Saudade, Fernweh, sobremesa: words English doesn't quite have
A tour of words from Portuguese, German, Spanish, Italian and French that need a whole sentence in English, and what they say about how people talk.
Articles
Notes on learning languages through reading, the words and phrases that matter, and using them when you travel.
Spanish false friends that trip up English speakers
Embarazada isn't "embarrassed" and actual doesn't mean "actual". The Spanish false friends worth learning early, with what they really mean and what to say instead.
French false friends: words that look English but aren't
Librairie, préservatif, actuellement and more. The French false friends English speakers meet most, sorted from mildly confusing to properly embarrassing.
Why German words are so long (and how to read them)
German glues words together into compounds. Once you know how they're built, long words like Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung become surprisingly easy to read.
Italian expressions you'll hear every day (and what they really mean)
Allora, dai, magari, boh, figurati. The small Italian words that fill every conversation, what they mean in context, and how to start using them naturally.
Brazilian vs European Portuguese: what actually changes
Pronunciation, você versus tu, "estou falando" versus "estou a falar", and everyday words that differ. A practical guide to the two main varieties of Portuguese.
Spanish expressions about food (and what they really mean)
Pan comido, media naranja, importar un pepino. Everyday Spanish idioms built on food, what they mean and when you'll hear them.