Discussion Your favorite expression translated from another language and culture

After having read and dipped into oh-so-many novels of various genres, I have come to appreciate the translators that directly translate some common expressions from the original language rather than finding the english closest equivalent. It helps keep the flavour of the original setting and/or culture. Sometimes I find myself wanting to use them in daily life, but second guessing myself-- was this a chinese expression or does it exist in english? Will whoever I'm talking to understand what I'm trying to convey?

So here I want to hear from others what you favorite expressions, turns of phrase, or common language choices you've come across in your reading adventure that you really enjoyed.

Here are some of my favorites:
> "If XXX said that they were second in [whatever activity/skill/etc], then no one would dare say that they were first."
> The description of someone's skin being so... beautiful? fresh? lovely? that you could "pinch it and water would come out". Always found this image hilarious.
> "Picking up a stone only to drop it on their own foot." Atlernative: "XXX found that they had kicked a metal wall/plate." Are these found in english? Because I always find them in chinese novels, and I can't remember reading them in western writings.

I have other favorites too, but can't seem to pull them out right at the moment.

Edit: the following is one I always want to use in conversation with friends:
"What is [something]? Can you eat it?" To playfully express disdain.

 

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this post...

 

Ooooh! Forgot this one. Also a favorite. It's so evocative.

 

having eyes but cant see mount tai

 

it's because they aren't used for writing, but most of times is spoken about(you only hear people saying them)......only CN for word count they will bother write them.....
eg:
if i'm second at XXXX there isn't a first.................is a western version....
the CN one is goes like this:
there isn't a first for literature, there isn't a second for military(martial artist)....

 

Ok, so I'm coming to the realization that translation language for LNs is stilted in a very particular way that is not how the people around me speak or what I see written in other places. And that part of my brain is like: hmmm... so this must be a direct translation because I've never read/heard it put quite like that before.

 

xD is this like a meme at this point?

 

*flips table* (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ You’re a/an [x]! Your whole family are [x]s!

 

I know that that one does exist in spanish too.

Also, the one you postscripted in the opriginal post has a variant in english: "What's X? Is it tasty?"

 

I your father....

 

What comes out of a bitch is a dog.

 

Dame desu

Yamete kudasai, screaming, etc, desu

 

This is more of purely a language thing, but I also love the different ways that you can refer to yourself in asian languages rather than being limited to the simple "I". Because being able to casually say what amounts to "the great me" in conversation sounds fun. ie: Ben gong, oresama, etc. Or maybe ironically lower myself as well. ie: chenqie, etc. I feel like it would enrich the fun of conversations with friends.

 

Since I've been reading a few entainment novels: singel dog and feeding dog food. Like do these actually exist in english?! because I'm very tempted to use them irl. I also like his head is green such a funny concept. If not for chinese novels I would have never been able to guess the meaning.

 

Angered until their intestines turned green!
Angered until they vomited/spat out blood!
Wonderfully satisfying, but there are a lot of times where I wish that I had the original text just to see what it originally was before the translators worked their magic.

 

I want to see the reverse. what would "that sucks amaz-a-balls!" translate into in other languages?

 

Picking up a stone only to drop it on their own foot. English equivalent would be shoot oneself in the foot.

XD Vietnamese like to use the expression - so angry you vomit blood.

 

Those two expressions are far from similar

 

What do you plan to use the first one for? It's a very arrogant statement.
Outside of novels I'm pretty sure I've only heard it used in imperial China dramas.

 

Flat like airplane runways and airplane cups. The first is an expression but the second is a slang term.