Chinese is a very complex and diverse language. There are several different dialects of Chinese used all across China, as well as thousands of different written characters. There are also several different words found in Mandarin Chinese that have no real equivalent in the English language. However, the following words would definitely make great additions if they were added to English!
Ma la
Ma la is a combination of the characters that mean "numbing" and "spicy". This word is meant to describe the disorientation that can come over people when they eat a particular dish. Traditional Chinese cuisine has an intense spiciness not often found in the foods native to most English-speaking countries, so it makes sense they would have their own word for this sensation!
Huanying guanglin
Huanying guanglin is interpreted by English speakers as simply meaning "welcome," but it actually goes deeper than that. The first part of the word literally translates to "I meet you with joy." The second half combines characters that mean "light" and "to arrive." More than a greeting, the term is meant to convey that the arrival of the person being greeted is a special event. Talk about a warm welcome!
Ti tie
Ti tie is a word used specifically for family members. It is a word that conveys a sense of the deep respect the members of a healthy family have for one another as they take care of each other and support each other throughout life. It's a unique word for the unique consideration that family members tend to have for one another.
Wei wu wei
Wei wu wei is a phrase that conveys a concept found in Taoist philosophy. We wu wei, or "the action of non-action," describes acting in accord with nature or particular circumstances. At first it appears as if the person acting is actually not doing anything at all, when really, they are acting with the flow of things and behaving in harmony with whatever is around them.
22 June 2019 | words english needs, mandarin chinese |
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7 June 2019 | poem, found poetry |
here's another tea towel … last bits bound to turn up (6)
Answer: PAELLA
25 May 2019 | crossword, puzzle, towel day, douglas adams |
Swedish may not be one of the top contributors to the English language, but IKEA and smorgasbord (smörgåsbord) are evidence that the English-speaking world may be willing to adopt a few phrases from this quiet Scandinavian country that otherwise remains neutral and fairly anonymous on the world scene. Ombudsman is another word English has borrowed from Swedish, though I can't remember the last time I used it in conversation.
Here are four more words from Swedish that would make English a richer language:
Lagom (log-ohm).
Adjective. The closest we get in English is "just right" but it encapsulates the feeling of something being the perfect amount of whatever it should be. Remember Goldilocks? When the bed was neither too hard nor too soft, that was lagom. When the porridge was neither too hot nor too cold, it was lagom.
At a dinner party, when asked how much wine they'd like, an American might answer, "Not too much." But if we used the word lagom, we might be able to answer with a word that also implies that we would not like too little. Language follows culture, and Swedish culture values moderation and generally avoids extremes. Lagom reflects their value for things being neither too much nor too little. Lagom is always best.
Fika (fee-kah).
Noun/verb. The act of sharing a warm drink (usually coffee) and something small to eat together with others. Also, the food and drink being consumed in this way. Fika can be any time of day, but is especially common mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and in the evening. You can eat something sweet, like a cinnamon bun, or simple sandwiches, or even a piece of fruit. It isn't a meal, but in Sweden, fika is a way of life.
In the workplace, your whole department would take a coffee break together, sitting around tables in the designated fika room. Drinking coffee from a vending machine alone at your desk while working would be strange, anti-social behavior. Not surprisingly, it seems that these regular breaks improve productivity, creativity and collaboration. But fika isn't just for work. Meet a friend at a cafe for fika, or enjoy a simple fika with your family in the evening before bed.
A cup of coffee in the car during your morning commute is not fika. You won't find any drive-through cafes in Sweden.
Sambo (sahm-boo) Noun.
A significant other that you live with but aren't married to.
In English we have words for a girlfriend or boyfriend, a fiance, or a spouse. The language hasn't quite kept up with the culture to give us a word for a relationship that doesn't fit well into any of these categories. A "boyfriend" feels more like a high school relationship than adults who have made a commitment to each other, but if you're not engaged or married, the others don't fit either. Sambo is gender neutral and adult. The relationship is committed enough to be living together, but no rings have been exchanged and nothing is legally binding. As culture evolves, whatever your opinion of its evolution, having a single word to describe this relationship would be helpful.
Fredagsmys (fray-dahs-mees)
Noun. Spending a cozy Friday night at home with your family, significant other, or just a few close friends.
Friday night is often a party night, since most people don't have to get up early for work on Saturdays. But let's be honest. After a week full of work and school and other commitments that have kept you busy all week long, sometimes the last thing you want to do is go anywhere. By Friday night, everyone just needs a break. Grab a bag of chips and your sweatpants and settle in to your sofa with the remote control. Dim the lights and light a candle. Throw blankets recommended, extra pillows optional. Unwind properly at the end of a crazy week with fredagsmys.
16 May 2019 | words english needs, swedish |
Taken in by Jedi's pose, Darth got shot (8)
Answer: DISPOSED
4 May 2019 | crossword, puzzle, star wars |
Head of empire, a more forbidding Bostonian perhaps (9)
Answer: EASTERNER
21 April 2019 | crossword, puzzle, easter |
Hoax victim taken from pool, frail, shivering (5,4)
Answer: APRILFOOL
1 April 2019 | crossword, puzzle, april fools |
Small female in health resort rejected desires (9)
Answer: APPETITES
8 March 2019 | crossword, puzzle, women |
The Portuguese language might often be viewed as Spanish's little brother, but the truth is that Portuguese has a vibrancy all its own. In fact, Portuguese is one of the world's 10 most common languages, with over 200 million speakers. Portuguese speakers have not only shared gorgeous beaches, caipirinhas, and Piri-Piri chicken with us; they have also given names to the following four things we can't yet articulate in English.
Saudade
Saudade describes a feeling of deep "missingness." It is a longing for someone or something lost, often accompanied by the pain of knowing it will never be recovered. Have you ever felt nostalgia for a memory you can never relive? Have you ever ached for a loved one far from home, or for someone dear to you who has passed away? That's saudade. Saying "I miss you" in English doesn't quite capture the melancholy and torture of saudade.
Cafuné
If you're not feeling saudade and instead have the luck of being next to someone you love, cafuné could be the word for you. Cafuné means to run your fingers through someone's hair. Although the word is most commonly used to describe a tender action between lovers, it can also describe running your fingers through a pet's hair. Sadly, the English "to pet" neither expresses the specificity nor the tenderness of cafuné.
Apaixonar
Perhaps you're beginning to see why Portuguese is often described as a language of passion and romance. Apaixonar describes the action of losing yourself to love. Translated clumsily into English, it means to "impassion oneself." The Huffington Post describes apaixonar as "the word used for that period in between 'I like you' and 'I love you.'"
Desenrascanço
Some people say that desenrascanço is an ethos that is important to the heart of Portuguese culture. It means to "disentangle" or remove yourself from a tricky situation using whatever limited resources are available. English speakers may know how to get into a "pickle," but only Portuguese speakers have a word for how to get out of one.
8 January 2019 | words english needs, portuguese |
