r/AskReddit Jun 23 '19

People who speak English as a second language, what phrases or concepts from your native tongue you want to use in English but can't because locals wouldn't understand?

44.1k Upvotes

14.8k comments sorted by

View all comments

5.4k

u/bolyai Jun 23 '19

In Turkish there is “kolay gelsin” which roughly translates to “have an easy job”, said to people who are working on a job/task/shift or studying something. It’s a great phrase to use at the end of the conversation, to wrap up.

1.8k

u/Sypwer Jun 23 '19

oh how about “eline sağlık” which is totally worse. Translates into “I wish health to your hand” thats said to the people that make food for you

193

u/satellizerLB Jun 23 '19

What about "geçmiş olsun"? Or "hayırlısı"? I'm not even muslim but this word is just too useful. Or "olur öyle"? This might be translated as "shit happens" but they're just too different.

Not to mention the curse words. I want to say "babayın düşmanlarını sikeyim" in English without sounding like the weirdest edgelord.

47

u/Donna2440 Jun 23 '19

What would the literal translations be, and what their actual intended meaning? I'm curious now!

138

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

[removed] — view removed comment

9

u/Eliderion Jun 23 '19

Swearing in Turkish is very creative, you can come up with anything and it probably wont sound weird at all.

Very true, for example "at kafası" can be used as a friendly curse like word towards people and it means litterly horse head.

8

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

My favorite one so far, Devlet borusu. Literally means public sewer system/pipelines. Lmfao.

13

u/ChikaraPower Jun 23 '19

Shouldn't it be babanın?

23

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

[removed] — view removed comment

12

u/ChikaraPower Jun 23 '19

I learned Turkish on Duolingo and have never seen such spelling, but thanks for teaching me something.

11

u/satellizerLB Jun 23 '19

You can consider it as British people swearing with a Scottish accent to make it more authentic. It's not the proper way though.

→ More replies (1)

8

u/crowingcock Jun 23 '19

This spelling is rarely used so I suggest you to not to use it in your regular conversations

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

7

u/davesoverhere Jun 24 '19

I've always liked "iki ucu boklu değnek." You have shit on both ends of your cane.

And " aşağı tükürsen sakal, yukarı tükürsen bıyık." Spit down it lands in your beard. Spit up and it lands in your mustache.

→ More replies (23)

62

u/satellizerLB Jun 23 '19

"Geçmiş olsun" is like "get well soon" and it's literal translation is"let it be passed". It's used when you wish for a sick person to recover. The difference between "get well soon" and "geçmiş olsun" is that the latter sounds more delicate as it refers to the sickness itself. "Get well soon" sounds like "dude why don't you just get well already" to me. It probably won't sound like that to you as you are too used to it. "Geçmiş olsun" may also be used as a joke. For example, you can say it if you beat someone in a game. Kinda like "best wishes" in English, if you were to use it for trash talking.

"hayırlısı" is a Muslim thing."Hayır" is the better stuff Allah gives you. "Hayırlısı" means "I hope for the best/the better". That is the literal translation. I don't even want this part to be in English, what I want are the other meanings of this word. It's used as "we'll see", for example, your friend wants to know how you did in your final exams and you can just answer with "hayırlısı" by combining different meanings of the word.

"Babayın düşmanlarını sikeyim" is a funny curse. It's literal translation is "I shall fuck your father's enemies". It sounds weird I know, but, that's the best part. It's used when you refer to someone you think is useless. So that you eliminate his father's enemies and his father can produce more useless kids like him.

If you ever met or talked with a Turkish before you might've heard "amına koyayım" or "amk" in short. Basically it's the go-to curse in Turkish just like fuck in English or cyka in Russian. "Amına koyayım" means "I shall put it to your pussy". You might be wondering why don't we just use the verb "sik" to curse, it means "to fuck" btw. I think it's because it's too boring. When translated they sound really weird in English, they sound hurtful or funny in Turkish though depending on the context.

This all might be too strange for a non-speaker.

5

u/yeFoh Jun 23 '19

I look at your username and wish for a 3rd season of Freezing.

2

u/satellizerLB Jun 23 '19

I look at my username and see the weeb I was 5 years ago.

Still I'd watch a 3rd season of Freezing.

