Useful english words that are missing in the Czech language?

Discussion in 'General Language' started by ta, Jul 14, 2009.

  1. ta

    ta Well-Known Member

    I have been trying to get together a list of English words that are priceless and are missing in the Czech vocabulary . This is what I came up with so far:

    1.homesick (in Czech: styska se mi po domove...so long!!)
    2.errands
    ..and I forgot the 3rd one :?

    Anyone has anything to add?
     
  2. eso

    eso Well-Known Member

    I would translate errands as pochůzky.

    But there would be much more these words (and vice versa).
     
  3. Petr_

    Petr_ Active Member

    what about
    valedictorian - student pronášející řeč na rozloučení se školou
    (I´m not sure, if it is also used in UK too)

    I think it will be at the end of your list. :D
     
  4. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

    There is no need for that word in czech. The word "valedictorian" however does not look very english, so if english can borrow it from latin, in case of need czech could borrow it as well ;-).
     
  5. ta

    ta Well-Known Member

    I don't think that graduating Czech students do any kind of a speech...or did it change?
     
  6. Petr_

    Petr_ Active Member

    There is a graduation speech at the university after studies.
     
  7. kibicz

    kibicz Well-Known Member

    interesting, i always thought that homesick means "being sick of stayng at home":)
     
  8. Irena M

    Irena M Well-Known Member

    :lol:
    I am home every day. I run my business from home.
     
  9. Tagarela

    Tagarela Well-Known Member

    Hi,

    Well, but I guess that "homesick" alone doesn't form a phrase as stýská se mi po domove - I guess that some verb is need, as "I feel homesick" or something like that, so Czech version isn't that long.

    By the way, this list can be made the other way round, as with word letos (this year) that's not common in many languages as this blog points out.

    Good bye.:
     
  10. bibax

    bibax Well-Known Member

    homesick (noun) = stesk po domově, or nostalgie from Old Greek νόστος (nostos, “a return home”) + αλγος (algos, “pain, suffering”)
     
  11. wer

    wer Well-Known Member

    “Homesick” is adjective as far as I know. The noun is “homesickness”.

    I agree with Tagarela, there is no need for this word in Czech. In fact, I consider the Czech verb “stýskat se” more useful. And remember we can use the verb alone, so “I feel homesick” could be translated as “stýská se mi”.


    Interesting note on “letos”, Tagarela. I never noticed the exceptionality of the word. But it is really exceptional, it is missing even in Slovak.
    But there is something like that in Austrian German, they use the adverb “heuer”.
     
  12. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    Nostalgia, at least in English, typically implies a longing for times past (usually in the distant past), and not necessarily a longing for home. Homesickness does not usually imply longing for past times.
     
  13. Tagarela

    Tagarela Well-Known Member

    Hi,

    Yes, Wer, homesickness is the noun. Milan Kundera in The ignorance (originally written in French, without a Czech edition yet I guess) makes a short analysis of how to express nostalgie, missing, stesk, saudade (Portuguese), añoranza (Spanish) etc in many languages, it's interesting.


    But I think that the discussion on words lacking on any language could run into a non profitable topic full of nationalism ^^. And how Alexx said about valedictorian, it's hard to tell sometimes wether a word is really part of a certain language.

    Good bye.:
     
  14. cestina

    cestina Active Member

    I don't think there is a true equivalent of the English word "friend". To me neither kameradka, pritelykne nor znami fit the bill.

    Or maybe I am just affected by the connotations of comrade that I hear in the word "kamerad" so that I am uncomfortable using it.
     
  15. Eleshar

    Eleshar Well-Known Member

    "kamarád" in Czech does not have anything to do with word "comrade" in English (except for common etymology). In Czech it is quite neutral word. The translation of "comrade" in Czech is "soudruh" which is tainted heavily by the former regime.
     
  16. cestina

    cestina Active Member

    Yes, I realise that but unfortunately the common etymology kills it for me.....

    So how would you say "we have been friends for 50 years" where the implication is of a deep friendship?
     
  17. Eleshar

    Eleshar Well-Known Member

    "Jsme přátelé už 50 let."
    In this case, the word "přítel" is definitely better as it is more profound than mere "kamarád".
     
  18. Levandule

    Levandule Member

    Unfortunately, nowadays the word "přítel" also means a "boyfriend". Which is confusing, because when someone says "byl jsem s přítelem", you don't know what to think unless you know the "context". Therefore, many people rather use the word "kamarád" in order to avoid a potential misunderstanding, but its meaning is not as deep as the meaning of "přítel".
     
  19. Eleshar

    Eleshar Well-Known Member

    I realise this, but not in plural. "Moji přátele" is always "my friends" and cannot mean "my boyfriends". So if one says "jsme přátelé už 50 let", there is no misunderstanding.
     
  20. Levandule

    Levandule Member

    Oh, my coment wasn't made in response to yours. :) It was just a general observation. I definitely agree that "jsme přátelé už 50 let" is clear beyond doubt.
     

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