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Viewing Avoid Embarrassment - Choose the Right Word for the OccasionAvoid Embarrassment - Choose the Right Word for the Occasion
By Kathy Steinemann
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Have you ever tried to write something in a foreign language and used an inappropriate word by mistake? If you haven't, you are among the very few. Languages are complex compilations of words and nuances. Have you ever tried to write something in a foreign language and used an inappropriate word by mistake? If you haven't, you are among the very few. Languages are complex compilations of words and nuances often based on culture, modern technology, and small town idioms. Sometimes a shift in emphasis or a slight change in pronunciation can alter a meaning. What we are addressing in this article, however, is the problem of choosing the correct word from a list to select exactly the one we need. For example, consider the English word 'climb'. It can be used in the following sentences: - I will climb the mountain. - Prices will climb along with inflation. In English we use the same word in both sentences, although the meaning is not exactly the same. Let's suppose that we want to find the foreign language equivalent of 'climb' in the first sentence. First, make a list of words that have a similar meaning. Use a thesaurus if necessary - your word-processing software probably has one: - climb - scale - ascend Now, let's see what we can find! German The words that come up in an English-German dictionary are: - aufsteigen - besteigen - erklettern - klettern - steigen So, which would be the best word to use? We refer to a German-English dictionary to locate the definition for each word: - aufsteigen - to climb, to rise, to soar, to rise into view - besteigen - to climb, to ascend, to mount, to ascend - erklettern - to scale, to climb - klettern - to climb - steigen - to rise, to climb, to climb (up) Hmm. Still some ambiguity. However, a good dictionary will also offer some examples. Here are a few: - einen Berg besteigen - to climb a mountain - zu hohem Rang aufsteigen - to ascend to a high rank - eine Mauer erklettern - to scale a wall - einen Baum erklettern - to climb a tree - auf eine Mauer klettern - to clamber up a wall The only word used in context with climbing a mountain is 'besteigen'. Obviously, 'besteigen' would be a good word to use. Portuguese Some of the words that surface are: - descer - subir - trepar - ascender - altear - elevar-se - escalar All of the above words mean 'to go upward with gradual or continuous progress'. One example given refers to climbing a hill. It would appear that any of the above words would probably be appropriate. However, let's double check. Reverse lookup from Portuguese to English provides the following. These words are used in context with ascending a mountain: - descr - subir - trepar - ascender - elevar-se No examples used with 'mountain' or 'hill' were found for the following: - altear - escalar Therefore, we can likely assume that the words used in sentences about climbing mountains are correct - while the other two words may not be appropriate. So What does This Mean? Some of the words eliminated may also be suitable. However, until you can receive confirmation, stick with the words you are reasonably sure about. But don't be afraid of embarrassment! If you research every single word this carefully, you will spend all your free time poring through dictionaries instead of applying what you learn. Cultivate opportunities to interact one-on-one or in groups of people so that you can use language in daily speech. You will learn - perhaps more quickly than you expect. (c) Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author's note below (with active links) are included. About the Author: Kathy Steinemann is a busy webmaster and author who enjoys writing German-English stories in parallel translation. She works behind the scenes at several websites, including A-Language-Guide dot com. Article Source: A Language Guide - http://www.a-language-guide.com More free articles: 1st Rate Articles - 1stRateArticles.com |
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