this post was submitted on 12 May 2026
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Are there words that you know in the second language, that you don't know in your native language? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 6 days ago by Gumus@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/languagelearning@sopuli.xyz
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Can you think of a word or a thing that you know the name of in a second language, but don't know in your native language? And I don't mean grammatical constructs, past tenses and stuff like that. I mean nouns, names of objects, verbs, etc.

My examples (Czech native, English is my second language):

  • Some tools, since I watch a lot of makers: auger, router, mill (as in a milling machine)
  • A lot of math/physics/programming terms: algebraic constructs (groups and the whole hierarchy), sub-atomic particles and terms from quantum theory... So many original english terms in IT are generally used "as-is" that I don't even know if some of them have a czech equivalent. I know some do, but I'd never use them in a conversation.
  • Some exotic animals, but I can't think of any right now...

I know I could easily find the translations. However, I don't usually get into a context where such words would appear in other language than English. And it feels like I've mastered the language when there's a thing I fully understand the meaning of, while only learning abou it in English without the need to translate.

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[–] dragontamer@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

You don't have to go very far in German before you find words that simply don't exist in English.

ausgeshildert -- to have been marked well with signposts.

Ex in English: Don't worry about the guests getting lost. The subway to here is ausgeshildert.

[–] LeapSecond@lemmy.zip 1 points 6 days ago

Yes for IT related stuff. It's a bit of a meme here, when an external speaker is called to give a presentation in a university you can tell they visibly struggle to keep the presentation in the native language because they're so used to doing it in English. Some professors just give up and insert entire English sentences while teaching.

[–] Wfh@lemmy.zip 1 points 6 days ago

Happens all the time.

Most of the time, it's not that I don't know or have forgotten the native word, it's more like the English equivalent is more "readily available" in my brain, if that makes sense.

For hobbies and tech however, there are a lot of words I don't know in my native language as I mostly read and watch English documentation.

[–] HerbalGamer@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 days ago

Happens all the time. I speak three languages and just the other day I couldn't remember my own language's word for "Bolzenschneider".

Still not sure how to translate that. I just called it the big snippy thing.