Vocabulary

The Four ‘You’s of Mandarin Chinese

Think "you" is simple? In English, it is, but Mandarin Chinese requires a more nuanced approach. The choice between the…

2 weeks ago

Counting People in Japanese: The ‘Nin’ Counter

Learning to count in Japanese means mastering counters, and the one for people holds a fascinating secret. While most numbers…

2 weeks ago

Why Korean Uses Two Number Systems

Ordering coffee in Seoul? You'll need one set of numbers. Telling the time? You'll need another. This might seem confusing,…

2 weeks ago

How Dogs Bark Around the World

Why does an English-speaking dog say "woof" while a Japanese dog says "wan wan"? The answer isn't in the dog,…

3 weeks ago

Why Are There So Many Words for Snow in Sámi?

The old "Eskimo words for snow" trope is a well-known but misleading linguistic myth. A far more accurate and fascinating…

3 weeks ago

When Siblings Lie: Germanic False Friends

English and German are sibling languages, but like any family, they have their misunderstandings. This article explores "false friends"—deceptive words…

3 weeks ago

Pragmatic Traps: The Cultural Side of False Friends

We all know about "false friends"—words that look similar but mean different things. But what about words that are perfect…

3 weeks ago

Hidden Cousins: Cognates That Look Like Strangers

We’ve all heard of "false friends"—words that look the same in different languages but mean different things. But what about…

3 weeks ago

The Million-Dollar Mistake: When False Friends Cause Chaos

We've all heard humorous tales of language mix-ups, but so-called "false friends" can have consequences far beyond embarrassment. From derailing…

3 weeks ago

The Death of the Latin Passive

Latin once expressed complex passive ideas with a single word, like amor for "I am loved". This post explores how…

3 weeks ago

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