Expressions that don't exist in your native tongue

[Oakster]

I sometimes have trouble with conversations in my native Portuguese because I am thinking mostly in English and there are some English expressions that I can't translate to Portuguese.

Does this happen to anyone else? English is such a good language that you have trouble talking in your native one?

[DiesIrae]

Yes, but not really because English is the most awesome thing evar!!1. Heheh. It's more of our country not using our own language much that English is used more, especially for foreign words or concepts instead of us making a Filipino equivalent. Also, if we can't express ourselves in Filipino, we tend to use English words anyway.

[Guest isabbbela]

Well since you speak native Portuguese, what about instead of talking about the things I can't say in my native language (which is also Portuguese!), I talk about one word that I think is so so important and meaningful in my language and my country, Brazil, and no other language aside from Portuguese and Galician have anything similar to!

The word is "saudade". It's a noun, and it's often translated like something like "longing", but it's so much more than that! It would be like saying "I miss you", but with something extra. It's like the equivalent to love, in missing form. I can't explain it! It's a gorgeous word, with a complex, pure and rich meaning. I never believe this word and meaning does not exist anywhere else, when it's as common to say as "amor" (love) in Brazil!

[pcgamer]

Nah, it never happened to me, but that's because my English is not as good as some of you people. You guys are pros, whereas I am only a starter.

[whatupswags]

I have run into an opposite sort of problem. Learning French, I have learned one phrase in particular that I'd like to use in English, but just sounds ridiculous when translated! In French, the phrase is, "morale dans ses chaussettes." This translates to, "morale in their socks," and it just means everyone is sad. I've started saying it to my American friends just to be funny, and that works for a joke, but I wish it actually made more sense in the context!

[zambothegreat]

There's a Greek expression which means "I'm going give you a beating/whooping", but in a playful way. In Greek it's "Ah se thoso xilo" (hard x sound). Translated into English, it's "I'm going to give you wood". Yup.