Thread: Interesting Word/Concepts from Languages other than English

When I stayed with some friends in Heildelberg, Germany, he told me about a German word: "gemütlich", a good feeling you have when around friends and things are going well, if I remember correctly.

,,Fuggedaboutit

It can be quite 'interesting' even in the same language. I believe the Chinese word for Tiananmen square is *censored* followed shortly by loud pounding on the door

Originally Posted by edhewitt

I think sadism and schadenfreude are slightly different (to my understanding anyway).
sadism comes from the marquis De sade and revolves more around gaining pleasure through tormenting others sexually, whereas schadenfreude is more about driving pleasure/eentertainment through another's misfortune.

yes I agree to an extent but I have saw it used loosely both sexually and non .. so if anything it is the closest comparison I can think of ..lol

Originally Posted by edhewitt

I think sadism and schadenfreude are slightly different (to my understanding anyway).
sadism comes from the marquis De sade and revolves more around gaining pleasure through tormenting others sexually, whereas schadenfreude is more about driving pleasure/eentertainment through another's misfortune.

They are different. Schadenfreude could be me feeling good about my colleague getting sacked (or simply not getting a raise) if that means that I am then better off than him. I would hardly call that sadism.

Schadenfreude is nothing to do with sadism - the nearest English equivalent is schadenfreude - just as the French for week-end is week-end.

To my mind, the inference of schadenfrude is taking pleasure in someone's discomfort in the sense of comeuppence.

Originally Posted by Peterlh

They are different. Schadenfreude could be me feeling good about my colleague getting sacked (or simply not getting a raise) if that means that I am then better off than him. I would hardly call that sadism.

In my language there's a common term 'vahingonilo'. Literally translated as 'happy for the accident' or 'happy for the misfortune'.

Means that you feel happy when someone fails, but only if you think he/she deserves it.
But not when you think the person in question doesn't deserve such misfortune. That would be sadism.

Then there is whole other issue what it comes when people from different cultures meet.
For example, anytime meeting someone from English speaking countries, they say 'how are you' or 'how do you do' when they meet. The only correct way to answer is 'I'm fine' or something.
But i'f you ever heard a Finn asking the same from another countryman, then answer would propably be 'WTF that is your business' etc. Upon meeting someone we only say 'hi', 'nice to meet' or 'terve' (wish you health) without expecting any answers.