Many seasoned translators agree that there is no such thing as a "untranslatable expression" or a concept that cannot be conveyed adequately in other languages. If you agree or disagree, there is no denying that we all get lost in translation from time to time. Find out which Polish words are the most difficult to translate into English.

Kombinować

One of the most "untranslatable" words in the Polish language, in my opinion. Some argue that understanding its true meaning requires coming into contact with Polish imagination and resourcefulness. The verb kombinowa means that you are resolving an issue in an unusual (and often dishonest) manner. It is sometimes translated as "to cheat" or "to the scheme" depending on the meaning, but the word itself seldom carries such negative connotations in Polish. Co kombinujesz? could be translated as “What are you up to?”, but the derivative wykombinować is often understood as “finding a creative solution to a problem” or “coming up with an idea”. To be honest, you have to pokombinowa to capture the essence of this expression!

Załatwić

This is a useful Polish verb that can be used in a number of daily situations. The definition is similar to the English phrase "take care of," as in "take care of an issue." It is important to note that załatwić  refers to having things done rather than doing them, so załatwić nowy passport translates as "to get a new passport." Often the word załatwić means a desire to use your contacts or personal charisma to complete the mission at hand. Remember that what you get is more important than how you get it!

Kolega

Kolega is neither a colleague nor a friend (przyjaciel). Kolega is more of a friend or a buddy to you than znajomy (acquaintance), but not close enough to be trusted with your secrets. Of course, you can distinguish between casual friends, close friends, and best friends in English, but the distinction appears to be simpler in Polish.

Doba

Doba is an abbreviation for "24 hours," so it is easily translatable, but the Polish word sounds less clumsy than "24 hours" and more concise than "a day." Then there are similar phrases, such as całodobowo, which means "24 hours a day," which allow us to express the same idea in a more concise manner. To be honest, Polish has no single counterpart for words like "biweekly," "bimonthly," or "fortnightly," so we can actually call it a tie.

Trudno

The adverb trudno literally translates to "difficult" or "hard" in English, but it is often used in a completely different context. Imagine telling one of your Polish friends that you didn't get the job you wanted and having them reply, "No trudno!" as an answer What exactly does it mean? It is a popular Polish way of saying "c'est la vie," or "life goes on," and it tells us a lot about the Polish way of life. Is it believable? Should we call it stoicism instead?

No

This small term has a lot of significance. As perplexing as it might be, no is often used as a colloquial way of saying... "yes," but there is much more to it than that. A simple no can convey comprehension, agreement, excitement, or even disappointment. In English, it usually translates to "well" or "yes," but the actual sense of the term varies greatly depending on the context.

Can you think of any other words in Polish or your native language that don't translate well?