this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2025
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Kind like that thing where ones native language doesnt have a specific pithy single word or phrasal expression to store its meaning

For extra fun (see my example in the replies) give

the fluent explanation

SPOILER (even if you dont have it, just leave it blank if you dont so people dont know whether there's an answer beforehand

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[–] derrickoswald@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 hours ago

I think there are a number of word phrases in English that would be, what are called, Trennbare Verben in German. To give English speakers the idea, when somebody says they "work out", it's not like just "work" - it has a specific fitness idea because of the additional word "out".

In German, the equivalent verb would be "outworking". In common English grammar, the "out" is always separated. In German, many words can be inserted between working and out - so like "working on the elliptical machine out". That need not be the case in English, but it often is.

In English I would like to say "I outbuffed the scratch in my car with a chamoisé.", or "I uppicked a record from the flea market." or "I uppumped my tires last week." or "I downfell and broke my ulna while skiing."

Which is more correct: "I pumped up my tires last week." or "I pumped my tires up last week."?

In German it could be "I buffed the scratch in my car with a chamoisé out.", "I picked a record from the flea market up.", "I pumped my tires last week up.", and "I fell and broke my ulna while skiing down."

I'm just saying we should normalize these two-word combinations as a "standalone verb" concept so the trailing qualifier is not so difficult to parse and locate correctly in a sentence - since each of the meanings absolutely requires both parts of the verb.

[–] individual@toast.ooo 5 points 20 hours ago

the importance of online privacy and security

[–] monovergent@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Especially on mobile devices, when a UI element repeatedly avoids or dodges your attempts to reach or interact with it. May be intentional or unintentional, usually a consequence of elements wrapping to the next row as you drag one element around. Notable examples include rearranging icons on the home screen and trying to push a tab into a tab group on mobile Chromium-based browsers.

spoilerNyah-nyah Effect (taken from the you-can't-catch-me schoolyard chant that goes through my mind whenever it happens)

[–] sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Thats hilarious, it had me thinking Dark pattern initially before dragging thing.

Its worse for me because i have reduced motion set so it becomes even more finnicky and halted

WHY can’t I snap the cursor the end of a word?? WHY is this forbidden to me?!?!?$?!

I think you might enjoy "The Meaning of Liff"...

[–] sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Here's an Example

the satisfaction felt in response to someone else's perceived (as perceived by someone else) deserved outcome

Tap for spoilerschadenfreude

I'm fairly sure that schadenfreude is used enough in the English language that it qualifies as a loan word at this point, deserving of being (and probably is) in the English dictionary

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's missing an "e" at the end...

And yes, I heard the German language is supposed to be full of such special-purpose words (and if not, we construct fitting new ones by endless concatenation)
So I guess, I am the lucky one in this thread. :-)

[–] sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

I really like how far German takes the whole compound word thing. People act like it makes it harder to read but I feel like it really clicks for me personally and its fun to think about all the possible meanings of it even if you know the technically correct ones

That's not uncommon in many other languages aside from German. Think of it as saving space(s).

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Depends. I like it, but it lures you into lazy naming of stuff, that being especially pronounced in state administration.
And written form is hell to comprehend for dyslexics...

[–] sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I guess I just like how it implicitly causes you to think about the relationship and sum meaning, or that its like that idea generation thing where you randomly generate two words and try to come up with how they can be combined or interpreted

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Ah yes, sure, Begriffsassoziativitätskombinatorik.

(Yes, I just made that word up. And also yes, it makes sense and might be the word describing what you were just thinking about.)

[–] sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Can you break that down for me haha? Like

Begriffsassoziativitätskombinatorik, [each word in German/english seperated by + marks]

Thats a good pedagogic one for me haha

[–] Wrufieotnak@feddit.org 2 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Begriff + s + assoziativität + s + kombinatorik

Word/term + s + associativity + s + combinatoric

So it is the combinatoric of associativity between words.

The "s" in there are just for easier speaking, which itself has a compoundword name: Fugen-s, so literally translated: Joint-s

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

One a scale ranging from 1 to 10:
How high are you right now?

[–] sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

If you show me mine, I'll show you yours 🤙