Feature photos by kalandrakas
If you stick around long enough to listen, you might come across one simple saying that seems to epitomize the local culture.
Learning such expressions is key not only to picking up the local language, but also to grasping different belief systems and ways of seeing the world.
Think of these expressions as ways to get inside of a particular worldview, and to show the locals that you’ve got an awareness of their cultural values.
Japan photo by tiseb
1. Shoganai (しょうがない), Japan
“It can’t be helped.” Japan is for the most part a very non-confrontational culture. Shoganai epitomizes this tendency because by encouraging people not to complain or try to “fight the power”.
Circumstances can’t be changed, so why get angry or try to avoid the unavoidable?
It’s too hot and you have walk 10 km to the nearest train station? Your boss asks you to work an extra four hours that evening?
Just accept it and move on: shoganai.
2. Mai pen rai (ไม่เป็นไร), Thailand
Thailand photo by mckaysavage
“Thailand is where no matter what happens, you say ‘mai pen rai.’ Never mind. Que sera, sera. Water off my back. And get on with your life.”
- Jerry Hopkins, Thailand Confidential
Whereas in Japan this “never mind” idea encourages one to endure hardships, in Thailand, it implies that life should be lived at a relaxed pace.
This could not be more evident in the idea of “Thai time”: several days late for a gathering of friends? Mai pen rai; it’s no big deal, we can always put things off for another day, a week, a month.
3. Sempre tem jeito, Brazil
“…there’s always a way. Don’t drive yourself crazy over stuff now, there’s always a way to work it out in the end.”
- Thomas Kohstamm, Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?
4. Pura vida, Costa Rica
Costa Rica photo by lulumon athletica
If you’ve been reading up on the exploits of one frozen banana stand owner, you should understand the idea of enjoying life in leisurely manner in Costa Rica, pura vida!
Literally meaning “pure life”, the saying is often used as a handy catch phrase and a way of offering greetings and farewells.
5. C’est la vie, France
Apparently the French and Japanese think very much alike in this respect. C’est la vie is often used to describe situations beyond someone’s control in a way of saying “that’s life” or “what can you do?”
6. Insha’allah, Arab nations
“In Egypt, it is an expression that is relied on so utterly, repeated so continually and universally – invoked on the quiet, dusty paths of rural villages and on the crowded streets of Cairo alike – that it is a part of our national character.
For Egyptian Muslims (and many Christians, too), insha’allah is the constant reminder that human beings are not in control. It is funny, but also somewhat telling, that most foreigners and visitors to Egypt believe it means ‘never.’”
- Jehan Sadat, My Hope for Peace
7. No worries, Australia and New Zealand
Although the phrase “sweet as” might be just as strong a contender in Kiwi territory, no worries is probably the most culturally relevant phrase in Australia and New Zealand.
The saying expresses a laid-back approach to life. No worries, mate.
8. Huevos, Mexico
Our own Sarah Menkedick offers her experience in Mexico with the variations on huevos (eggs):
“Que hueva.”
Imagine you are Jorge, it is Sunday morning, and you are snug in bed with the sun pouring down on you. Then your peppy girlfriend and her German Shepherd come racing into the room, jump on the bed, and shout/bark “Come running with me!!”
Your response would be: “Que hueva.”
Huevo photo by bpheonix
In case the context didn’t help, “hueva” here means something like boring/tedious/dull/dreadful. You could also translate it more or less directly as “how laziness-inducing.”
“Que huevon/huevona.” This is that guy with his arm elbow-deep in the Ruffles and his gut pouring over the edge of his jeans who shouts “yeah, I’ll get around to it later honey, I’m watching the Simpsons!” The Lazy Egg.
Huevona is the feminine form.
This is what you try to pull on your friends when they refuse to walk the dog with you or trek it across town to catch a bus to see a movie.
“Que huevon!” you say with mock indignation. It rarely works, but it’s fun to call someone a lazy egg anyway.
9. Maningue Nice, Mozambique
Mozambique photo by JenvanW
A cross between a purely national term and a flair of English, maningue nice means “very nice” and is the closest thing to a slogan in Mozambique. Scream it from the tallest buildings whenever fortune favors you.
10. Bahala Na, Philippines
Come What May.
“This is the term that is very often used when all else fails, when you have done all you could, it doesn’t matter
because fate will take over. Sort of a comfort in a sense, that wills the Filipino, that gives them a sort of perseverance.”
Source: tingog.com
A Cross Cultural Theme
When I started researching these expressions, I was expecting to find similarities based on geography: patterns in Asia, South America, Western Europe, etc.
I was surprised, however, to find a cross-cultural theme; many of these phrases are used in response to circumstances beyond people’s control.
How each culture is epitomized in these terms is indicative of how they react to unfortunate or unavoidable events.
The Japanese and French suck it up; the Thais, Kiwis, Aussies, and others shrug it off; Arabs put the responsibility to a higher power.
Join the Conversation!
Do you know a phrase that seems to epitomize a culture? Please share it by leaving a comment below!
About the Author
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36 Comments... join the discussion!
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I can assure you, as a French person, that the French never say “C’est la vie.” In fact, every single time I have heard someone use that phrase, it’s an American. The same is true for answering “Ca va?” with the words “comme ci, comme ca.” French teachers in the U.S. be damned, a French person would never say that!
