When a Word Exists — But the Meaning Does Not

Before choosing a language to learn, explore all available options here:https://levitintymur.com/#languages Language often teaches us something unexpected: words can be translated, but states of mind cannot. This became clear to me during a conversation with a young songwriter who was preparing to perform a track at a concert in Switzerland. The song contained a simple […]

Why Unique Letters Are Not Just Symbols — but Cultural Markers Language learners are often told that translation problems arise mostly from vocabulary. Words like samovar, Bundestag, or hygge are commonly used to illustrate what translation theory calls realia — cultural elements that exist in one linguistic environment but do not have an exact equivalent […]

Author: Tymur Levitin — Founder & Director, Levitin Language SchoolCopyright © Tymur Levitin. All rights reserved. The traditional question in translation studies is usually framed like this: How should realia be translated? At first glance, the question seems natural. Translation theory has long offered a familiar set of procedures for dealing with culture-specific items: transcription, […]

Author: Tymur Levitin — Founder & Director, Levitin Language SchoolCopyright © Tymur Levitin. All rights reserved. For decades, translation studies has treated realia as a more or less settled topic. The usual assumption is familiar: realia are culture-specific words that denote objects, institutions, customs, or phenomena typical of one community and lacking full equivalents in […]