Ivana business English class 4

Personality Traits English Cannot

Describe
6
Intermediate

Language & Education

Exercise 1
Vocabulary
personality
Noun
ˌpərsəˈnælɪtiː
the type of person you are, shown by the way you behave, feel, and think
He has a very nice personality.
trait
Noun
treɪt
a quality or characteristic that someone or something has
Shyness is a common personality trait among young children.
embarrass
Verb
ɛmˈbærəs
to make someone feel ashamed or awkward
Dad, don't embarrass me in front of my girlfriend!
argue
Verb
ˈɑːrgjuː
to say you disagree with someone, often in an angry way
They argued about where to go for dinner.
take out
Phrasal Verb
teɪk aʊt
to go somewhere with someone, such as to a restaurant, the cinema, etc.
He took his wife out for a romantic dinner.
pajamas
Noun
pəˈdʒɑːməz
clothes that you wear to bed
My mom made breakfast in her pajamas.

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Exercise 2
Article
Personality Traits
English Cannot
Describe
Translating can be difficult
because some words and
phrases are not easily
expressed in other
languages. For example, here
are some personality traits
that cannot be easily
translated into English.

Insortable (French)
Do you have a friend or family member who always embarrasses you?  Maybe
they talk too loudly in public or they like to argue with everyone.  In French, this
kind of person is called, "insortable," which means "not able to be taken
out." However, someone that you like to be seen with in public is "sortable."

Milozvuchan (Bosnian / Croatian / Serbian)

Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian have a word for someone with a beautiful
singing voice. They are called "milozvuchan," which means "sweet-sounding."

Mimoso (Spanish)
The Spanish word "mimoso" describes someone who is always touching the
people around them. In many Central and South American countries, friends
greet each other with hugs and kisses. But even Spanish speakers have a word
for someone who is more touchy than others.

Pantofolaio (Italian)
Do you know someone who spends all day in their pajamas and slippers?  They
just don't see any good reason to change their clothes.  The Italians have a
word for this kind of person: "pantofolaio," which means "slippers-person."

Pochemúchka (Russian)
In Russian, a child who just won't stop asking "why?" is called
"pochemúchka." The word "pochemú" means "why," and "-chka" is what

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Russian speakers add to the end of children's names.  So a good translation
might be "little-why-person."

Exercise 3
Discussion
1.
Which of the expressions in the article did you find interesting? Is there
a word for any of them in your language?
2.
Do you know anyone who spends all day in their pajamas and slippers?
Please describe them.
3. Who's the best singer you know? Please explain your answer.
4. Do people in your country usually greet their friends with hugs and
kisses? Please explain your answer.
5. Do any of your friends or family members like to embarrass you? If
so, please describe them.

Exercise 4
Further Discussion
1. Do you think you'd enjoy working as a translator? Why? Why not?
2. When was the last time you had to translate something from your
native language into English?
3. Would you rather learn French, Serbian, Spanish, Italian, or Russian?
Why?
4. What would you say is the best thing about speaking two languages?
Please explain your answer.
5. There is no such thing as a perfect translation. – Unknown. What do
you make of this statement?