Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share Their All-Time Favorite Words In A Foreign Language

"Goodbye" signs in various language seen at Disneyland's "it's a small world" attraction
JACQUELINE BRANDWAYN/Unsplash

All languages have certain words that roll so beautifully off the tongue.

It's no wonder why listening to vocal arias from operas and oratorios–which are typically in languages other than English–can be such a satisfying experience.

Examples coming to mind that are pleasant to the ear include, "Un Bel Di Vedremo" from the Italian opera Madame Butterfly and "Au fond du temple saint"–a duet from the French opera, Les pêcheurs de perles.


Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor candela1200 asked:

"What is your favorite word in a foreign language?"

People found these words fun to say.

Not Always, But...

"Tokidoki - 'sometimes' in Japanese, just really fun to say lol"

– rogue_rocketeer_

It Flutters

"Papillon. Means butterfly in french and its fun to say."

– kk1289

Der Emergency Vehicle

"Krankenwagen"

"German for ambulance."

– 8thFurno

A Childhood Memory

"When I was a kid, the first Xbox 360 game I ever got was a Spanish copy of Halo 3 (I don't speak Spanish). At the beginning of the campaign, the characters keep saying 'careful' over and over again. Because of this, 'cuidado' has become one of my favorite Spanish words, and the voice they used has become my default voice to say other Spanish words. My other favorite has to be 'resbaloso'. A large, exaggerated r roll and a boisterous tone just makes this one of the most fun words to say in any language."

– AdriftMusic

A Favorite Pasttime

"Winkel. It means 'shop' in Dutch."

– MrRonObvious

These words are not compliments.

Those Darn Kids

"Gowniaki - polish for 'Sh*tling' in reference of annoying kids."

– BmMjO

Referring To Contemptible People

"Pendejo."

– Broccoli_Vivid

Like The F-Bomb

“'Tabarnak!' I love how, instead of being bodily-function based like English swear words, French Canadian sacres are mostly related to Catholicism. This one is my favourite as it’s the rough equivalent of the versatile 'f''k' swear in English, so many uses."

– jerrys153

You may want to sound these out slowly.

Well, We've Tried

"Verschlimmbesserung - German noun for an attempted improvement that only makes things worse."

– JR_0507

The Translation Doesn't Track

"Meerschweinchen, it’s German for Guinea Pigs, I like it because it literally means 'little sea pigs'. Which makes no sense."

– AdvantageBig568

What An Inebriate Would Say

"kalsarikännit - originating in Finland, in which the drinker consumes alcoholic drinks at home, dressed in as little clothing as possible, mainly in underwear with no intention of going out."

– evendronesflyaway

My favorite word or phrase really, is "Oh la, la, c'est cher"–which means, "Oh my, it's expensive," in French.

It was one of the first phrases I learned in middle school when I started taking French as an elective.

When I went home and shared with my mom what I learned, she was so amused by how the alarming phrase sounded. She couldn't stop laughing.

This led to her constantly asking me to repeat it whenever we were in the presence of her friends, and I milked it.

This is one of my treasured memories of my mother.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshots from Priscilla Houliston's TikTok video
@the1870studio/Tiktok

Woman Who Bought An Old Church For Under $40k To Live In Explains How She Did It

It's becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to find a home for those who do not already have one or who are in dire need of an upgrade.

TikToker Priscilla Houliston is here to teach us another way: seeking out old churches and other obscure properties that can be re-zoned as a residential home property.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pete Hegseth
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Pentagon Just Banned Press Photographers Over 'Unflattering' Photos Of Pete Hegseth—And The Internet Got To Work

The internet reacted exactly as you might expect after the Pentagon announced it would ban some press photographers from briefings about the Iran war due to their "unflattering" photos of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Here's a silly one, just because.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @italiangirl1130's TikTok video
@italiangirl1130/TikTok

Italian Exchange Student's Reaction To American Host Mom Taking Him To Olive Garden Is An Instant Classic

A joy that not nearly enough people get to have during high school is hosting an international student who comes to visit for either one semester or perhaps even an entire year to experience the world and the educational system from another country.

Tiktoker Rhonda, who goes by @italiangirl1130 on the platform, currently has the pleasure of hosting Alessandro, and her family has already filmed a variety of antics on the platform, trying to give the teen the best American experience they can.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @ali.fragster, @pluto_theservicedog, and @thatflippingagent's TikTok videos
@ali.fragster/TikTok; @pluto_theservicedog/TikTok: @thatflippingagent/TikTok

Woman's Video Shooing Kid At Disneyland Away From Her Service Dog Sparks Heated Debate

A massive debate has taken over TikTok about who needs to be protected, children or service dogs or both, and it all started with a video taken at Disneyland.

TikToker @pluto_theservicedog frequently posts videos of her travels with her service dog, Pluto, and she also creates informative videos about how the general public should interact with service dogs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hudson Williams (left) and François Arnaud (right)
Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images; Gary Gershoff/Getty Images

'Heated Rivalry' Stars Call Out The Show's Toxic Fans And Their 'Hateful Love' With Blunt Statement

Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and François Arnaud took to social media to call out hateful comments from some of the show’s fans.

Both Williams, who plays Shane Hollander in the series, and Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter, have recently been the targets of a wave of hostile online commentary. Their message addressed viewers who were trying to pit the actors and other cast members against one another.

Keep ReadingShow less