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Polish words difficult to translate into English


frd  7 | 1379
1 Feb 2010   #61
I never know how to translate loser

przegraniec, przegraniec życiowy, gołodupiec
Ziemowit  14 | 3936
1 Feb 2010   #62
Ha, ha, przegraniec is excellent, perfectly matching the English "loser", except that it is not used much, well, I've never heard it myself.

Gołodupiec is immediately associated with someone without money or goods, so he is certainly a loser, but the first meaning is a "person without resources".
mafketis  38 | 11093
1 Feb 2010   #63
Of course there is no one translation of 'loser', it's not any kind of basic semantic category like 'red' or 'good'. There are a number of ways to translate it depending on context.

Nieudacznik is good for a lot of the time, but other times frajer, dupek or something else might be appropriate. The range of uses of particular words in Polish stubbornly won't match up and there's nothing that can be done about it.
SammyF
25 Jul 2013   #64
Potrafi pretty much means capable. Eg. Czy mężczyzna potrafi kochać? English translation: Are men capable of love.
Do you think he is capable of making that jump? That's what the word means in that context. Capable.
pawian  221 | 25699
16 Mar 2024   #65
We call them Ganek (porches) in the U.S.

Sorry, no. Actually, Polish ganek isn`t the same as US porch.

an extension with external stairs in front of the entrance to the building, covered with a roof supported by posts, open or closed with walls with windows.

Here is a typical Polish ganek:


  • Zelichowo_ganek.jpg
pawian  221 | 25699
16 Mar 2024   #66
We call them Ganek (porches) in the U.S.

American porch should be translated as weranda in Polish.

Veranda ( French: véranda) - an extension, usually a wooden or brick room, open or glazed, covered with a roof , located in front of the entrance to the building or at another façade .

A veranda is a room with a relaxation function, most often located next to residential buildings in rural and suburban areas.


See a typical Polish weranda which is even called Weranda:


  • WerandaApartmentWd.jpg


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