Favourite Words in Languages Other Than English

[Jimmu]

What are some of your favourite words in foreign languages or languages other than English that you have grown up speaking or later learned?

A few of mine in Japanese are:

生き甲斐 (pronounced “i ki ga i”)​

This one is the concept of your reason for being - something that you can do which you are good at, that motivates you and you enjoy, that you can get paid to do, and that the world needs.

ノミュニケーション (pronounced “no myu ni kee shon”)​

This mixes the Japanese word “nomu” (to drink) with the English word “communication” to create a word that would be spelled in English like “nommunication” which is kind of like the way people communicate with each other while drinking alcohol.

バイキング (pronounced like “Viking” but in a Japanese accent)​

This is literally just a Japanese-ified version of the word “Viking” but it’s used to mean “Buffet” in Japanese. I guess Vikings like to eat a lot?

 

[Hylian Viking]

Wanderfalke it is the German word for Peregrine Falcon, although it literally means "Wandering Falcon" I always thought that It would be an awesome title for a high fantasy novel.

 

[Hylian Viking]

What are some of your favourite words in foreign languages or languages other than English that you have grown up speaking or later learned?

A few of mine in Japanese are:

​

バイキング (pronounced like “Viking” but in a Japanese accent)​

This is literally just a Japanese-ified version of the word “Viking” but it’s used to mean “Buffet” in Japanese. I guess Vikings like to eat a lot?

I have a hunch why the Japanese call a buffet after historic Scandinavians. It has something to do with the word Smorgasbord, The word "Smorgasbord comes from Swedish literally translated as "buttered bread table." The Vikings settled in what is now modern-day Sweden as well as places such as Iceland, Norway, and Denmark. Truth is Viking cuisine was very resourceful. The Vikings often foraged, hunted or fished for their own food as well as planting crops and raising livestock that could survive the harsh climate of Scandinavia.

 

[GrooseIsLoose]

Otha ஓத்தா is an emotion

 

[TheGreatCthulhu]

I, uumm, can only really speak English fluently.

Any phrases I've learned are really random.

Like, in French, potato means, "Une pomme de terre."

Which, according to my high school French class, literally means, "The apple of the earth."

 

[Grogson]

I like the Icelandic word for computer, tölva, because it's made up as a portmanteu from the words tala, number, and völva, prophetess (in Nordic mythology). Props to them for making computers sound cool as ****.

 

[Mikey the Moblin]

Poisson came to mind randomly
Je ne sais quoi


I say moya a lot
Dorae is cute

 

[Ashley the Witch]

One of my favorite has to be the word room in Swedish, room is rum in Swedish.

 

[jakerys]

bien

 

[Mikey the Moblin]

Poisson came to mind randomly
Je ne sais quoi


I say moya a lot
Dorae is cute

I forgot I posted in this thread
nothing's changed
these words are still peak

 

[Hylian Viking]

I, uumm, can only really speak English fluently.

Any phrases I've learned are really random.

Like, in French, potato means, "Une pomme de terre."

Which, according to my high school French class, literally means, "The apple of the earth."

The Dutch word for Potato also means Earth Apple it is "Aardappel". I know the French word for Sweet Potato is totally different in French. In French it is "Patate Douce." What is really bizarre and slightly related to The Legend of Zelda is the fact is the word Sweet Potato is an informal term for Ocarina (Which I find hard to believe.)

 

[Uwu_Oocoo2]

I, uumm, can only really speak English fluently.

Any phrases I've learned are really random.

Like, in French, potato means, "Une pomme de terre."

Which, according to my high school French class, literally means, "The apple of the earth."

The Dutch word for Potato also means Earth Apple it is "Aardappel". I know the French word for Sweet Potato is totally different in French. In French it is "Patate Douce." What is really bizarre and slightly related to The Legend of Zelda is the fact is the word Sweet Potato is an informal term for Ocarina (Which I find hard to believe.)

Funny this is the first thing I read when I went onto this thread bc my favorite Spanish word is patata, which means potato. French fries are called patatas fritas which is also fun to say.

 

[TheGreatCthulhu]

This thread now:

 

[OGSniper]

Funny this is the first thing I read when I went onto this thread bc my favorite Spanish word is patata, which means potato. French fries are called patatas fritas which is also fun to say.

Hm, we say "papas" for potatoes.


I just asked my mother and "patata" is more formal and "papas" is more of a slang. To tell you the truth, this is the first time that I have heard potatoes being called "patata".

 

[Uwu_Oocoo2]

Hm, we say "papas" for potatoes.


I just asked my mother and "patata" is more formal and "papas" is more of a slang. To tell you the truth, this is the first time that I have heard potatoes being called "patata".

Huh, I didn't know that (my mom's side of the family is Puerto Rican, and while I'm learning Spanish neither my mom or I really speak it), but now that I think about it when we have Potato Balls we call them Papas Rellenas so I suppose that makes sense.