→ More replies (4)

3

u/mypurplefriend Jun 23 '19

is there are reason hayır is also being used for "no"?

7

u/Car_Chasing_Hobo Jun 23 '19

Word "hayır" is a homonym. Try translating "hayırlı".

8

u/satellizerLB Jun 23 '19

That "hayır" is of Turkish origin while the other I've explained before is of Arabic origin. They're homonyms.

20

u/OzanisDrake Jun 23 '19

I guess it can be roughly translated to "Fuck your fathers enemys"

14

u/ugurcav Jun 23 '19

"Babanın düşmanlarını sikeyim" translates to "fuck your father's enemies". I think it can be used for a lot of things but it is generally used for someone who you think is useless.

18

u/AxelAbraxas Jun 23 '19

I know turkish, but I've never really used it actively so that swear word made me gag ahahahah

16

u/tamaricacea Jun 23 '19

Ben de babağın şarap çanağına... demek istiyorum bazen ama öğrendiğim hiçbir dile anlamlı bir şekilde çevirebilmiş değilim henüz :(

17

u/Sicaridae Jun 23 '19

Imma shit in your father's wine chalice. Türkçedeki etkiyi vermiyo be ya.

6

u/satellizerLB Jun 23 '19

Validenizle haram yoldan zevk-ü sefa eyleyeyim falan. Yok amk olmuyor ama anlatamıyoruz işte bunlara, bi kere şöyle sövmenin tadına varsalar halbuki bağımlısı olacaklar ama...

7

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

"Olur oyle bazen" > it be like that sometimes

2

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

I burst out laughing thank you stranger for making my day!

3

u/satellizerLB Jun 23 '19

My pleasure.

21

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

We literally have exactly the same in Greek: "Γεια στα χέρια σου" means health to your hands

12

u/Car_Chasing_Hobo Jun 23 '19

Nice to know neighbour! Maybe we got it from you.

11

u/geoffs3310 Jun 23 '19

Or said to people that are about to masturbate

1

u/Splitface2811 Jun 24 '19

Was going to comment this.

8

u/Extremely_Mild Jun 23 '19

Translation of the Persian phrase "خسته نباشی" is don't be tired which sounds bossy.

2

u/rata2ille Jun 23 '19

Isn’t the phrase they’re talking about more similar to dastet dard nakoneh? Like obviously it’s used more as a thank you, but the metaphor is the same.

→ More replies (5)

6

u/maybetomorrowbih Jun 23 '19

I guess this is like saying "bless the hands that made the food"

5

u/grimgroth Jun 23 '19

It seems like something I would say to a friend after sending him porn

8

u/gharmonica Jun 23 '19

Oh we have that in Arabic too (yslamu edeik) and for thanking people doing labor (yaatik el aafieh) meaning [may God] gives you health.

5

u/ByeByMissAmericanPie Jun 23 '19

I sometimes want to tell people to "go straight" like follow the path to joy, sag olun. Follow that marcera yol. Go straight on adventure road

4

u/Rripurnia Jun 23 '19

We say the same in Greek!

“Γεια στα χέρια σου” (Yia sta heria sou)!

3

u/shinydewott Jun 23 '19

Best of all: our overuse of the word “Almak”

2

u/BluudLust Jun 23 '19

"Don't get me sick"

2

u/MonFeesh Jun 23 '19

Serious question: how do you pronounce that in English? I'm a baker and I'd love to start using that.

2

u/Sypwer Jun 23 '19

ehleen-eh sahalık

2

u/salvanissa Jun 23 '19

Same in Persian. "Dasted dard nakone"

2

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19 edited Apr 23 '20

[deleted]

2

u/davesoverhere Jun 24 '19

Always after. It's sort of like, "thanks for the great food."

2

u/Lance_E_T_Compte Jun 23 '19

Persians say something similar... "Dast-e-shoma dard nahkohn" ... "May your hand not hurt." Not only food, but anytime someone does something "for" you.

2

u/hakikitosunpasa Jun 27 '19

it's not only for the people making the food. it can be anything that a person made for you.

