# Are There Words In Other Languages That Can Be Translate 2 or More Ways in English? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 25, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-words-in-other-languages-that-can-be-translate-2-or-more-ways-in-english/689245 "2014-05-25T22:33:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-words-in-other-languages-that-can-be-translate-2-or-more-ways-in-english/689245/21 "2014-05-31T04:20:51Z")
随便 (Suíbiàn) in chinese. Can mean as you like whatever casual unceremonious and may more depending on context. Great word. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-words-in-other-languages-that-can-be-translate-2-or-more-ways-in-english/689245/22 "2014-06-02T21:50:05Z")
I think most people are saying that this category of words is huge, since languages very rarely map one-to-one. Mistranslations are maniforld. One of my areas of (reasonable) expertise is bible translation, were you can pick the word that pleases you. Biblical Hebrew, Genesis 1:2, the _ruakh_ of God hovers over the waters. _Ruakh_ can mean breath, spirit, soul, or wind. Take your pick for the poetic imagery that you like best. (Or use Spirit with a capital S to imply the Trinity.) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-words-in-other-languages-that-can-be-translate-2-or-more-ways-in-english/689245/23 "2014-06-02T23:55:31Z")
Is that word related to the giant bird of _Arabian Nights_? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-words-in-other-languages-that-can-be-translate-2-or-more-ways-in-english/689245/24 "2014-06-03T00:48:17Z")
There is a town in New Mexico called Ojo Caliente, which really confused me for a long time. Apparently, “ojo” means spring (as in water) as well as eye, and it also teams up with juevos and cojones (and probably others) to provide a slang meaning for which there are a variety of English slang words and a couple of technical ones. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-words-in-other-languages-that-can-be-translate-2-or-more-ways-in-english/689245/25 "2014-06-04T15:37:51Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > …One of my areas of (reasonable) expertise is bible translation, were you can pick the word that pleases you. Biblical Hebrew, Genesis 1:2, the _ruakh_ of God hovers over the waters. _Ruakh_ can mean breath, spirit, soul, or wind. Take your pick for the poetic imagery that you like best. (Or use Spirit with a capital S to imply the Trinity.) I believe the Greek _pneuma_ is also in a similar situation. It is used to mean the Holy Spirit in the NT but it also means breath in general. It is the source of the English word _pneumatic_, i.e. powered by breath, and _pneumonia_, a medical condition of the breathing organ. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-words-in-other-languages-that-can-be-translate-2-or-more-ways-in-english/689245.md?page=1)