Japanese phrases that don't literally translate in English… but do in French
Since learning Japanese, I've come across some words or expressions, that look like a direct calque of French (without necessarily being one) with no direct English translation.
You may or may not have noticed, but I'm a French native speaker. Since learning Japanese, I've come across some words or expressions, that look like a direct calque of French (without necessarily being one) with no direct English translation. They are in no particular order, and I may add more in the future as I come across them. If you have any suggestion, send them at suggestions@tcl.me
平謝り
Meaning
a humble apology
In French
« de plates excuses » (lit: flat apologies).
鉄道
Meaning
railroad
In French
« le chemin de fer » (lit: road of iron).
握手
Meaning
a handshake
In French
« serrer la main » (lit: hand-grasping)
話の落ち
Meaning
the punchline of a story
In French
« la chute d'une histoire » (lit: the fall of a story)
気軽に
Meaning
‘lightheartedly’ or ‘cheerfully.’
In French
« l'esprit léger ». Esprit means ‘spirit,’ as I'm sure you guessed.
小便・大便
Meaning
‘number one’ and ‘number two,’ as euphemisms, talking about the toilet
In French
« la petite commission », « la grosse commission » (lit: the small/big message).
空言
Meaning
a lie, an empty word.
In French
Okay, I see you. 空 when read as から can also mean ‘empty.’ But hear me out. In French, we say both « des paroles vides » and « des paroles en l'air ». Which hints at both meanings of the Japanese word.
猫被り
Meaning
‘Insincerity,’ ‘phoniness’
In French
It's a pretty old expression, but « faire la chattemite » means to act sweet, in order to trick other people.