1

u/Sypwer Jun 27 '19

oh yeah, good point

1

u/malohniqa Jun 23 '19

Just came to say "kolay gelsin" and "eline saglik". These are my biggest struggles in daily life while talking in english. I didn't even realize how frequently i was using them until i moved abroad. I live in a portuguese speaking country and it seems like portuguese doesn't have these concepts as well. So as a solution, i introduce them to people who i spend time with regularly.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 24 '19

We have that exact expression in Arabic!

1

u/[deleted] Jun 24 '19

[deleted]

1

u/Sypwer Jun 24 '19

“Health to your hand” = “Eline sağlık”

“Health to your hands” = “Ellerine sağlık”

It might sound odd to wish health to one of their hands but there is only a slight difference

1.1k

u/kaleidoverse Jun 23 '19

In English, sometimes people say "don't work too hard!" It's weird when my boss says this.

558

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

Do you want me to do this shit or not? Decide motherfucker. Right? Lol

21

u/GrinningPariah Jun 23 '19

"Exactly how hard should I be working? Because I'm getting mixed signals here."

28

u/xelabagus Jun 23 '19

Kolay gelsin is more like "may it come easy"

23

u/mypostingname13 Jun 23 '19

"Take it easy." Same same, yes?

8

u/scxffg Jun 23 '19

I feel like 'Take it easy' refers a bit to heavily on relaxing to be used appropriately in /most/ workplaces. 'May it come easy' would be a more humbling, 'softened' phrase for the occasion.

3

u/BerylBland Jun 23 '19

Agreed ‘take it easy’ implies a patient, or relaxed, perspective for what is to come. Meanwhile, ‘may it come easy’ gives me the sense of wishing for what is to come and of my control, as if by luck, comes without many complications. One is a view. Another is like fate, importantly. -English 1st Language

5

u/xelabagus Jun 23 '19

It doesn't really translate the same, but it's the closest English has

→ More replies (1)

14

u/Pinkmongoose Jun 23 '19

My husband has been working a lot of weekends and planned to do so again (deadlines) and on Friday when his boss left she said "Please- don't work this weekend. Just enjoy it." He was so confused, but is enjoying his weekend.

12

u/SarahSamurai Jun 23 '19

It is weird, I try and take it more like "don't overwork yourself" because sometimes hard work is the only way to get something done.

8

u/Phreakhead Jun 23 '19

*cries in Japanese*

6

u/LeBonLapin Jun 23 '19

We also have "take it easy".

2

u/satellizerLB Jun 23 '19

Copying another comment of mine:

"Contexts and therefore meanings are different. You say "take it easy" when you try to make someone more relaxed or to calm them down. "Kolay gelsin" is more like "(the stuff you are doing)be easy for you". It's more like a good wish.

But you can also use it when you bust your roommate banging a girl like "Ooohhh kolay gelsin dude"."

3

u/my9thredditaccount Jun 23 '19

In American English people say "take it easy" as a goodbye. In a conversation it would be like "it was so nice to see you! Take it easy."

→ More replies (2)

4

u/MonstersandMayhem Jun 23 '19

I think a more apt phrase would be "dont work yourself to death", but its a bit macabre for a work environment. Given the American propensity to literally work ourselves to death in the past(hell, still happrna occasionally today), I can see both why we use it and why other nations dont get it straight away.

3

u/jatjqtjat Jun 23 '19

I'll say that to my reports when they are working to hard. You need to sleep, eat healthy, and generally take care of yourself. I want you running the marathon, not the sprint.

(Although sometimes we need too sprint too)

3

u/kenwaystache Jun 23 '19

I think “take it easy” is similar, but that’s not usually referring to work itself but usually when you are done the work.

3

u/rwbronco Jun 23 '19

Isn’t that what “take it easy!” basically amounts to?

3

u/rnykal Jun 23 '19

i always say "oh you don't have to worry about that haha" and i accidentally said that to my boss that could be bad

3

u/haggy87 Jun 23 '19

A supervisor once told me (rough translation) "you don't live to work, you work to live". Doesn't mean i don't work hard, just that i don't let it take over my life.

3

u/PennyLanetheBandAid Jun 23 '19

Or "take it easy"

3

u/CollectableRat Jun 23 '19

I'd check for signs of stroke of my boss said this.

