No Real Equivalences

Many language learners start their journey by translating words and phrases from their target language to their native language. It seems like a logical approach – after all, finding the "equivalent" word in your own language can help you understand the meaning, right? By translating the target language to your native language, you effectively “anchor” the new language to your native language representations, which makes this approach feel like an effective shortcut. Very tempting! However, this reliance on translation can actually stall out your language learning progress. Keep reading to find out why this happens, and how to avoid it.

The truth is, there are no real lexical equivalences between two languages. Words carry a wealth of meaning and these nuances tend to get lost in translation. Those false or imperfect equivalencies affect both the meaning of the words you’re learning and the grammatical patterns they do or do not participate in. In other words, the “translation trap” can undermine your language acquisition efforts in the most fundamental way.

Differences in Meaning

A single word can have multiple meanings depending on the context, and, in fact, almost all words do. The English word "run" can refer to physical exercise, the act of managing a business, or even the flow of a liquid. Its equivalents in other languages may not encompass all these meanings, leading to confusion and misinterpretations. Take Spanish as an example: if we are to translate “run” as “correr”, most uses of the English word cannot be expressed with its Spanish translation equivalent.

The English verb “to run” can be used to convey several different meanings:

• To move quickly on foot: "I like to run in the park every morning."
  Spanish: "Me gusta correr en el parque cada mañana." ("correr": to run)
• To manage or operate something: "She runs her own business."
  Spanish: "Ella dirige su propio negocio." ("dirigir": to direct/manage)
• To flow or extend: "The river runs through the valley."
  Spanish: "El río corre a través del valle." ("corre": runs/flows)
• To be in operation or function: "The engine is running smoothly." Spanish: "El motor está funcionando sin problemas." ("funcionar": to function/work)
• To compete in an election: "He is running for president." Spanish: "Él se está postulando para presidente." ("postularse": to run for office/apply)

Used as a noun, “a run” can also mean several different things:

• An act of running: "I went for a run this morning."
  Spanish: "Salí a correr esta mañana." ("correr": to run)
• A continuous period of performances: "The play had a successful run on Broadway."
  Spanish: "La obra tuvo una exitosa temporada en Broadway." (Direct translation of "temporada": season)
• A score in baseball: "The team scored three runs in the first inning."
  Spanish: "El equipo anotó tres carreras en la primera entrada." ("carreras": races)
• A series of similar events: "We've had a run of bad luck lately."
  Spanish: "Hemos tenido una racha de mala suerte últimamente." ("racha": streak)

As you can see, the Spanish word "correr" can indeed be used to translate some instances of the English "run." However, depending on the specific context, other Spanish verbs or nouns may be more appropriate to convey the intended meaning accurately.

Let’s say you are learning Spanish and when you learn about the verb “correr”, you anchor it to your representation of the English “run”. Although the partial analogy between the two can feel like a shortcut, you are now in the position of having to learn about all of the disanalogies between the two. A much better approach is to anchor your learning of words to the context in which they are being used. It may feel slower at first, but over time your understanding of the target language will be more pure than any translation-based approach could ever deliver.

Grammatical Patterns: The Unspoken Rules

Beyond individual words, languages have unique grammatical structures and patterns that shape how words are used and combined. These patterns can be vastly different from one language to another, making direct translation even more challenging.

For example, English relies heavily on prepositions to express relationships between words, while other languages might use case endings or word order to convey the same information. Translating a sentence word-for-word without considering these grammatical nuances can result in awkward and nonsensical phrases.

Moreover, some grammatical constructions might exist in one language but not in another. Idiomatic expressions, phrasal verbs, and specific sentence structures can be difficult to translate directly, as they often rely on cultural and linguistic conventions that are unique to a particular language.

A fascinating example of such a pair is the English verb "break" and the Spanish verb "romper". While both verbs essentially mean "to separate into pieces or cause something to stop functioning," their grammatical behavior diverges in interesting ways:

• Passivization:
  • English: "The vase was broken." => Passive voice is readily used with "break"
  • Spanish: "El florero fue rompido." (English: "The vase was broken.") => This is technically possible but sounds unnatural. The preferred construction would be "El florero se rompió," using the reflexive form.
• Reflexive use:
  • English: "I broke myself." => This sounds odd and usually implies emotional or mental breakdown.
  • Spanish: "Me rompí la pierna." => This translates to "I broke my leg" and is a perfectly natural, common way to express accidental injury.
• Transitive/Intransitive:
  • English:
    • "I broke the vase." => Transitive - "break" takes a direct object
    • "The vase broke." => Intransitive - no direct object
  • Spanish:
    • "Rompí el florero." (English: I broke the vase) => Transitive - no issue here.
    • "El florero se rompió." (English: the vase broke) => Reflexive, but essentially intransitive in meaning!

In essence, while both "break" and "romper" convey the core idea of something becoming damaged or separated, Spanish often favors reflexive constructions to express events that might seem accidental or beyond the subject's direct control, whereas English tends to use the passive voice more freely in such situations.

These seemingly subtle distinctions in grammatical usage have significant implications for any aspiring Spanish speaker. It underscores that language is more than a collection of isolated words - it's a complex web of interconnected structures and conventions. Relying on simple word-for-word translations can lead to stilted, unnatural expressions or even misunderstandings. It's essential to grasp the grammatical patterns unique to Spanish to truly communicate with fluency and nuance. It's in those patterns, rather than in isolated vocab lists, that the true essence of the language lies.

Embrace the Uniqueness of Each Language

Instead of relying on translation, immerse yourself in the target language and experience its richness firsthand. Engage with authentic materials like books, movies, and podcasts to observe how words are used in context and discover the subtle nuances of meaning.

Pay attention to grammatical patterns and sentence structures, and try to identify the underlying rules that govern the language. By understanding the unique ways in which words are combined and used, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the language's expressive power.

Remember, language learning is a journey of discovery. Embrace the challenges, celebrate the differences, and allow yourself to be captivated by the beauty and complexity of each language. By stepping away from translation and immersing yourself in the target language, you'll unlock a world of possibilities and achieve true fluency.