

Match the words with their definitions. Mind that some words may be
defined in a number of ways.

a)
a newly created SL word;

It
was
a
decorated,
becatered
and
bewaitered
table
= Стол был по-праздничному сервирован,
уставлен закусками и напитками. У
стола прислуживали официанты.

b)
a SL word having several TL correspondences;

hand
= рука, стрелка;
face
= лицо, циферблат

c)
a SL word denoting a concept which has no analogue in the TC;

самовар,
prairie

d)
a SL word similar to the TL word in form, but having a different
meaning;

The
task of a
compositor
is rather difficult.

e)
a word which has only one registered meaning (among monosemantic
words we can find proper names; geographical names; names of
organizations, periodicals; terms);

linguistics

John
Peters

Bank
of London

English
Channel

f)
a SL word which is no longer in use though the concept it denotes
exists (Cmp.: an archaic word is a word which is no longer in use
and the concept it denotes no longer exists (забрало,
кольчуга));

чело
=
лоб,
scriptitation = writing continuously

g)
a SL word expressing an attitude and/or emotion but having a TL
counterpart with a different connotation hue;

политикан
≠ politician, карьера ≠ career

h)
a TL word which is wider in meaning than its SL correspondences;

elect,
select, choose = выбирать

i)
a SL word which doesn’t have a TL equivalent though the concept
it denotes exists in the TC;

сутки
= 24 hours, sibling = each of two or more children having parents
in common

j)
a high-flown or colloquial SL word having no direct TL analogue in
the same stylistic register;

физиономия
=
face

k)
a SL word partially corresponding to its TL counterpart, but
differing from it in some aspects;

почка
means
kidney
and
bud
,
but
bud
can
also mean
бутон

l)
a word relative to the situation in which it is used;

ага
can
express understanding, agreement, sarcasm, etc.

m)
a SL word used in a misleading structure, which doesn’t
determine the part of speech the SL word belongs to.

Simply
pipe
in
and connect power and the system is ready to use. (
Is
the word pipe
a
noun or a verb?)

  1. To
    cope with lexical translation challenges the translator should use
    translation techniques. Translation
    techniques

    (translation devices) are transformations
    the translator makes to render the meaning of a SL word with the
    help of TL means
    .

Read
the information and be ready to explain the essence of
concretization, prepare your own examples:

Concretization
is substitution
of a SL word by a TL counterpart which has a less general meaning

(исследовать
means
to
investigate
,
but it can also mean to
explore, to examine, to research, to test, to analyze
).

  • Use
    concretization if the SL
    word is broader in meaning and has several TL correspondences, each
    of which has a specific differential seme

    (исследовать
    – to investigate
    (=
    “to carry out an inquiry”),
    to examine
    (=
    “to inspect an ill
    person
    ”),
    to explore
    (=
    “to travel
    through an area

    in order to learn about it”)).

  • Resort
    to the device if the SL
    word and its TL counterpart have different stylistic or evaluative
    semes
    .
    (the word meal
    can
    be used both in formal and informal contexts while the Russian прием
    пищи

    is purely formal).

  • Use
    concretization if the SL
    word and its TL counterpart have different collocability
    .
    (the sentence ‘My
    old dear bedroom was changed, and I was
    to
    lie a long way off’

    cannot
    be rendered word for word ‘лежать
    вдали
    ’.
    The
    translator
    should
    use
    в
    другом конце дома

    instead
    of
    вдали’:
    Моей
    милой старой спальни уже не было, и я
    должен был
    спать
    в другом конце дома’
    ).

  • To
    choose the adequate TL correspondence, examine the context in which
    the SL word is used and decide which semes are acquired by the SL
    word. (the phrase выбирать
    президента
    has
    the seme “vote”, that’s why выбирать
    should be translated as
    to elect =
    “chose
    by voting”).

  • Use
    a bilingual dictionary to find possible translation variants. Check
    the meaning and the collocability of each variant in a monolingual
    dictionary
    .

What
groups of words (see task 1) can be translated with the help of
concretization? Think of your own examples.

  1. The
    Russian word исследовать
    has several meanings:

  • discover
    information for use in a book, program, etc. (research,
    investigate
    );

  • travel
    through an area in order to learn about it (explore);

  • examine
    methodically for purposes of interpretation (analyze);

  • identify
    the chemical constituents of a substance for medical purposes (test,
    analyze
    );

  • inspect
    thoroughly in order to determine condition (examine);

Read
the Russian sentences and say what meanings of this polysemantic word
are realized in the contexts. Translate the sentences into the TL.
Use you explanatory (monolingual dictionary) to check the
collocability
(=
‘сочетаемость’, например, использование
с предлогами)

of the English words.

