Untranslatable wordEverydayCzech

Prozvonit

Meaning: To call someone's phone and hang up after one ring, so they call you back and you save the cost.

Literally: To ring once

Origin: Czech (also Slovak); a thrifty habit with its own dedicated verb.

More untranslatable words — Everyday

  • Boketto Staring off into the distance with your mind pleasantly empty, thinking of nothing at all.
  • Pålegg Anything you might put on a slice of bread — cheese, ham, jam, egg, whatever — gathered u…
  • Pana poʻo Scratching your head to help yourself remember something you've forgotten.
  • Friolero A person who feels the cold far more than everyone else — always the first to reach for a…
  • Empalagar To be overwhelmed by something so sweet it turns sickly — used of food, and of people who…
  • Puente The day taken off to 'bridge' a midweek public holiday to the weekend, turning it into a…

Explore another collection: False Friends

Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.

  • Wet Actually means 'law'. For wet, say nat.
  • Elf Actually means 'eleven'. Elf uur = eleven o'clock.
  • Brutaal Actually means 'cheeky' or 'impudent'. For brutal, say wreed or bruut.

Browse all false friends →

Keep exploring

Explore all untranslatable words →