Share an idiom (or some idioms) you like from your country/language and try to translate it in english (or to find the english version)
Here some idioms that I like from my country:
- 'No hay mal que por bien no venga' or: 'Todo lo que sucede, conviene'.
= Every cloud has a silver lining / Not all devils leads to harm / To be a blessing in disguise
Meaning: sometimes bad things/situations can bring us other good things/situations that we didn't expect.
- 'El que excusa, se acusa'
= 'He who excuses himself, accuses himself' (literal translation)
Meaning: When someone is giving too many explanations, maybe it's 'cause he/she is guilty :P
- 'Si dices las verdades, pierdes las amistades'
= If you tell the truth, you'd lose your friends' (literal translation)
Meaning: Sometimes it's better not to be 'too honest' :P
-'Rectificar es de sabios'
= Similar to say in english: 'To err is human', but not exactly the same...
Meaning: It takes a wise man/woman to recognize that he/she was wrong
-'Poco a poco se anda lejos'
= He who perseveres will succeed
Meaning: When you work on something every day, you can get/achieve great things.
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And here some links to help you to look for the english version of your idioms:
or just Google :P
Replies
Hi, MARY. I love idioms, too. We have in Germany endless numbers of them.
Here just a few of them.
I hope you enjoy.
1. "Das ist mir Wurst"
In English, this literally means "This is sausage for/to me"
What does the term mean and how is it used? This expression is used when you are a little indifferent or you have no opinion on something. Germans often respond with that idiom - so if somebody asks you, "What would you like to do today?" And you do not care, then you can simply say, "That's sausage for/to me!"
2. “Nur Bahnhof verstehen”
The literal translation into English would be: "To only understand train station"
What does the term mean and how is it used? If someone tells you, "I only understand train station," that means that nobody has any idea what you're talking about. Either you have to explain it to him again or change the subject. The English equivalent would be "It's all Greek to me".
3. “Ich glaub' mein Schwein pfeift!"
The literal translation into English would be: "I think my pig whistles"
What does the term mean and how is it used? Do not think now that we have become completely crazy; Of course, we know that the idea of a whistling pig is totally ridiculous. And that's where the phrase comes from because a whistling pig would be so silly that no one would believe it existed anyway. Germans use this term when they can not believe or grasp something, or to express that they are extremely surprised. In English, the phrase "I think a horse is kicking me" the thing probably the next.
4. “Fix und Fertig sein”
The literal translation into English would be: "To be fixed and finished"
What does the term mean and how is it used? That's how you usually say that you are completely exhausted. In English you would probably say in this case something like "I am completely cracked" or "I am all wiped out". If you want to use this expression correctly, then you say: "I'm all ready!" Alternatively, you can sigh: "I'm fixed and all" - where the word "all" means "empty".
5. “Die Nase vollhaben.”
The literal translation into English would be: "To have the nose full"
What does the term mean and how is it used? Here we have only a creative variant of "enough is enough". The term is often used when someone is tired of a particular situation and does not want to talk about it anymore. For example, if you really can not hear your neighbor's loud music any more, then you say, "I'm fed up with the loud music!". English idiom = "I'm fed up!" - then the word "nose" is replaced by the less polite expression "snout" (snout).
Nice Collection of Idioms, Rose...
I was playing the German Sounds in my head trying to read them :D that was really funny to imagine... I have truly started liking German language :D
Good to hear, AG. If you like, I can speak the words for you in German. Then you can listen to the sound of German.
1 - 'This is sausage for me', I love it! ahhaha.... I love to know that german ppl have idioms with sausages! haha... how cool! That proves my thought that idioms tell a lot about the culture of a country/community, and that's why I find them so interesting :))
2 - I like the second one too. So, if I go to Germany and I don't get sh*t, I can say that 'it's all train station to me'... uhm... That also leads me to think that there are lot of people lost in train stations in Germany 'cause nobody gets the signals :D
3 - I like to picture a pig whistling :D
5 - Oh, I like that one too. We have a very similar idiom in Spain: 'Estar hasta las narices', that literally means: 'I'm up to my nose', or 'I'm fed up to the nose'. And other variants like: fed up to the hat, or to the bun, or to the... erm... a very femenine body part that I can't say here XD
Cool idioms, Rose. I can say that I've learnt some things today :)
Thanks for sharing!
It was my pleasure, MARY...just tell me when you need more!
By the way...as you liked the idiom with the sausage, here is the next one:
"Eine Extrawurst verlangen/bekommen/ wollen"...("To demand/to get/to want an extra sausage".)...it means to demand/ to want/ to get / an extra ( special) "treatment".
Oh!! Yeah!! I always want an extra sausage!!! XD
You are awesome, MARY...
German: Es geht um die Wurst!
Englisch: It's about the sausage! ... that means it's about everything or nothing.
七転び八起き(A man's walking is a succession of falls.) It means that even if you fall down seven times, you can stand up eight times. That is "Never give up".
案ずるより産むが易し(It is easier to do something than worry about it.)
木を見て森を見ず(To not see the wood forest for the trees.) It means "Failing to see the big picture".
目くそ鼻くそを笑う(The goop in the eye laughing at the snot in the nose.) it means that you laugh at other people's faults, even though you shut eyes to your faults.
Oh my, Tam...I've been always admiring how creative were those who invented your letters ))...Square-square-house-house-two people-smile-spider...(I am trying to identify the letters if I had to remember them))
I hope you understand I am just kidding..cos it is really so awesome and difficult to remember for an average person ..
Hahaha, yes, kanji is the hardest thing for Japanese learners except Chinese people to study.
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