  • Доктор
    исследовал
    причины
    этого заболевания.

  • Переводчик
    непременно должен исследовать
    текст до перевода, это позволит ему
    избежать неправильной интерпретации.

  • Колумб
    большую часть своей жизни посвятил
    исследованию
    неизвестных земель, а Павлов – исследовал
    условные
    и безусловные рефлексы.

  • Врач
    исследовал
    больного
    и сказал, что причиной заболевания
    является неизвестный вирус и необходимо
    провести исследование
    крови.

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Leninsky
district

Secondary
School of General Education №50

Section
of Linguistics (English)

Pchelkina
Anastasia

Form
9V

Phone
number: 8 (913) 9475398

«False
friends of a translator»

Supervisor:

Pchelkina Olga Ivanovna

Petrova Larisa Nikolaevna

English teacher

Phone number: 8 (952) 9129398

Novosibirsk

2017

Content

Introduction
…………………………………………………………………3

1.     Aims
and objectives…………………………………………………………4

2.     Sources
of the origin of “false friends of a translator” ………………………5

3.     Types
of “false friends of a translator” ……………………………………..8

4.     Influence
of “false friends of a translator” at the quality of translation……..9

5.     How
to prevent false translation of texts and exercises…………………………..10

6.     Research
…..……………………………………………………………….11

Conclusion………………………………………………………………….12

Bibliography………………………………………………………………..13

Appendix
…………………………………………………………………..14

Introduction

 
   I have been learning English for 8 years. I would like to connect my life
with English, that’s why the subject of linguistics is so important and actual
for me. This topic is actual for other people too. Translation skills are
needed for everybody who is learning English. The English language is needed
for the most professions, for trips abroad. Also, nowadays it is planned to
make English as a compulsory examination. I hope that my work will help pupils
to make their translation skills better and to avoid mistakes.

 
       From the very beginning translation mastership played an important
social role: it made possible the communication of people, and made the
cultural achievements of other nations famous for all people. But in
translations interpreters have a tendency to carry their native language habits
into a foreign language system. Such a phenomenon got the name of “false
friends of a translator”.

   
The actuality of our research consists in the fact that both interpreters and
students make a number of mistakes while doing translations.

Aims
and objectives

    The aim of the
research is defining the problems of the phenomenon “false friends of a
translator”. To reach the aim it’s necessary to fulfill the following objectives:

•        To study the
theory;

•        To define the
essence and the sources of the origin of the phenomenon “false friends of a
translator”;

•        To develop
recommendations for students;

•        To compose a
dictionary for helping students to make a correct translation.

Sources
of the origin

    The
title «false friends of a translator» has come from France. It will
be «faux amis du traducteur» in French. Two French scientists
M.Koessler and Zh.Derocquigny introduced this term in 1928 in their book «Les
faux amis ou Les pièges du vocabulaire anglais».

  
 It should be noted that these linguists categorized “false friends of a
translator” as words that have a similar way of pronunciation in two languages.
But at the same time they different meanings.

   
For example, the word «application» means «
просьба», «заявление», but not «аппликация». «Compositor»
is the English word for «
наборщик»,
but not «
композитор».

 
  The concept of “false friends of a translator” is getting wider nowadays.

 
  There are words which are more or less similar in form. Such words are of
great interest to translators. The formal similarity is usually the result of
two words which have the common origin and which in most cases came from Greek
or Latin. Since such words can be found in different languages, they are called
 “international”.

  
  In fact the meaning of very few international words is the same in different
languages. For example, the words like English «diplomat, sport, aquarium,
finish» and their Russian equivalents «
дипломат,
спорт,
аквариум,
конец«.
But in most cases the semantics of such words in English and in Russian don’t
coincide and they should rather be named «pseudo- international».

    
Their formal similarity may lead to translation mistakes. That’s the reason why
they are often called as “false friends of a translator”.

    
The pseudo-international words can be classified in two main groups. First,
there are words which are similar in form, but fully differing in meaning.

    
By using these words we have a big risk to make a mistake.

   
Examples:

   
She has a very nice complexion.
(У нее прекрасный цвет
лица).

   
Well, he must be a lunatic.
(Да он, должно быть,
сумасшедший).

   
The respective Russian words «комплекция, лунатик» are pseudo-international and
the usage of these meanings in translation would be unacceptable.

