Interview ·
The Word I Cannot Translate
An interview about switching languages mid-sentence, and the words that only exist in one of them.
By Amani and Noah
Theme
Language
Which words from your life don't translate?
The words we switch between, the jokes that only work in one language, and the ones we are still learning.
3 countries
Side by side
Kenya
Nakuru County
“Some jokes only work in Sheng. If I translate them, they die.”
From “The Word I Cannot Translate”Nakuru County
“We invented our own language of emojis because typing in three languages is slow.”
From “Group Chat at Midnight”
India
Karnataka
“I mute the chat during school and read 200 messages at lunch.”
From “Group Chat at Midnight”
Canada
Manitoba
“My parents speak to me in one language and I answer in another. We all understand each other perfectly.”
From “The Word I Cannot Translate”Manitoba
“When I can't sleep, somebody in the chat is already awake.”
From “Group Chat at Midnight”
Stories about language
Audio ·
Group Chat at Midnight
An audio diary from a group chat that spans five time zones, so somebody is always awake.
By Noah, Priya and Amani