Kwintessential UK 2017-02-20 11:18:42

Being able to speak more than one language has clear and obvious benefits. Travelling the world becomes easier, navigating other cultures

The post appeared first on Kwintessential UK.

Kwintessential UK 2017-02-13 09:37:54

St. Valentine’s Day is on the horizon, and love is very much in the air. Birds are singing, bees are buzzing

The post appeared first on Kwintessential UK.

Idioms Across Europe: 25 Different Uses for the Colour Yellow

The diversity within the langauges of the world is, in a word, glorious. Neighbouring countries can have completely different phrases, terms and slangwords for the same concept, with no visible correlation. In particular, idioms vary hugely from language to language. In English, we can be green with envy, we might see red, or we could be feeling a bit blue. But uttering those phrases in another language might earn you some strange looks.

Adam Jacot de Boinod, author of The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words from around the World, has delved into some of the most interesting idioms from across Europe for us, specifically in relation to the colour yellow in this issue. Who knew one colour could have so many linguistic uses?

1. French: “Jaune d’envie” – yellow (i.e. green) with envy

2. German: “Gelb vor Eifersucht werden” – to become yellow with jealousy

3. Norwegian: “Slå noen gul og blå” – to beat someone up badly (literally to beat someone yellow and blue)

4. Turkish: “Sararıp solmak” – looking sad or unwell (lit. getting yellow and withered)

5. Portuguese “Me ferrei de verde e amarelo!” – I’m in trouble (lit. I’m screwed in green and yellow!)

6. Portuguese: “Sorriso amarelo” – a forced, insincere smile (lit. a yellow smile)

7. French: “Rire jaune” – to give a forced, insincere laugh (lit. to laugh yellow)

8. French: “Voir jaune” – to be pessimistic (lit. to see yellow)

9. Italian: “un libro giallo” – a thriller book (lit. a yellow book)

10. Italian: “giallo d’invidia” – very envious (lit. yellow with envy)

11. Romanian: “a se îngălbeni de frică” – to become visibly afraid (lit. to become yellow with fear)

12. Romanian: “a flutura steguleţe galbene” – to blather (lit. to stream little yellow flags)

13. Romanian: “galben ca turta de ceară” – very pale (lit. as yellow as wax cake)

14. Romanian: “a râde/surâde galben” – to laugh or smile in a forced, insincere way (lit. to laugh or smile yellow)

15. German: “das Gelbe vom Ei” – a good thing (lit. the yellow of the egg)

16. Serbo-Croatian: “žut ko krpa” – nauseous (lit. yellow as cloth)

17. Estonian: “sárga az irigységtől” – very envious (lit. yellow with envy)

18. Estonian: “leissza magát a sárga földig” – he’s very drunk (lit. he drinks himself to the yellow gourd)

19. Polish: “żółtodziób” – an inexperienced person, a rookie (lit. a yellow beak)

20. Polish: “mieć żółte papiery” – to be insane (lit. to have yellow papers)

21. Scottish Gaelic: “buidheach” – jaundice (lit. yellowness)

22. Finnish: “keltanokka” – a beginner, a rookie (lit. yellow-beaked)

23. Swedish: “slå någon gul och blå” – to bruise someone (lit. to hit someone yellow and blue)

24. Danish: “et barn på gule plader” – a step-child (lit. a child with yellow licence plates)

25. Italian: “un giallo” – an unsolved mystery (lit. a yellow)

Adam Jacot de Boinod is the author of The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words from around the World, published by Penguin Books, and the creator of the iPhone App Tingo, a quiz on Interesting Words.

10 Reasons why School Kids should take Learning Languages more Seriously

15 year-old Kit Barker, who spent a week with Kwintessential on work experience, gives his insight into why school kids need to be taking foreign language learning more seriously.

How to say “I Love You” in a Foreign Language

Happy Valentine’s Day from all at Kwintessential. Here’s a small multilingual guide to saying those 3 magic words in another language! No related posts.

No related posts.

How to say “I Love You” in a Foreign Language

Happy Valentine’s Day from all at Kwintessential. Here’s a small multilingual guide to saying those 3 magic words in another language!

Libyans Show Power of Multilingualism

Businesses and the commercial powers that be are starting to recognise the importance of reaching a global audience through the internet and their websites. As a result many are starting to branch out by translating their web content so that it can be understood by as many people as possible and therefore maximise revenue. Take […]

No related posts.

Paltrow Seeks Multilingual Tutor

UK tabloid newspapers are reporting that Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow and her rock star husband Chris Martin are looking for a multilingual tutor for their two children who are aged five (Moses) and seven years old (Apple).
Paltrow and Martin have supposedly placed an advert with the prestigious tutor agency “Tutors International” in the hope that […]

Related posts:

  1. The largest & most lucrative online multilingual markets
  2. Multilingual Search Engine Marketing
  3. Multilingual songs teach kids foreign languages

Language Skills Let Down Brits

It has long been suspected that many British people are quite lazy when it comes to learning new languages. Our blasé attitude towards foreign language skills means that the British public are losing out on key jobs, work and business opportunities in Europe.
According to a recent report it seems that British workers are only getting […]

Related posts:

  1. Spouse language skills part of revised migrant scheme
  2. Brits keen to learn languages in order to leave the UK
  3. Global Skills for an International Career

Language classes are not interactive enough

The publication of a new Ofsted report into Modern Language teaching in the United Kingdom (titled ‘Modern Languages –Achievement and Challenge 2007-2010’) has revealed that, although “significant efforts” have been made to improve teaching, students are being hindered by teachers’ “unpreparedness” to use languages in class.
The report follows up on Ofsted’s previous 2008 survey and […]

Related posts:

  1. Fall in foreign language GCSEs
  2. Businesses or Government: who is responsible for language learning?
  3. New website supports partnerships in community languages