   
Second, there are a lot of international words which cannot be completely
equivalent to each other, though they have some common details in their
semantics.

    
So, a «defect» has a formal equivalent in the Russian «дефект», but
«theoretical and organizational defects» will be rather
«теоретические и организационные недо
четы»,
not «
дефекты».

   
Analogically, the word «instruments» can be used as its Russian equivalent «
инструменты».
But in some situations we should use the word «tools» in our translation. An example
of such sentence we can find in the Workbook «Happy English.ru» by K.Kaufman,
M.Kaufman (Grade 9, part 1):

    
The worker left all his tools (not instruments!) in your flat. He hasn’t
finished fixing your fridge yet.
(Рабочий оставил все свои
инструменты в вашей квартире. Он еще не закончил ремонт вашего холодильника.
)

   
In researches of different linguists for the definition «translator’s
false friends» some other terms are used. The reason may be that this name
of the phenomenon does not reflect linguistic aspect of a problem.

 
  For example, R.A. Budagov, the author of the article “A few remarks about the
«translator’s false friends»” according to names of dictionaries
which data he analyzes, marked: «interlingual homonyms, words that sound
similar but have different meanings are usually called «translator’s false
friends»».

  
J. Vlchek also expressed the opinion that the term of «translator’s false
friends» is not the term but «the trope for the name of interlingual
homonyms».

  
The definition «translator’s false friends» is comprehensible in
translation theory but it does not reflect linguistic aspect of a problem:
probably, exactly because of this reason in researches devoted to the problem
of similar words (similar in sounding, but differing in meaning) in different
languages some other terms are used.

  
 “False friends of a translator” are also known as «international
lexicon» and «interlingual homonyms». They have a lot of
different names and linguists continue to discuss their correctness.

  
  The definition from Wikipedia is following:

 
  «False friends of a translator» are words that have a similar way of writing
or similar pronunciation in two languages. Such words often have a common
origin. But these words have different meaning.

     
    Nowadays this term is standard and is in common use.

Types
of “false friends of a translator”

 
   V.V. Akulenko, a Soviet and Ukrainian scientist, a linguist and a doctor of
philology, classified the following types of “false friends of a translator”:

 
  The first group
contains words with completely opposite
meaning in Russian.

  
 For example, the word «complexion» means «
цвет
лица»,
but not «
комплекция».

   «Sympathetic»
means «
сочувствующий»,
but not «
симпатичный».

   The
second group
contains words with partially coinciding meaning
of these words in Russian.

  
 For example, the word «element» means not only «
элемент»,
but also «
стихия», «spectacles» can be
translated not only «
спектакли»,
but also «
очки».

   
In «Alice’s adventures in Wonderland» by Lewis Carroll we can find a sentence
with the word «fan» where it is used in the meaning «
веер»,
not «
болельщик», «поклонник»
or «
фен»:

   
But I’d better bring him his fan and gloves – of course, if I can find them. (
Мне
бы
лучше
принести
ему
его
веер
и
перчатки
конечно, если
я
их
найду).

 
  The third group contains various words that have a difference in their
grammatical forms.

  
  For example, the word «photograph» means «
фотография»,
not «
фотограф», the word «massive» means
«
массивный», not «массив».

    The
fourth group
contains words with different emotional colouring.

 
   For example, the word «routine» is just a synonym for the word
«timetable» in English. But in Russian this word means something
boring or negative.

Influence
of “false friends of a translator” at the quality of translation

 
   It is not a secret that «false friends of a translator» can cause
misunderstanding by communication between people and an incorrect translation
of texts.

 
  The problem is that we tend to use our language habits by speaking foreign
languages, by learning them and by translating foreign texts. A large volume of
«false friends of a translator» causes problems even for people who
are proficient by using foreign languages. We often see some English words
which can remind us some Russian words. Of course, students are happy when they
see familiar words. But this «helps» often turns out to be false. People who
are learning English should be careful when they see English words which are
similar to Russian.

   
An interesting fact is that “false friends” may also have an influence on
non-verbal communication. For example, the most common mistake made by Poles who
spend their holidays in Bulgaria, is the wrong interpretation of misinterpretation
of some gestures which express non-verbal confirmation or negation. In the
culture of the Bulgarians, a single nod of one’s head up means “no” while
turning it from the left to the right means “yes”.

 
  So, if someone doesn’t know about this, he can get into an awkward position
easily.

