# Euphemisms in other languages **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 4, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969 "2012-12-04T17:00:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/1 "2012-12-04T17:00:25Z")
In English, there are a great many euphemisms for sex, sexual organs and bodily functions that are part of the formal language as opposed to slang. Do other languages have this feature? Thanks, Rob ---
**Author:** ![solosam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@solosam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solosam)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/2 "2012-12-04T17:08:45Z")
Yep. ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/3 "2012-12-04T17:13:37Z")
Just checking. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/4 "2012-12-04T17:16:24Z")
Frankly, I’m not sure why you think there _wouldn’t_ be euphemisms in other languages … I had a longer answer composed for the two non-English languages with which I’m familiar, but the line between “slang” and “formal” is kind of blurry and seems to be highly generational, so I’m going to leave that there for now. tl/dr: Yes, other languages have euphemisms. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/5 "2012-12-04T17:23:51Z")
La petit mort, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/6 "2012-12-04T17:36:20Z")
I was wondering what topics these euphemisms cover. Thanks, Rob ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/7 "2012-12-04T17:38:43Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > La petit mort, for instance. Is that the genteel form? I thought it was meant to be poetic and wouldn’t generally be used. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/8 "2012-12-04T18:30:21Z")
In Swedish the use of euphemisms are more or less of the same kind as it is in English. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/9 "2012-12-04T19:14:50Z")
If I recall correctly, according to Steven Pinker ALL other languages have euphemisms. According to him all other languages have taboo words also – words such as in English the F-word and the N-word that are not used in polite company. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/10 "2012-12-05T13:02:47Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > La petit mort, for instance. What does this mean? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/11 "2012-12-05T13:04:03Z")
Also, can we maybe have some examples? (Maybe this is a more IMHO request…) For example, in English “She is menstruating” is more politely “She is on her period.” And “I have to defecate/urinate” is “I have to go to the bathroom.” ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/12 "2012-12-05T13:16:18Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Also, can we maybe have some examples? (Maybe this is a more IMHO request…) > > For example, in English “She is menstruating” is more politely “She is on her period.” And “I have to defecate/urinate” is “I have to go to the bathroom.” Ok, here are some German examples: to urinate - austreten, Wasser lassen to defecate - Stuhlgang haben, ein Geschäft erledigen to menstruate - ihre Tage haben to have sex - Geschlechtsverkehr/Beischlaf haben (both very formal), miteinander schlafen ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/13 "2012-12-05T13:25:36Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Ok, here are some German examples: > > to urinate - austreten, Wasser lassen > > to defecate - Stuhlgang haben, ein Geschäft erledigen > > to menstruate - ihre Tage haben > > to have sex - Geschlechtsverkehr/Beischlaf haben (both very formal), miteinander schlafen Thanks. How do those euphemisms translate? ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/14 "2012-12-05T13:34:00Z")
Examples of Dutch euphemisms: het kleinste kamertje - (lit. “the smallest room”) the toilet de achterdeur - (lit. “the back door”) the anus potverdikkie - (no literal meaning at all) “gosh-darn-it” corruption of “godverdomme” Portuguese euphemisms: borboleta - (lit. “butterfly”) vagina repousar no céu - (lit. “rest in heaven”) to die/be dead faltar com a verdade - (lit. “miss the truth”) to lie As you can see it’s pretty much exactly the same as in English. ---
**Author:** ![yelimS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/54ee81/32.png) [@yelimS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yelimS)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/15 "2012-12-05T13:47:11Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > La petit mort, for instance. Ah, so you’ve been reading about [tits](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=674026)again. Why, I _did_ enjoy that expression. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/16 "2012-12-05T13:47:51Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Thanks. How do those euphemisms translate? to urinate - austreten (“to step out(side)”, Wasser lassen (“to let water”) to defecate - Stuhlgang haben (difficult to translate literally, maybe “to have stool”), ein Geschäft erledigen (“to dispose of one’s business”) to menstruate - ihre Tage haben (“to have one’s days”) to have sex - Geschlechtsverkehr/Beischlaf haben (“to have intercourse”), miteinander schlafen (“to sleep together”) ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/17 "2012-12-05T14:08:06Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > to urinate - austreten (“to step out(side)”, Wasser lassen (“to let water”) > > to defecate - Stuhlgang haben (difficult to translate literally, maybe “to have stool”), ein Geschäft erledigen (“to dispose of one’s business”) > > to menstruate - ihre Tage haben (“to have one’s days”) > > to have sex - Geschlechtsverkehr/Beischlaf haben (“to have intercourse”), miteinander schlafen (“to sleep together”) _Wasser lassen_, however, would be considered borderline rude in many situations. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/18 "2012-12-05T14:35:41Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > _Wasser lassen_, however, would be considered borderline rude in many situations. And it’s **the** polite expression in Swedish. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/19 "2012-12-05T14:49:43Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > _Wasser lassen_, however, would be considered borderline rude in many situations. Frankly, as a native German speaker I can’t think of a situation where this was the case. Can you give an example? I only know it as a neutral term as e. g. used in medical contexts. ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969/20 "2012-12-05T15:01:54Z")
Well, when I meant euphemistic words, I was thinking of things like “urinate”, “menstruate”, and “fornicate”. These may be considered a bit frank in English, but they are not considered vulgar. A lot of these words come to us from Latin via French, rather than from English’s Germanic roots. Is there are similar situation in other languages? Thanks, Rob [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-in-other-languages/642969.md?page=2)