International Words and Phrases Quiz

Answer: I do not know what

The phrase is used in English to refer to an intangible or indescribable quality that a person or an object has. For example: "Her music is good. It has a certain 'je ne sais quoi' that makes it fun to listen to".

Answer: What for what

The phrase is used to refer to something in exchange for something, usually in connection to illicit favors and illegal transactions, much like the idiom "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours". It may, however, be used to mean trade agreements and legal contracts as well.

Answer: Health

This common response to a sneeze is a wish for a person's good health. In English conversation, it is normal to say, "bless you," thus the word "Gesundheit," which in German means "health," has somewhat taken on the other identity for some people as well.

Answer: God willing

The word "Inshallah" is a truncated form of "Insha'Allah" which is translated as "God willing" or "If it is God's will". This is a term uttered by Muslims and non-Muslims alike in situations where one expresses faith that what will happen is according to God's plan, whether it be good for the person or not.

Answer: Hand-to-hand

Although the phrase could also denote a face-to-face confrontation, the literal translation is "hand to hand," which means direct, unarmed battle between two combatants.

Answer: The many

The phrase usually refers to the general population or the masses and the common people, often in a derogatory manner. Incidentally, it was also the title of a "Three Stooges" film released in 1935.

Answer: The sweet life

Someone who is "living la dolce vita" is said to be enjoying a period of pleasure and indulgence, with "sweetness" denoting something that is pleasurable, fun, and enjoyable.

Answer: Divine wind

The term kamikaze, which in Japanese is translated to "divine wind," became popular during World War II, in reference to the suicidal actions of Japanese navy fighter pilots deliberately crashing their planes into Allied warships to inflict heavy damage.

Answer: Openness

In the 1980s, Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev popularized the term glasnost, literally meaning openness, to promote the culture of transparency in the Russian government. This word is often paired with another Russian word perestroika, which means restructuring or reform.

Answer: Upon the sea

The name of the largest city by population in China found its way into English lexicon to mean "to kidnap" or "to do something by fraud". The literal translation, however, is much different, and is a combination of two Chinese characters "shang" meaning "above," and "hai," which means "sea." Combined together, "shanghai" means "upon the sea".