How
to prevent false translations by working with texts and exercises

    Here are some tips we
would like to give the students who are learning English:

1. You should be careful
during translation;

2. You should recheck meanings
of questionable words;

3. You should remember
that one word can have more than one meaning;

4. You should choose the right
way to translate based on the context.

Research

   
 We decided to make a little research in order to see how «false friends
of a translator» influence at the translation of the pupils of our school.

  
  64 pupils of grades 5-9 were interviewed by us. We asked them about the
meanings of ten «false friends of translation»: accord(
согласие),
brilliant(
гениальность), clay(глина),
data(
данные), fabric(ткань),
multiplication(
умножение),  production(производство), 
prospect(
перспектива), replica(копия)
and  velvet(
бархат).

    
The results were following:

  
  48 pupils (75%) have made 6 to 10 mistakes. 12 pupils (19%) have made 5
mistakes. And 4 pupils (6%) have made 2 to 4 mistakes in their translations.

    
Nobody answered right all the questions.

    
We can see that the most pupils don’t have an idea about such traps as “false
friends of a translator”.

    
Of course, everyone can see that these words are similar to Russian. According
to the students that was the main reason why every pupil has made so many
mistakes.

Conclusion

 
   During this work we studied the concept of «false friends of a
translator». It was told how to prevent mistakes by translation of such
words, gave recommendations, and compiled a small dictionary to help other
pupils with their translations. We think that we reached our aim and objectives.

   
 We came to the conclusion that problem of translating such words is very interesting
for observing in any times. It was very useful for us to study all this
information.

 
   We hope, it will be useful for other students too.

Bibliography

1.     Акуленко В.В. Англо-русский и русско-английский
словарь ”ложных друзей переводчика”
  — М., Советская энциклопедия, 1969.

2.     Будагов Р. Несколько замечаний о «ложных друзьях
переводчика»  — М., Мастерство перевода. Сборник восьмой ,1971.

3.     Кауфман К.И., Кауфман М.Ю. РТ Happy English.ru ,9
класс. – М.,  Титул, 2009.

4.     Lewis Carroll Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, — М., АСТ, 2017.

untranslatable-russian-words

By
Last updated:

June 14, 2022

15 Untranslatable Russian Words and What They (Sort of) Mean

Russian has quite a few words and phrases (and plenty of jokes) that don’t have a direct translation into English, making the transfer of ideas between the two languages messy at times.

In this post, I’ll give it our best shot.

Learn these untranslatable Russian words and you’ll be learning a bit more about the culture and language!

Contents

  • Untranslatable Words and Why Every Language Has Them
    • The untranslatable culture of the Russian language
  • Lost in Translation: 15 Untranslatable Russian Words
    • Russian Concepts That Don’t Exist in English
      • 1. тоска
      • 2. недоперепил​
      • 3. хамство
      • 4. распутица
      • 5. авось
      • 6. встрепенуться
      • 7. грозный
      • 8. совесть
      • 9. ударник
    • Russian Words That Don’t Have an English Equivalent
      • 10. почемучка
      • 11. листопад
      • 12. баюкать
      • 13. успевать
      • 14. сутки
      • 15. ничего себе


Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Untranslatable Words and Why Every Language Has Them

Languages aren’t developed in a lab (unless you’re looking at Constructed Languages, which literally are created artificially).

They’re born out of necessity and grow along with the cultures that use them. Because of this, languages create words that are important to their cultures.

Sometimes, these words don’t exist outside of the single language. Other times, the entire concept is completely untranslatable to other cultures.

The untranslatable culture of the Russian language

What does this mean for Russian?

The Russian language is in large part a product of its environment. For instance, much like the often-cited 50 Eskimo words for snow, Russian has a different word for every possible type of snow- and rain-storm imaginable:

буря — storm
вьюга — snowstorm
метель — blizzard
пурга — somewhere between a snowstorm and a blizzard

…and way too many more to list.

There are also a few words in Russian for things that simply don’t exist anywhere else, like:

самовар — a metal teapot of sorts, usually ornate [literally: self-cooker])

буржуйка — a metal cooking device

Other words are hard to pin down because their definitions rely too much on connotation, like the Russian дача, which can be roughly translated as “country house” but has a much deeper meaning for Russians as a historic and national phenomenon.

Learning words that only exist in Russian will, of course, boost your vocabulary.

And so much more than that! You’ll be learning about the culture of Russia, the history of the language and the values that Russians hold dear enough that they require words of their own.

There are plenty of ways to discover these wonderful Russian-specific words, but one of the best is by listening to Russian speakers do their thing. An immersion-based program like FluentU can help you with this. FluentU uses authentic Russian videos to help you understand how native speakers actually use the language while reinforcing vocabulary and grammatical concepts through interactive captioning and adaptive flashcards.

