Untranslatable Words & Idioms Quiz – Printable Version
20 multiple-choice questions with an explained answer key, ready to print.
Print the sheet (or save it as a PDF from the print window), hand it out, then mark it together using the answer page: every answer is explained. Perfect for a party, a birthday, a classroom, a care home or a team activity.
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- What does the German word "Torschlusspanik", literally "gate-closing panic", mean?
- A. The anxiety that time is running out to achieve one's life goals
- B. Fear of being stuck in a lift
- C. The stress of arriving late at the station
- D. Fear of burglars
- What do you feel when you experience "Fremdschämen", in German?
- A. Pride in one's country
- B. Embarrassment on someone else's behalf
- C. Fear of foreigners
- D. Jealousy of a colleague
- What do Germans celebrate with the word "Feierabend"?
- A. The first day of the holidays
- B. The eve of a public holiday
- C. The moment the working day ends
- D. The end of winter
- What does the lovely Japanese word "komorebi" describe?
- A. Moonlight reflected on a lake
- B. Sunlight filtering through the leaves of trees
- C. The first snow of winter
- D. The song of cicadas in summer
- What are you doing when you practise "boketto", in Japanese?
- A. Meditating while walking barefoot
- B. Taking a ten-minute nap
- C. Gazing vacantly into the distance, thinking of nothing
- D. Cleaning the house from top to bottom
- What does the Japanese expression "ichigo ichie", from the tea ceremony, remind us?
- A. The guest must always be served first
- B. Tea must be drunk in a single sip
- C. No talking during the meal
- D. Every encounter is unique and will never happen again
- What does the Norwegian and Danish word "forelsket" mean?
- A. The sadness of a break-up
- B. Friendship between neighbours
- C. Nerves before an exam
- D. The euphoria of first falling in love
- In Sweden, what do you do during "fika"?
- A. Swim in a frozen lake
- B. Celebrate Midsummer by dancing
- C. Share a coffee break with a pastry
- D. Do the spring cleaning
- What does the Norwegian word "utepils" refer to?
- A. A ski trip
- B. Ice fishing
- C. A picnic on a fjord
- D. A beer enjoyed outdoors, especially the first of the sunny season
- How would you translate the Dutch word "gezellig", used on every occasion in the Netherlands?
- A. It means "rushed, late"
- B. It describes a stingy person
- C. It conveys a warm, sociable and pleasant atmosphere
- D. It means "rainy"
- Which Portuguese word, said to be untranslatable, expresses a melancholy longing for someone or something absent?
- A. Fado
- B. Obrigado
- C. Saudade
- D. Desafio
- What does the Italian word "abbiocco" mean?
- A. An aperitif drunk standing at the bar
- B. The irresistible drowsiness after a big meal
- C. The third helping of pasta
- D. The Sunday after-lunch stroll
- What does the Greek word "meraki" mean?
- A. Putting your heart and creativity into what you do
- B. The pleasure of doing nothing
- C. Nostalgia for one's youth
- D. Hospitality towards strangers
- The word "mamihlapinatapai", from the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego, is cited by Guinness as one of the most succinct in the world. What does it mean?
- A. A wind so strong it stops you walking
- B. A look shared by two people, each hoping the other will make the first move
- C. The last meal before a long journey
- D. A quarrel between two brothers
- In German, someone may be said to have "tomatoes on their eyes" (Tomaten auf den Augen haben). What does it mean?
- A. They have been crying all night
- B. They are very angry
- C. They can't see what is perfectly obvious
- D. They need a holiday
- What does a German mean by exclaiming "Schwein gehabt!" (I had pig)?
- A. That they ate too much
- B. That they were rude
- C. That they failed their exam
- D. That they were very lucky
- In Swedish, if someone "slid in on a shrimp sandwich" (glida in på en räkmacka), it means…
- A. They got where they are without the slightest effort
- B. They are always late
- C. They are very greedy
- D. They fell over ridiculously
- In Russian, what is someone doing if they "hang noodles on your ears"?
- A. Treating you to a meal
- B. Making you laugh
- C. Interrupting you
- D. Telling you tall tales
- In Portuguese, what is someone doing if they "pay the duck" (pagar o pato)?
- A. Paying for a fault they didn't commit
- B. Treating everyone to a meal
- C. Getting a bad deal at the market
- D. Saying something stupid
- Which Japanese proverb reminds us that even experts can make mistakes?
- A. "Even fish drown"
- B. "Even the sun sets"
- C. "Even cats bark"
- D. "Even monkeys fall from trees"
Answer key — Untranslatable Words & Idioms Quiz
- A. The anxiety that time is running out to achieve one's life goalsThe phrase recalls medieval travellers hurrying to enter a town before its gates were shut.
- B. Embarrassment on someone else's behalfFremd means "other, of others" and schämen "to be ashamed". It is the cringe that makes us wince at a talent-show contestant singing off-key with total confidence.
- C. The moment the working day endsLiterally "celebration evening", Feierabend marks the end of work and the start of one's own time.
- B. Sunlight filtering through the leaves of treesKomorebi brings together the ideas of trees, passing through and sunlight.
- C. Gazing vacantly into the distance, thinking of nothingBoketto is the state in which your gaze drifts into the distance and your mind goes completely blank.
- D. Every encounter is unique and will never happen again"One time, one meeting": every moment spent with someone is unique and deserves our full attention.
- D. The euphoria of first falling in loveThe word describes the exhilaration, racing heart and head in the clouds at the start of a love story.
- C. Share a coffee break with a pastryFika is much more than a coffee: it is a sociable moment, often with a cinnamon bun, which many Swedish companies build into the working day.
- D. A beer enjoyed outdoors, especially the first of the sunny seasonUte (outside) and pils (lager): after a long winter, the first beer on a sunny terrace is a national event.
- C. It conveys a warm, sociable and pleasant atmosphereCoffee with friends, a lively evening, a candlelit living room: all of these are gezellig.
- C. SaudadeSaudade blends longing, love and a certain sweetness within sadness.
- B. The irresistible drowsiness after a big mealAfter antipasti, pasta and a secondo, the abbiocco hits you.
- A. Putting your heart and creativity into what you doCooking, painting, making something or setting a table: to do it with meraki is to leave a little of your soul in it.
- B. A look shared by two people, each hoping the other will make the first moveA whole novel fits in this word: two people want the same thing, but neither dares to go first.
- C. They can't see what is perfectly obviousSomeone with tomatoes on their eyes misses the obvious, such as the keys lying right in front of them.
- D. That they were very luckyThe pig is a lucky charm in Germany: people even give little marzipan pigs at New Year.
- A. They got where they are without the slightest effortSomeone who slides in on a shrimp sandwich, a rather luxurious treat in Sweden, never had to fight to succeed.
- D. Telling you tall talesВешать лапшу на уши: the image of a gullible person who does not notice the noodles hanging from their ears describes someone being taken for a ride.
- A. Paying for a fault they didn't commitWhoever pays the duck suffers the consequences of other people's actions.
- D. "Even monkeys fall from trees"Saru mo ki kara ochiru: if the monkey, champion climber, can fall, nobody is safe from error.