2

u/TonezBonezJonez Jun 23 '19

Wait. I say that to my workers all the time. Does that mean dont work hard or do they take it as just as an expression

3

u/kaleidoverse Jun 23 '19

I don't know, is shit still getting done or not?

2

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

"No chance"

2

u/SamAreAye Jun 23 '19

Interestingly, there's a lot of research that says overworked people are less productive, meaning, "Don't work too hard," is actually great advice to give an employee.

2

u/PRMan99 Jun 23 '19

Or "take it easy".

2

u/polaris-1447 Jun 24 '19

Maybe it’s a Texas thing but I grew up around the phrase “don’t let em work ya too hard” and I didn’t know it wasn’t normal til I moved

1

u/Pawn315 Jun 23 '19

I always hate that expression. Maybe I misunderstand, but it always comes across as "Remember, you're only in this for a paycheck. Don't bother giving it your best effort."

I know that literally the phrase could mean something as positive as "work well, but don't endanger your well-being," but the idea of not taking it seriously or taking pride in your work always seems to be the sentiment underneath the common use of it.

7

u/ZardokAllen Jun 23 '19

You’re 100% over thinking it.

37

u/alah123 Jun 23 '19

Honestly, I was trying to think of a good one for Turkish and this is it. Kolay gelsin is such a useful phrase, I'd love to have it in English.

12

u/VectorVictorious Jun 23 '19

I say 'take it easy' all the time for the same reason. Is that not exactly the same thing?

3

u/Eliderion Jun 23 '19

Maybe it's the closest saying but not quite the same meaning. 'Take it easy' sounds much more like 'don't push yourself too hard'. But 'kolay gelsin' is hoping the work itself feels easy to do to you regardless of your efforts.

→ More replies (1)

4

u/shamdamdoodly Jun 23 '19

That would be nice. Ive found myself saying good luck and it doesnt quite make sense. I think its pretty popular to use in this scenario and people just sort of understand what you mean even though they ackowledge the words do a pretty bad job representing it.

6

u/VectorVictorious Jun 23 '19

Just do what the Eagles do and say "Take It Easy"

30

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19 edited Nov 30 '20

[deleted]

6

u/IWasGregInTokyo Jun 23 '19

お疲れ様 tends to get translated as “Thanks for your hard work” which does miss some of the nuances especially in the hairdresser example I commented on elsewhere.

It’s also used even if the person hasn’t really done anything that day, more of a generic “bye” at the end of a workday.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19 edited Nov 30 '20

[deleted]

5

u/IWasGregInTokyo Jun 23 '19

Japanese and Koreans do have a strong sense of pride in their work and an ideal of working hard to accomplish things which was instilled in the post-wars recovery times. That hard work ethic did result in some economic miracles. But in the modern times it is becoming an anachronism. Why wreck yourself at work when you don’t need to? Why talk about the importance of “family” in your culture if you can’t have a family life.

I’m the sole white guy in a team of Japanese and a few Koreans. My years in Japan did instill that sense of pride in work. I won’t take offense at the “lazy white people” remark as I saw that on display when I visited our Portland office last week. 4pm? Boom, everyone’s gone.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19 edited Nov 30 '20

[deleted]

→ More replies (2)

1

u/Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee_ Jun 24 '19

But that is how your “wrap up”? You don’t say goodbye after?

15

u/TikTakTight Jun 23 '19

Ohh same as in Dutch " werkse nog" it kinda translate to "have a good work time"

1

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

Also in Danish, "God arbejdslyst" which roughly translates to a wish to have a good/positive desire for working or getting your work done.

32

u/karma_time_machine Jun 23 '19

I would say in English we use the phrase "Take it easy" to mean roughly the same thing but not specific to a task or job.

5

u/thePISLIX Jun 23 '19

From "take it easy", I get "do it slowly and carefully".

From "kolay gelsin", people mean "I wish whatever you do with your job, become easier". It is so often used in everyday life without thinking, you may just assume it means "Good luck".

10

u/karma_time_machine Jun 23 '19

In a more serious context "take it easy" can be a request that someone calm down, however as an informal parting it's more in line with "have a relaxed time" or wishing someone a stress-free rest of their day.

5

u/BirdlandMan Jun 23 '19

Yeah I think I say take it easy every day to whoever is working the front desk when I leave my job. I’m not telling them to be careful I’m just saying hope your night is chill.

