by Dictionary Scoop
Languages are a curious thing: No matter how different they are, we always find a way to understand each other. Translation has come a long way in making sure of that.
These nine German words however, are tough to wrestle down into English with their meaning intact, but are worth the effort.
1–Home Alone
Here’s a word you can learn, but sure don’t want your children or grandchildren to learn. Sturmfrei literally translates to “when your parents are away, and you have the whole house to yourself.”
The word describes a feeling, and based on its literal translation, one can assume it is a feeling of happiness, excitement, and why not, freedom. Specifically, the kind of freedom a teenager gets when their parents leave the house to their regard.
2–Mind The Details
This is a rather long word, but that is not an uncommon thing in the German language. This is because multiple meanings can be attached to a base, forming more complex meanings. In this case, verschlimmbessern means “to make things worse by trying to improve them.”
However, it’s not used in the most common scenario of facing a problem and trying to bring about a solution that backfires. It refers to the consequence of obsession with perfection, which can ultimately be counterproductive. Trying to improve things over and over only to make everything worse. Who hasn’t been there?
3–Melancholia
The complexities of the modern world can easily bring us down and we need to work on our mental health to win the battle day after day. Now, in German, there is a word that describes the apathy caused by the comparison of the current state of the world with an ideal state: that word is weltschmerz.
It describes that melancholic feeling that comes from realizing how hard living in the modern world is. Moreover, it includes an idealist aspect, the kind that hopes to live in an ideal world. When confronted with the realization of the impossibility of achieving such a world, weltschmerz comes into play.
4–Put Those Gloves On
Another long word, and who would think such a specific situation was worth putting so many letters together? If you’ve ever played in the snow, you can relate to that awful sensation that comes from picking up the snow with your bare hands.
Well, in German, when you’re not brave enough to do that, you are handschuhschneeballwerfer. This term means you are too afraid to pick up the snow with bare hands and resort to a glove to do so. Now, its literal translation is “glove snowball thrower.” Quite specific, don’t you think?
5–Perfectly Perfect
Perfection and obsession with details don’t always end badly, like with the words we discussed before. You can just be an erbsenzähler and that’s it. This word, an adjective, describes someone who is obsessed with details and a bit of a control freak, according to its literal translation.
In this context, the person can’t stand even the smallest detail being out of their control. So, if you think you fall into this category, you might want to think again. “Erbsenzähler” is a compound word and, its literal translation includes the words “peas” and “count.”
6–Language Master
.Here is a cool-sounding word with no direct equivalent in English. Sprachgefühl refers to someone who loves learning a new language and is obsessed with fully grasping its grammatical nuances.
If you decide to study German after reading this article, then you could be described as a sprachgefühl: a unique word for a unique interest.
7–Not Tall Enough
Dreikäsehoch when translated literally, means “three cheese high.” And we’re sure you will never guess what it means, so here is the explanation.
The word describes an undersized child, that is, a child who is not tall enough for their age. It is an adjective used to describe that situation. Now, if cheese has nothing to do with it, how did it come to be part of the word? Think of it this way: The kid is not taller than three cheese rolls piled one on top of the other. Talk about untranslatable words!
8–Hands up!
Have you ever been caught red-handed? You start sweating and your brain instantly tries to come up with answers for all those questions that are coming your way. Now, that is erklärungsnot. Having to explain yourself quickly.
Even if it lacks a one-on-one translation, this word is quite transparent. It is used to describe the immediacy of a situation in which you have to come up with answers to explain what you were caught doing.
9–Blank Space
If we said that treppenwitz means, literally, “a staircase joke,” would you understand its meaning? If not, let us enlighten you.
A treppenwitz refers, once again to a very specific scenario: Imagine someone makes a joke or a witty comment, and you are left speechless, unable to figure out what to say in response to sound just as smart or funny. Can you see where we are going? After the moment has passed, your brain comes up with the perfect response, but it is just too late to say it. That moment right there is treppenwitz. Frustrating, isn’t it?
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