Russian Concepts That Don’t Exist in English

These words are so uniquely Russian, that the very concepts they refer to don’t even exist in English.

1. тоска

You might see тоска translated as “boredom” or “melancholy.” Some dictionaries equate it to “yearning.” Others say it means “ennui.”

It means all of this and more.

The word isn’t used that often in everyday life, but has been used in Russian literature to describe that “Загадочная русская душа” (“mysterious Russian soul”).

Take it from Владимир В. Набоков (Vladimir Nabokov), a great Russian writer, who described the word as such:

“At its deepest and most painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause. At less morbid levels it is a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, yearning. In particular cases it may be the desire for somebody or something specific, nostalgia, love-sickness. At the lowest level it grades into ennui, boredom…”

Wow, heavy start.

Let’s lighten things up a bit, shall we?

2. недоперепил​

If you take this word apart, you get:

не- — not
-до- — up
-пере- — over
-пил — drank​

Wait. What?

Yep, недоперепил​ literally means “not drank up too much.”

It sounds ridiculous, but that’s about as close of a translation as you can get to this uniquely Russian word: A state of being where you’ve drunk a lot but not as much as you could (or wanted to). The word has a wistful tone, implying that you wish you’d drunk more.

So if you’re out at a bar and the barista cuts you off, you can say, “Но я же недоперепил!” (“But I haven’t yet drank as much as I can!”)

If you have a mild hangover but not the terrible bout you were expecting, you might say, “Кажется я вчера недоперепил” (“It looks like I didn’t drink to my limit yesterday”).

What a wonderful word! (And what an exciting life you live!)

Russian has a few other drinking words that don’t have an English analogue:

запой — a drinking binge that usually extends beyond a few days

опохмелиться — to drink a bit more on the day after you drank too much (about the same meaning as the expression “hair of the dog”)

But that’s enough drinking for one post. Давай, давай! (Come on, come on!) Moving on!

3. хамство

This word can be very roughly translated to “boorishness” or “audacity,” but honestly, neither come close to the full meaning. It refers to the insolence, the rudeness, of someone who doesn’t follow societal rules. You might say that it’s like “being cheeky,” but in a more severe sense.

For the definition of this one, let’s come back to our dear writer, Nabokov. He translated it as…

Actually, even he couldn’t translate it. Another Russian author, Сергей Довлатов (Sergei Dovlatov), continued where Nabokov left off, calling хамство “Это непереводимое слово” (“that untranslatable word”).

The Russian culture has historically praised proper manners and good-naturedness, so it follows that they have a word for someone who’s poorly behaved toward others.

In fact, the language has a number of similar words that likewise don’t have true translations (though we’ll give approximate equivalents below):

наглость — impudence
грубость — rudeness in a rough sort of way
нахальство — impertinence, having nerve or gall

4. распутица

Here’s a case of a word that doesn’t have a translation simply because it describes something that doesn’t exist in English. The распутица is a season of bad roads, a time during spring and fall where the snow and rain are so bad that they render unpaved roads practically impassable.

Some have surmised that the word has something to do with Распутин (Rasputin), but the real origin is more useful for the language learner: it comes from the root путь (road) and the prefix рас- (like the English “dis”). In other words, to “disroad”!

5. авось

Although авось can be said to mean “maybe” (or more literally, “may be”), the word has a more in-depth meaning as well.

The concept of авось is more like a blind belief that things will work out. It represents the optimistic hope that luck will be on your side.

You can use it as a strange mix of “hopefully” and “have faith”:

Авось Бог поможет. — Hopefully/I have faith that God will help.

Авось ты найдешь что ищешь. — Hopefully/I have faith that you’ll find what you’re looking for.

You can also use the phrase “на авось,” which is actually closest in translation to a well-known Spanish saying: “Que sera, sera.” In other words: Luck, faith and whatever will be, will be!

Oblomov

Надеемся на авось. — Let’s hope/put our faith in luck.

The idea of авось builds onto the historic Russian stereotype of people who don’t do anything to resolve their problems but still expect a positive outcome. The same concept gave the Russian language a word that does exist in the English language: судьба, or fate.

For a literary look at that elusive русская душа and the philosophies it holds dear, have a read of “Oblomov” by Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov (“Обломов,” Иван А. Гончаров), about a character who doesn’t do or not, but rather simply… exists:

“All his anxiety resolved itself into a sigh and dissolved into apathy and drowsiness.”