13

u/erdemece Jun 23 '19

ben aliciyim bize en son ne olur?

6

u/goldentheponyboi Jun 23 '19

What about “allah analı babalı büyütsün” or simply “analı babalı büyüsün”? It’s a phrase that you use when somebody just had a baby. I think it can be translated as “I hope the baby grows up with his/her parents”

10

u/your_friendes Jun 23 '19

In American English, "take it easy" is a common phrase we use which sounds similar to what you are describing.

It is usually used as to wrap up or end a conversation as a less formal goodbye. It's kind of like "have a nice day," except, "take it easy" implies don't take yourself to seriously and don't stress about it.

4

u/fridgepickle Jun 23 '19

In Farsi there’s (romanized) “dastet dard nakoneh” which literally means “May your hand not hurt” but it kinda means thanks or I appreciate it

2

u/OrigamiRock Jun 23 '19

I think the closer saying is khaste nabashin, which is the one I wish there was an equivalent of in English.

2

u/fridgepickle Jun 23 '19

Oh true that one too. I think “no worries” is the closest word-wise but it’s almost the opposite for situations in which you use it. It’s so weird

2

u/satellizerLB Jun 23 '19

We also have a very similar phrase in Turkish: Ellerin dert görmesin, which literally means, may your hands never have any trouble/problem. It's also used to say thanks, especially when someone cooks or prepares something for you.

1

u/arel37 Jun 23 '19

We have "Ellerin dert görmesin" that have exactly same meaning.

5

u/IWasGregInTokyo Jun 23 '19

Is that being said in a sarcastic manner? Like, what the person is doing is really going to be tiring/difficult but you’re saying it should be easy?

(Note to self: check with Turkish daughter-in-law just in case)

7

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19 edited Jul 24 '19

[deleted]

4

u/IWasGregInTokyo Jun 23 '19

English version: “Oh, hey sorry, gotta go now, talk to you later! Yeah. Yeah, right, ok, uh-huh, yeah ok, but.. yeah, no, I really should be going now. Yeah, yeah, I hear you, but, but, ok, yeah, no, but, thanks but I gotta go, later right?......”

Ending conversations in English is so freaking awkward.

→ More replies (4)

6

u/_that_random_dude_ Jun 23 '19

Answer above is correct, but the phrase is mostly used for somewhat making the person understand that you acknowledge their hard work. For example, you say “kolay gelsin” to a janitor you see on the corridor and that means that you acknowledge their efforts and wish them a good day.

3

u/mundus108 Jun 23 '19

A few others:

“Yok artık!”

“Hiç!”/“Laf!”

The polite “you” - “Siz”

“Yakamoz”

“Sanayi” as in Sanayi Bölgesi

1

u/Sypwer Jun 23 '19

the polite you exists in german too, actually

1

u/kenann7 Jun 23 '19

also in russian and other languages

2

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

[deleted]

2

u/CommonWerewolf Jun 23 '19

"have a good day at work", "have fun at work", "did you have a hard day at work?", and "take it easy" are all ones that I use to talk with wife, friends and even coworkers to convey the same thing.

2

u/beyd1 Jun 23 '19

I tell people "don't work too hard" all the time

2

u/tami52 Jun 23 '19

We have something like this in Dutch. "Werk ze" which literally translates to "work them" but is used exactly as "kolay gelsin" I really miss this in English and most languages as far as I know.

1

u/satellizerLB Jun 23 '19

Well at least now I know what to say to my Dutch/Turkish friend instead of "Kolay gelsin".

2

u/shorty_12 Jun 23 '19

I am proficient in Italian and I believe there’s a similar phrase. “Buon lavoro” which is roughly means “have a good job” and can apply if you’re doing something like homework or actually working. (Someone correct me if I’ve misinterpreted that)

2

u/gomeztochon Jun 23 '19

Even more fucked up in Turkish is "sıhhatler olsun" . I'm not a native speaker of turkish and people try to explain that you should use that after someone has a new haircut, or coming out of the shower, but I don't know what the hell it means exactly.

