# Non-English speaking dopers, how do you say "roller coaster" in your language? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 21, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-speaking-dopers-how-do-you-say-roller-coaster-in-your-language/525854 "2010-01-21T16:09:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-speaking-dopers-how-do-you-say-roller-coaster-in-your-language/525854/21 "2010-01-22T18:53:16Z")
> [@Livardo](#): > > Just a bit off-topic but in Spanish (in El Salvador anyways) we call Ferris Wheels “Chicago/s” And in Mexico, that’d be “rueda de fortuna,” or “wheel of fortune.” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-speaking-dopers-how-do-you-say-roller-coaster-in-your-language/525854/22 "2010-01-22T20:20:58Z")
In Afrikaans, it’s a wipwaentjie (pr: _vip_-vaah-nn-chi) - translates as “Whip Wagon” in reference to how you get whipped around. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-speaking-dopers-how-do-you-say-roller-coaster-in-your-language/525854/23 "2010-01-22T20:22:37Z")
> [@Juggler](#): > > In swedish it’s called berg- och dalbana which directly translates to mountain and valley track. And just one letter different in Norwegian: berg- og dalbane. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-speaking-dopers-how-do-you-say-roller-coaster-in-your-language/525854/24 "2010-01-22T20:26:58Z")
They’re called руска планина/ruska planina (Russian mountain) in Bulgarian, as well. I expect it was borrowed from the French. Bulgarian has a surprising amount of borrowed French. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-speaking-dopers-how-do-you-say-roller-coaster-in-your-language/525854/25 "2010-01-22T21:35:12Z")
Not surprised about the Russians calling them American Mountains. Happens to roulettes too. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-speaking-dopers-how-do-you-say-roller-coaster-in-your-language/525854/26 "2010-01-22T21:42:42Z")
In Hebrew it’s רכבת הרים - “_Rakevet Harim_”; literally, “mountain train.” ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-speaking-dopers-how-do-you-say-roller-coaster-in-your-language/525854/27 "2010-01-22T22:10:44Z")
Czech is horská dráha, mountain train. The Czech dictonary lists a cute one I hadn’t heard, lochneska, which is the name for [this girl](http://img.adamonline.sk/images/priloha/1400/1458/10lochneska.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Didactylos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@Didactylos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didactylos)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-speaking-dopers-how-do-you-say-roller-coaster-in-your-language/525854/28 "2010-01-22T22:18:26Z")
In danish it is Rutschebane, a word which is also means playground slide. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-speaking-dopers-how-do-you-say-roller-coaster-in-your-language/525854/29 "2010-01-22T22:30:05Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > It’s the same in Czech: horská dráha - mountain track. D’oh! Missed this, sorry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-speaking-dopers-how-do-you-say-roller-coaster-in-your-language/525854.md?page=1)