Welcome back to our blog. Today we decided to do something fun and write about some expressions, proverbs and slang in the languages we know. Let’s start!

English

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-I’m all ears – I am listening;

-it’s raining cats and dogs = it’s raining a lot;

-take it with a grain of salt = believe only a part of something;

-fishy = if something is fishy, it’s suspicious;

-cat got’s your tongue? = why are you not saying anything?;

-spill the tea / beans = tell the secrets;

-break a leg = good luck;

-to kick the bucket = to die;

-to be on thin ice = to be in a risky situation;

-the early bird catches the worm = morning people achieve more;

-speaking of the devil = when you speak of someone and they enter the room just then;

Korean

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-호랑이 제 말 하면 온다 = talk about the devil;

-비행기 태우지 마세요 = don’t over compliment me;

-대박, 헐 = cool;

-등잔 밑이 어둡다 = it’s right in front of you;

-갈수록 태산 = the more you go there is a bigger mountain / a bigger challenge;

-고양이한테 생선을 맡기다 = to leave the fish to the cat – to leave something to the wrong person;

-남의 떡 더 커 보인다 – other people’s rice cakes seem bigger – you are jealous of something someone else has;

-누워서 떡 먹기 – eating rice cakes while laying down – something is really easy to do;

-말이 씨가 된다 – words become seeds – your words influence the outcome;

-맛잘알 – 맛집 잘 아는 사람 a person that knows the best restaurants;

-꿀쨈 , 노쨈 쨈 – 재미 – fun / no fun;

-뭥미 – 뭐임 what?;

-강추 -강하게 추천 strong recommendation;

-필탬 – 필요한 아이템 an item you need;

-무물보 – 무엇이든 물어보세요 – ask anything;

-고생 끝에 낙이 온다 = after any worry or bad situation there is something good;

-개굴이 올챙이 적 생각이 못 한다 = (the frog can not remember the times when he was a tadpole) used to indicate that someone once successful doesn’t even think about the struggles he faced during the initial stage;

-마음이 먹먹하다 = used to express sadness, when you are really sad for example because you broke up with your boyfriend, your pet passed away, you fought with your mom, etc. ;

-간담이 서늘하다 = we say this expression when we feel threat or fear because we predict something bad will happen, or something bad did almost happened, or when we feel something bad right now;

-국수를 먹다 = This translates to ‘to eat noodle soup’. Traditionally in Korean it was common to eat noodle soup at wedding receptions, so this eventually turned into an expression that means to get married;

-골칫덩어리야 = (he is a pain in the neck) used when something or someone is really annoying;

-마음이 굴뚝 같다 = (the heart is like a chimney) I´m dying to do something;

-귀에 익다 = when something is familiar or you have heard it before or you heard something constantly so you are used to it now;

Romanian

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-vorbești de lup și lupul la ușă = (you talk about the wolf and the wolf is at the door) when you talk about someone and they enter the room;

-a fi varză = (to be cabbage) if you are cabbage you are really bad at something;

-a fi dus cu pluta (to be gone with the raft) to be crazy;

-mișto (or) fain = cool;

-beton = (concrete) another word for cool;

-a-ți pica fisa = (your coin drops) you realize something;

-a scoate pe cineva din pepeni = (to get someone out of their melons) to make someone mad;

-a-ți pica fața = (your face drops) when you are very surprised;

-e chiar sub nasul tău = it’s right under your nose;

-a fi floare la ureche = (to be a flower at your ear) to be really easy;

Spanish

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-soltar la sopa = tell the secret;

-chulo = cool;

-estoy hasta las narices = to be really tired of something;

-árbol que nace torcido jamás su rama endereza = this literally translates to English to “Tree that is born crooked never straightens its branch” and it is used to refer to someone who you think is never gonna change because he or she has always been that non educated since he or she was young;

-agua que no has de beber dejala correr = “If you are not gonna drink that water, let it run” – this expression advices to do not get involved in stuff or situations that are not your business;

-echarle mucha crema a sus tacos = it applies to those who boast of their merits. Could also mean that he or she exaggerates in his/ her praise of something or someone;

-el que es perico donde quiera es verde = it talks about the virtues that a person always demonstrates and, in any place, regardless of adversity;

-no eres monedita de oro para caerle bien a todos = this expression means you are not supposed to be liked by everyone, not everyone you meet is gonna like you and that is okay, because you are not gold;

-mas sabe el diablo por viejo, que por diablo = it speaks of the experience and knowledge that the passing of the years brings;

Bonus: Other languages we have been learning

Italian

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-in bocca al lupo = (in the wolf’s mouth) good luck;

-non vedo l’ora = (I can’t see the hour) I can’t wait;

Chinese

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• 一日三秋. (yí rì sānqiū) = (one day feels like tree autumns) used to tell someone you miss him or her so much;

• 画蛇添足 (huà shé tiān zú) = (to draw a snake and add feet to it) it’s used to criticize someone who does something unnecessary or spoils something that was right;

• 一分耕耘，一分收获 (yī fēn gēng yún, yī fēn shōu huò) = (it literally means “a little work, a little harvest”) it is used to express that success depends on effort and dedication.