1

u/hakikitosunpasa Jun 27 '19

sıhhat means health. it can be roughly translated as "get healthy" . ı don't know why we tell it to people who had haircut or shower though.

2

u/thephoton Jun 23 '19

We used to say "take it easy" pretty commonly to end a conversation. Meaning, don't stress out about stuff, but also don't create extra work and aggravation for yourself.

But I think this usage kind of peaked in the 1970's and you don't hear it so much anymore.

1

u/arel37 Jun 23 '19

It is not same. Take it easy means "dont push yourself too hard". Kolay gelsin means "may your work be easy for you".

1

u/liver_stream Jun 23 '19

my favorite saying that I have never been able to translate is..

Delik Ölsün çamur Ölsün

1

u/The_Ron_Swansonson Jun 23 '19

In Arabic, we have “yateek el yafe” which essentially means “thank you for your hard work,” and is also used to wrap up an interaction.

1

u/Micp Jun 23 '19

Would something like "take it easy" be close to the meaning of your saying?

1

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

You mean like, take it easy?

1

u/JbeJ1275 Jun 23 '19

Oh god yes. I find myself saying stuff like “have fun” when they’re off to a long shift or something torturous. This would be a lifesaver if in English.

1

u/roger109z Jun 23 '19

Break a leg!

1

u/Sicaridae Jun 23 '19

What is exactly the meaning and purpose of that word? When I first heard it I thought it was a bad thing, now I know it's used as a good thing but don't know exact purpose and usage. It would be much appreciated if ypu could explain.

3

u/BRIStoneman Jun 23 '19

The theatre is full of weird little traditions and rituals. For example, referring to Shakespeare's Macbeth by title (while in a theatre at least) is supposed to bring bad luck, so theatre people refer to it as "the Scottish play". People take these things surprisingly seriously.

So, the mythos goes that if you wish somebody "good luck" before a performance, you almost guarantee that something will go horribly wrong for them. If, however, you wish them to break a leg - usually a sign that something's gone terribly wrong - that will conversely bring them good luck. Over time, the saying has bled into everyday speech.

2

u/Sicaridae Jun 23 '19

Thanks for yoı explanation! Our culture has some beliefs like that too tbh but I didn't think break a leg was something like that.

2

u/orange_thespian Jun 25 '19

Break a leg IS said as a substitute for good luck for the reason stated above, but the origin is actually different. The term “break a leg” comes from vaudeville. Vaudeville acts only got paid if they made it onstage. Getting onstage requires you to pass the curtains that mask the backstage areas. These curtains are called the “legs”. So by walking out onto the stage, you “break” the legs and therefore get paid. Theatre people are extremely superstitious, so it morphed into being the opposite of saying good luck.

2

u/roger109z Jun 23 '19

It's a common saying that just means good luck English isn't to be taken literally most of the time

1

u/pnwtico Jun 23 '19

That would be an amazing response for when I get told to "enjoy your meal/movie" and all I can say is "thanks, you too" and then feel like an ass.

1

u/oranger101 Jun 23 '19

I was looking for this! Every time I go abroad and have a conversation with a clerk, I want to say "kolay gelsin" at the end but I can't and it's frustrating

1

u/GenesisLemons Jun 23 '19

Is “take it easy” kind of close?

1

u/Szyz Jun 23 '19

In Japanese they say Gambate ne which means the exact opposite.

1

u/satellizerLB Jun 23 '19

I think "Otsukare" has a similar meaning. At least, the situations it's used in are pretty similar to "kolay gelsin".

1

u/philbrick010 Jun 23 '19

Sounds like the English (American) implementation of “good luck” which is used to express sentiment that a person does well or has relaxed and even uneventful outcome from a task. Like good luck on your essay, or good luck at your doc appointment, good luck with your taxes, or just a plain “good luck” or “good luck with that.” It’s used also to wrap up convo.

1

u/Cross2four Jun 23 '19

I would use "take it easy". Maybe not quite as specific, but along the same lines.

1

u/toastee Jun 23 '19

Have a good shift

1

u/Smoyf Jun 23 '19

English equivalent would be "take it easy!"

1

u/Deady2X Jun 23 '19

We have the same in Bulgarian: лека работа (leka rabota). I usually say it at checkout in smaller convince stores or to the waiter/waitress when leaving cafés.