6. встрепенуться

This wonderful word is similar to the English word “rouse,” as in “rouse yourself from sleep.” And “flutter,” as in “a bird fluttering its wings.” And “beat,” as in “a heart beating faster.” And…

Okay, you get it.

So much meaning packed into one word! Although it’s mostly used in poetry, like in the timeless Russian poetry of Afanasy Fet (Афанасий Фет), this word is a perfect example of the versatile nature of the Russian language.

It comes from the root word трепет (thrill or awe), and is often used to refer to nature or humans (leaves can flutter and rouse themselves).

Like this word? Here’s a word with a similar concept: оживиться — to “liven up,” or, literally, to “bring life to yourself.”

7. грозный

You might not realize it, but you already know this word. Remember Ivan the Terrible? In Russian, he’s Иван Грозный!

Although it’s translated as “terrible,” грозный is closer in meaning to “threatening” or “overbearing.” The moniker wasn’t given to Ivan for his terrible deeds, but rather his fearsome nature.

The root of the word, гроз, means (loosely) “horror”—and is, incidentally, also the root of the word гроза (thunder)! Personally, we think Ivan the Thunderous is much more menacing.

8. совесть

We’re paying another visit to the mysterious Russian soul in this entry, with the word совесть—which is a sort of combination of conscience and morals, all rolled into one word.

Depending on the phrase, this word translates in slightly different ways to English:

имей совесть — “have some shame”

совесть имеешь? — “do you have a moral compass?”

чистая совесть — “a clear conscience”

угрызения совести — “something eating at your conscience,” literally “gnawings of conscience”

But in a nutshell, совесть is the feeling of being expected to follow social morals, an intrinsic duty to have a conscience by human nature (rather than by law or through learning).

9. ударник

You might recognize the root this word derives from: удар (a hit).

Naturally, ударник can be used literally to mean drummer, the hammer of a gun or a hammer in general (and various other “hitty” things).

But in a broader sense, ударник is also a model worker, an upstanding employee who’s used as an example for other workers for how they should behave.

This word has historic origins, dating back to Soviet-era Russia to hyper-productive workers called “shock workers.”

The idea was that by elevating hard workers to a position of national importance, other citizens would follow their example.

Although the word isn’t used often today in this sense, it’s an important part of Russian history, and you’ll still occasionally hear it live on through the phrase “ударный труд” (“shock work”)—which refers to extremely hard or productive labor.

Russian Words That Don’t Have an English Equivalent

Below are some words that do have an equivalent concept in English, but no single word to refer to it.

10. почемучка

Someone who asks a lot of questions. Think of a toddler constantly asking “почему?” (“why?”).

You might also hear words like незнайка (know-nothing), from the phrase не знаю (I don’t know).

11. листопад

The falling of leaves in autumn, like snowfall (снегопад).

This one comes from the words for лист (leaf) and падать (to fall).

12. баюкать

To put a baby down to sleep while singing to them. English has similar words—to lull, to rock—but no single term that so nicely sums up the concept.

Put your baby down to sleep with a Russian lullaby that uses a variation of the term!

13. успевать

Many Russians are baffled by the fact that English doesn’t have a single word for this concept: to make it on time, or to have enough time to do something. This one word covers both definitions in a neat package:

Я успела на работу. — I made it on time to work.
Я успела поработать. — I had enough time to work.

14. сутки

While English has the word “day,” there’s no version of this Russian word, which refers to “a 24-hour period.”

15. ничего себе

Wow! Amazing! Golly gee!

Okay, so English is not the most expressive language when it comes to showing our excitement about something. Russian, on the other hand, is.

Many terms in Russian that express awe are idioms that don’t translate literally, but they all have different levels of excitement and meaning.

For instance, the phrase “ничего себе!” literally means “nothing for myself!” but is used as a way of saying “I can’t believe it!”

Here are some other fun ways to show how amazed you are at something:

Вот это да! — Wow! (Literally: “Here this yes!”)

Надо же! — Wow! (Literally: “It’s needed!”)

Да ты что! — Wow, I don’t believe you! (Literally: “Yes you that!”)

Russian has plenty of untranslatable moments.

After all, how do you translate this perfectly acceptable response to a question: “да нет, наверное” (literally: “yes no maybe”—though meaning more along the lines of “well, probably not”).

As you learn more about the Russian language, you’ll get a deeper sense of the culture that birthed it. And after a while, the language’s idiosyncrasy will become second nature to you.

Good luck on your journey to fluency!


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