Foreign Words Without Literal English Translations: How to Use Them (and Where They Might Come Up in the Workplace)

Assignees who get roped into a little “watercooler talk” at their new office may hear their fellow co-workers express disdain for the office pochemuchka. A pochemuchka is someone who asks incessant questions with no inclination of giving their vocal cords a break any time soon. While we believe there’s no such thing as a stupid question—especially for someone in a new culture who’s just getting the hang of things—assignees who want to avoid being that pochemuchka may want to tread lightly in their new home.

Learning new words is one of the most exciting parts about moving to a new culture. By learning some of these translations before your assignee departs, they will be much better equipped to impress their new coworkers and we’ll be much better prepared to fargin (or praise their successes, in Yiddish). For more information on language learning, take a look at our webinar on How Language and Culture-Learning Support Relocation.