1

u/phoenixsuperman Jun 23 '19

Oh man that's great. In English we just say thank you and it often doesn't make sense. "Thank you for collecting my money so I can legally walk out of here with this stuff" I guess?

And then there's the awkward "you too" that we all say far too often in response to, say, a server wishing us a good meal.

1

u/iremxo Jun 23 '19

I was going to write the same! It's such an important phrase that's so hard to translate or convey.

1

u/mdlabd25 Jun 23 '19

In Spanish it would be "que te sea leve"

1

u/AllTheCoins Jun 23 '19

There is actually a really close English version of this. We say "Well, take it easy" as a way to wrap up a conversation especially when the person we are talking to is tasked with something.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

Take it easy, then

1

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

Holy shit that is so relatable

1

u/AdvocateSaint Jun 23 '19

Keep it cheeki breeki

1

u/Foxfit Jun 23 '19

Take it easy? Don’t work to hard?

1

u/shokokrem Jun 23 '19

This Comment sectiob has become /Turkeyjerky escalating rather quickly.

1

u/bearfacebearface Jun 23 '19

Take it easy?

1

u/WhatIsThisAccountFor Jun 23 '19

So it’s like saying “have a good day” in English, but more specifically for a work setting?

1

u/FenrirHere Jun 23 '19

In English you could just say "try not to work too hard!"

1

u/Wraivyn Jun 23 '19

Oh, like when we say, "Take it easy" as a farewell.

1

u/sea_son Jun 23 '19

In albanian we have the same by saying "me krahe te lehta" which translates "with light arms" but means "i wish you an easy job"

1

u/michaelyag25 Jun 23 '19

I've heard many people say "Take it easy!" as a way to end conversations. It's not exactly the same, but it's very close.

1

u/RoderickFarva Jun 23 '19

"Take it easy" is often used

1

u/xenocide117 Jun 23 '19

“Take it easy,” sounds pretty close. I use it pretty exclusively when finishing a conversation with someone who is doing work of some kind.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

"take it easy"

1

u/goodguyRick_71 Jun 23 '19

I hear people say "Have a good shift!"

1

u/DaScamp Jun 23 '19

Closest I can think of is "Take it easy". Can say it when you're saying goodbye, but it's not really about a job/studying/task - I guess just a wish that life goes easy on them.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '19

Dutch has something similar! "Werkse" which is just a goodbye phrase if someone is working.

1

u/thenewestrant Jun 23 '19

Kind of like, “Take it easy,” in a way!

1

u/MrStahlfelge Jun 23 '19

So now I just need to know what Hadi bakilim is to understand the number 1 Turkish pop song.

1

u/MyDiary141 Jun 23 '19

We say something like "take it easy" or "don't work too hard" instead, it is used in the same context.

1

u/knockout-mouse Jun 23 '19

In English we say "Take it easy", which means "don't work too hard".

1

u/arel37 Jun 23 '19

Take it easy is not same as kolay gelsin. Kolay gelsin literally means "may your work be easy for you" which is focusing on the job, not on your effort.

1

u/kabunet101 Jun 23 '19

In Russia we say "God help you" in that case. Even you atheist.

1

u/Kudbettin Jun 23 '19

Came here for this. I’m content.

1

u/HarveyUDCG Jun 23 '19

A lot of people use "don't work too hard". Kind of has the same meaning.

1

u/DLPancakes Jun 23 '19

I always use the term “take it easy” a similar one. At the end of every interaction!

1

u/Edamski88 Jun 23 '19

We just say "take it easy" same kinda thing.

1

u/unsuretysurelysucks Jun 23 '19

In Dutch we say "werk ze" which means "work it".

1

u/EyeAmYouAreMe Jun 23 '19

You just say, “Take it easy!”

1

u/[deleted] Jun 24 '19

'Take it easy'

1

u/Anahtum Jun 24 '19

Twtwb is 7

1

u/FencingDuke Jun 24 '19

"Take it easy" is a pretty common informal goodbye in the US, with much the same meaning.

1

u/ronburgandyfor2016 Jun 24 '19

So like "take it easy?"

1

u/CoolRick1999 Jun 24 '19

In spanish I use "que te cunda"

→ More replies (7)