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Good to know, thanks Anne.
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So what DO the French say if they want to reply “not bad”?
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“Pas mal.”
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Damn.
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I enjoyed this post. It reminded me of a Czech proverb about language:
“You live a new life for every new language you speak.
If you know only one language, you live only once.”
(Czech proverb)↵ -
I love that quote, and I bet the entire Matador community will too!
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Acha (?, !, .) Pronounced: uh-chaa
It is used in India all the time, either as a question or as a reply. When someone is talking to you, it is best to keep saying it, it is like nodding your head, plus it has multiple purposes. People here like to be agreeable, and like agreeable people. So if someone says to you, “The Taj Mahal was built by my great great great grandfather” you could just ask ‘acha?’ and walk away, knowing the person could be bullshitting. If someone asks you “How is/was the tea/food/place/journey”, you can say “Bahut Acha” Acha also means good! Bahut-very.↵ -
Cool. There’s a similar expression in Japanese – “so des ne” – but it isn’t quite used in the same way.
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Very interesting – non-confrontational agreement seems like an important speech pattern in lots of languages – Turner’s right for pointing out the similarity to Sou desu ne in Japanese.
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Great point, Tim! I think learning how to use those expressions is crucial to getting a sense of the culture and language in a place. In Mexico, people say “si, verdad?” all the time to agree or to check if someone agrees with them. They also say “claro.” “Claro” can almost be a compliment–like yes, you’ve made a really relevant point and I totally agree.
I love these little things! I think they’re so underrated. In French people would say “mais oui, c’est claire” all the time–and in that case it does translate as “yes, obviously” with just the slightest hint of condescension. The difference between how the French and the Mexicans use these similar phrases sums up so many of the differences between Francophone and Latin culture for me.
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By the way, that’s Hindi, right? Is the word common across lots of Indian dialects or just HIndi?
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Yes, that’s Hindi and although all Indian languages have their own phrases, this phrase is commonly used all over India.
Some others include:
Namaste as a greeting
Shukriya : Thank Youp.s. I’m still Sej, just realized I wasn’t signed in
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Woefully working part time in a downtown restaurant in America I submit my American definitive expression:
“DO YOU HAVE RANCH?”
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Either that or “supersize me”
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By the way, thanks for the shoutout, Turner! The huevos expressions are still my ultimate favorite. I heard one on the plane yesterday waiting for my flight from L.A to Mexico City–”a huevo.” It was perfect for my re-entry day to Mexico.
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This is an awesome post! Thanks for sharing! When I was in Costa Rica everybody kept telling me about the pura vida thing, but I thought it was just an Americanized expression (like c’est la vie) until I heard all the locals using it. That little phrase completely epitomizes life there too. As far as the huevo thing in Mexico– so true! Although, the huevona/o term is also relevant in other latin american countries I think (since my whole family uses it and most of them are from Guatemala).
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So it goes.
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Loved this- thanks!
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I’d really go with “whatever” for English North American culture.
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That, sadly, is true. It really highlights the indifference people have of many things. To quote Cobain “oh well, whatever, nevermind”
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Agreed!
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Loved this post! Turner, please turn this into a little book–I’d be first in line to buy it!
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“Eyvallah” in Turkish. It can mean almost anything depending on the context you use it – “thanks” “okay” “it sucks” “that’s cool” – not literally but it’s like a spice on the words, if that makes any sense? Eyvallah.
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I thought the Thais and Vietnamese were famous for “same same but different”? Or is that just a popular t-shirt…
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As far as I know, that expression came from the book Thailand Confidential. Mai pen rai is definitely Thailand in a nutshell.
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I think it’s important to note that “Same Same But Different” is a pidgin English phrase, not a Thai or Vietnamese phrase – it reflects more on the dynamics of backpacker tourism than it does on any SE Asian culture.
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In Cuba, there are a few sayings, but one of the most common you’ll hear is
“Ay, (or “Aqui”) en la lucha, compay,” which literally means “Oh, you know, in the fight, buddy.” It’s the standard response to “How’s it going?” or “How are you doing?” (“Que bola?” in Cuba). Everyone says it– young people, old people, professionals, blue collar workers, *everyone.* It’s the universal acknowledgment that life is tough, but that the speaker is getting by however he or she can.↵ -
There’s definitely a cross-cultural pattern here. I wonder if we could find a stress-free society, and what their expression would be?
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I really like that one, thanks Julie.
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They actually use the phrase “same, same but different” in Thailand and Vietnam…at least when selling you things.
While in Barcelona, I heard the phrase “balle” all the time which means, “okay/anyways”.
What is with the American bashing?
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Isn’t the term Logam really popular in Sweden? I remember them talking about it with Anthony Bourdain. It means something like, “not the best, but not the worst.” Something like that.
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Alan, you’re right. It’s spelled “lagom” and yes, it’s used by everyone. Depending on how it’s used, it means either “just right/adequate/enough” (i.e. referring to an amount) or “as wished, not too much and not too little” (i.e. the temperature). Or “not the best, but not the worst” as you put it Alan.
It’s not really a positive word, but a not a negative one either. It’s somewhere in between. And I would definitely put the term on the list as a word that defines the Swedish culture!
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