# What's your favorite non-English word? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 20, 2008, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023 "2008-03-20T01:04:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/21 "2008-03-20T12:59:23Z")
Morsa, Spanish for walrus. It just rolls off the tongue (not unlike a walrus would). ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/22 "2008-03-20T12:59:27Z")
farkakta ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/23 "2008-03-20T13:01:57Z")
pantuflas ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/24 "2008-03-20T13:55:50Z")
I like non-English words which are compounds words for which in English we have a simple word, and yet the compound in the other language is very logical, however funny when literally translated. For example, in Swiss German, the word for potato is _Erdäppfli_, literally, “ground apple.” In Korea, they don’t have opossums, so the word for that animal is 주머니쥐, or “pocket rat.” ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/25 "2008-03-20T13:59:20Z")
To add to the list of curses, I’ll add ‘zut’ to the list (French for ‘damn’). It has a nice sound to it, is the only remotely naughty French word I know, and I have fond memories of my eighth-grade teacher using it after messing up a student’s name 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/26 "2008-03-20T14:00:09Z")
The Hungarian word _Tessék_ is used as a gesture: \ “Tessék, come in.” \ “Hello, Tessék” \ “Tessék” (here, take this) \“Tessék, tomatoes!” \“over here, Tessék” \“Tessék?” (please repeat yourself) It is the third-person, plural, [definite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_verbs#Definite_and_indefinite_conjugations) , conditional-imperative conjugation of the verb _Tetszik_ - “is pleasing” ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/27 "2008-03-20T14:11:12Z")
[Uff-Da!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uff_da) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/28 "2008-03-20T14:27:19Z")
Oy. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/29 "2008-03-20T14:44:57Z")
_myggigt_ An adjective that means “mosquito-ey” (as in, lots of mosquitoes about) in Swedish. It is the perfect word for summer nights in New England. Like “buggy”, but let’s be explicit here – these things are biting me and they need their own word! ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/30 "2008-03-20T14:49:49Z")
Embonpoint - French for “in good condition”, but used to describe people who are attractively plump. VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/31 "2008-03-20T16:09:35Z")
(German): doppelganger (French): merde (Yiddish): schmuck (French): tet-a-tet (Spanish): fandango ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/32 "2008-03-20T16:22:49Z")
Pamplemousse. French for grapefruit. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/33 "2008-03-20T16:33:41Z")
[QUOTE=Veuve\_ClicquotNJ] Embonpoint - French for “in good condition”, but used to describe people who are attractively plump. VCNJ~ [/QUOTE] I’m gonna want to make sure I say that right. Can you help me out with a little fo-NET-ik FRAHN-say? I’m guessing em-bon-PWAHN, but don’t trust myself. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/34 "2008-03-20T16:39:55Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Oy. [/QUOTE] Oy is not a word. Oy is a vocabulary ---
**Author:** ![freekalette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@freekalette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freekalette)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/35 "2008-03-20T17:00:47Z")
Does _Avada Kedavra_ count? No? Okay, how about _chupacabra_, and the Moroccan word _habibi_, which is a term of endearment, sort of like “my little one” or “my love.” I’m also partial to foreign versions of “fuck you,” but while I can say them, I can’t even begin to tell you how to spell them! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/36 "2008-03-20T17:15:55Z")
When I was in Finland, I encountered the word _loyly_ (the y is pronounced like u in French _tu_), which was basically untranslatable, but had to do with the feel and ambience of the sauna experience. I think. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/37 "2008-03-20T17:16:57Z")
[QUOTE=Veuve\_ClicquotNJ] Embonpoint - French for “in good condition”, but used to describe people who are attractively plump. [/QUOTE] I’m going to have to remember that one. _Vous êtes embonpointe._ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/38 "2008-03-20T17:24:55Z")
Glockenspiel. I just like the way it sounds. ---
**Author:** ![sockswsandals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@sockswsandals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sockswsandals)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/39 "2008-03-20T17:47:38Z")
Well, even though **Airman** won the thread already I’ll post my fondness for the German word _einfach_. It is fun to shout because anything you shout in German makes you sounds like a mean sunuvabitch. It means simple. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023/40 "2008-03-20T17:56:57Z")
“Quelquefois.” French for “sometimes.” For some reason, you say this to some dogs and they go nuts. Try it on your dog. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-non-english-word/442023.md?page=3)