All languages contain words that cannot be translated. For example, the German "backpfeifengesicht" has no analogues in the world. In Russian, the word is translated as "a jaw that begs for someone's fist." The untranslatable Brazilian "cafune" is used when a person speaks of the soft curls of a loved one. From the Swedish language the word "lagom" is translated as "tutel in tutel".
A foreigner experiences approximately the same feelings when faced with untranslatable Russian words. You can grasp the approximate meaning, but the exact translation remains a mystery. In addition, such words cannot be replaced with one word and used in everyday speech. We present to you the ten most mysterious untranslatable Russian words.
Words that are not translated: "conscience"
The word "conscience" comes from the ancient Slavic language. In turn, the ancient Slavs "spied" it in the ancient Greek. However, in ancient Greece, the equivalent had a different meaning. The word "syneidesis" denoted the mental activity that accompanied empirical cognition. True Greek conscience. Agree, far from the traditional Russian understanding. As a result, the Slavs put an additional meaning into the word, which changed it and made it untranslatable. In the Russian understanding, conscience is not only responsibility towards oneself and society. But also before God. Thanks to the religious coloration, expressions such as "made on conscience" and "remorse" appeared. There are no analogues in foreign languages. In Finnish, for example, the closest word is omatunto. It translates into Russian as "feeling".
Russian words without translation: "booze"
What is "booze" is known to any Russian person. In simple terms, binge drinking is prolonged use of alcoholic beverages, an obsession with alcohol, bordering on a disease. Why, then, in the 17th-18th centuries, doctors prescribed hard drinking as a cure for mental illness? Binge is not just long-term and regular use of alcohol. In addition, it is difficult for a foreigner to explain how a person can drink for a week. Not in the evenings, not periodically, but constantly - in the morning, during the day and even at night. Today the word acquires additional meanings. For example, you might hear someone reading voraciously. This means that he cannot be torn off, that he is carried away and "sick" with the book.
Promotional video:
Can't be translated into English: "pogrom"
At first glance, "pogrom" is a common word. A Russian person can call a pogrom a mess or broken things. However, the word has a rich history, and it did not always mean a little chaos and disorder. According to the Britannica Encyclopedia, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the word was used to refer to riots perpetrated against the Jewish population. In other words, anti-Semitic actions. The pages of the encyclopedia report that a pogrom always has a climax that surpasses other stages in the concentration of anger. In addition, it is always associated with a large number of victims. A foreigner can be translated "pogrom" as violent actions against someone, mass riots. However, this will not convey the exact meaning.
Untranslatable Russian words: "baba"
Who is this woman? Old woman? Young girl? Working or unemployed representative of the fairer sex? In Russia, both strangers and relatives can call a woman a woman. Foreigners sincerely do not understand why in some cases the word causes laughter, and in others aggression. In addition, this word is completely part of the other - grandmother. It's not that simple with grandmothers either. If you call this an elderly lady on the street, she may be offended. However, at home her grandchildren call her the same way. At the same time, the word “grandmother” has equivalents in foreign languages, but “woman” does not. It is interesting that in the 18th century peasant wives were called women, emphasizing their lack of education.
Untranslatable Russian words: "man"
Like “baba,” this word is ambiguous, complex, untranslatable. When foreigners want to say about a man, they say "man". But "man" is a multi-layered word. As in the case of "baba", a foreigner does not understand how to use it. Why on the street can a stranger shout: "Hey, man!" - and he will get nothing for it, but at the same time sometimes the word turns into an insult. In the 19th century married peasants were called muzhiks. After the revolution, the peasant is the opposition to the bourgeois class. But at all times there was a well-established description of a person who is called a man. He is not distinguished by inner strength, but is patient, appreciates what he has, and always uses ingenuity. By the way, "savvy" is another untranslatable Russian word.
Words that do not translate into English: "savvy"
Foreigners admit that ingenuity is part of the mystical Russian soul. Savvy cannot be translated as ingenuity, wit, or ingenuity. It includes much more. Usually when they try to explain this word to a foreigner, they talk about a person's ability to quickly solve a problem in unexpected ways. The heroes of Russian folk tales and epics are traditionally very savvy. Moreover, almost all Russian generals possessed this quality. For example, when Suvorov stumbled upon a broken bridge in the Alps, he came up with an original solution to the problem: he ordered the soldiers to take off their scarves and tie them to the logs that he found nearby. Thus, ingenuity is the ability to solve a problem with improvised means. You can't explain it to a foreigner.
Words that do not translate: "vagrant"
It would seem that the word is easily translated into a foreign one. For example, in English there is an equivalent - "hobo". However, this word is translated as "homeless". And here the hidden meaning of the word "vagrant" appears. Yes, those who did not have a permanent place of residence were engaged in vagrancy. They ate what they had to, carried torn food. But many tramps loved their way of life. As a result, the word turns from a characteristic of social status into a description of a person's special mental make-up. The tramp is a tumbleweed. He enjoys freedom, although it is worth a warm home and a well-fed life. The word "vagrant" in this sense cannot be translated into a foreign language.
Russian words without translation: "spirit"
Some will say that the word "spirit" has a completely equivalent English equivalent "soul". And other languages have similar substitutes. At the same time, these words designate something concrete - the soul of a living being. Spirit is a more ephemeral and philosophical concept. The word is used when they want to say that something has inner strength. For example, they say that a person is strong in spirit. And this does not mean that he has a strong soul. Spirit is a special phenomenon that includes many aspects.
Untranslatable Russian words: "freebie"
The Russian person does not even need to explain what a freebie is. He knows for sure that freebies are good. And it seems that it is possible to use words such as "free" or "got for nothing" for translation. However, these equivalents do not convey the meaning of the word. For example, vinegar can be obtained for free or for free. And everyone knows that vinegar is much sweeter for free. Interestingly, after explaining, Americans like to compare freebies to the American Dream. In their opinion, the happiness of a US citizen is achieved by hard work and work. And the Russian freebie is the expectation that some rich relative will die and leave an inheritance. Freebies are also, in a sense, great luck.
Untranslatable Russian words: "zapadlo"
And in the slang of prisoners there are words that cannot be translated into a foreign language. Sludge isn't just laziness. Paddles in prisons are called vile and cunning prisoners. And when the convict says that he is in the habit of doing something, he hints that he does not want to be like such a person. In foreign languages, there is no equivalent to such an expressive expression of emotions.