Why Some Words Are Harder to Translate Than Others

Have you ever tried to use an online translator and felt that the results did not make any sense? That’s because not all worlds or ideas can be translated easily. Languages are more than just simple saps; they carry culture, history, and even sometimes emotions. Some words are even tied to their culture ,so it is very tricky or sometimes impossible to try an exact match in another language.

Every single language reflects the culture of the people who are lucky enough to speak it. For example, the German word “Schadenfreude”  describes the feeling of joy when something bad happens to someone else. In English, we definitely do not have a word that encapsulates the exact idea. Instead, we explain it using a whole sentence. 

Feelings can be especially hard to translate. In Portuguese, the word “saudade” refers to a deep and emotional longing for someone or something that might never return. English has words like “nostalgia” or “missing,” but they don’t fully capture the same meaning of the word.

Some languages make distinctions that others do not. For example, in Japanese, there are many ways to say “you,” depending on how polite or close you are with the person you are talking to. In English, the only word we have is “you”. This shows that translators have to make choices on what best fits the context, depending on the language. 

Words are powerful, but they do not always travel so easily across different languages. The fact is that transition is what reminds us that language is connected to culture and identity. So, the next time you try to learn a word that does not have a direct translation, just think of it as a way to experience another part of the world.