Discover the dictionary that allows native speakers to share and explain the words and expressions that make their language unique.
Not everything is said with just a translation. Created by linguists, Untranslatable is a dictionary that uses crowdsourcing and sociolinguistic principles to gain a better understanding of language.
Untranslatable is an online dictionary that allows you to add words and phrases in any language or dialect. Here is what makes us unique.
Find out not just what something means, but who uses it, where, and how often, along with an example and translation.
Each entry includes a link to an example, is seen by a moderator and can be verified by other users.
We love informal language, regional dialects, minority languages and other forms of language that are often overlooked.
* What the mother-in-law sees
Expression used here and there by Everyone
When you only clean parts of your house that other people can see. It can also be used in a more abstract way, when you you only do parts of a task so others can see that you're working.
"Τακτοποιούσα το σπίτι για τους καλεσμένους μου μόνο όσα βλέπει η πεθερά, τα άπλυτα τα πέταξα στη ντουλάπα!"
"I was tidying my house for my guests, only what the mother-in-law can see, I threw my dirty laundry in the closet!"
From local slang to national idioms - find entries from all over the world.
By allowing entries in all languages and dialects, we hope to help preserve and promote linguistic diversity, especially for linguistic varieties that are otherwise often underdocumented or overlooked.
Not at all!
The name of this project refers not to the translatability of the words, but rather the additional context you are able to provide.
Stuff that doesn't strictly fall under translation, but still helps provide context about how, where and how often words are used.
Here are some of the things you can do.