12 English vocabulary borrowed from other languages

12 English vocabulary borrowed from other languages

Vietnamese has many words of Chinese, French, Japanese origin... but English also borrows words from other languages.

However, because they have been widely used for so long, people sometimes "forget" where they originated. EnglishTop Introducing to you 12 English words that you have definitely "heard" in other languages, not English.

1. Word of French origin

- Ballet /bæˈleɪ/

12 English vocabulary borrowed from other languages

This world-famous art form originated in French. So its pronunciation is somewhat different from the usual English.

For example:

  • She is a beautiful ballet dancer.

- Cafe /ˈkæfeɪ/

In English, the word "café" is often used for small, popular restaurants that only have small tables inside and outside the store. This word is written in 2 ways: with the mark “café” hoOr without the sign "coffee".

12 English vocabulary borrowed from other languages

“Cafe” is often confused with “cafeteria”, which also means a small restaurant. However, cafeterias are restaurants and bars located in factory centers, offices, buildings or schools and only serve people working in that area.

For example:

  • I’ve only got about 20 minutes for lunch, so I’ll just stop at a cafe for a quick sandwich.

- Entrepreneur /ˌɑːntrəprəˈnɜːr/

12 English vocabulary borrowed from other languages

“Entrepreneur” is the founder of a certain company. Some familiar word forms of “entrepreneur” are “entrepreneurship” (noun) and “entrepreneurial” (adjective).

For example:

  • Bill Gates, the man who started Microsoft, is one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the world.

2. German origin

- Fest /fest/

12 English vocabulary borrowed from other languages

“Fest” is a celebration or festival with a bustling and joyful atmosphere. In both English and German, “-fest” is often used as a suffix.

For example:

  • We visited the songfest in Hana’s campus yesterday.

- Kindergarten /ˈkɪndərɡɑːrtn/

Literally translated from German, “kindergarten” means “children’s garden.” In English, it means “kindergarten.”

For example:

  • My niece is going to turn 3 next year, so my family has been trying to find a good kindergarten for her.

- Waltz /wɔːls/

12 English vocabulary borrowed from other languages

“Waltz” both refers to the dance and also refers to the type of music used when dancing.

For example:

  • My friends say that dancing the waltz is easy, but I can’t do it.

- Rucksack /ˈrʌksæk/

This is another name for backpack in English. “Ruck” comes from the German word “Rücken”, meaning “back” and “sack” meaning “bag”.

For example:

  • I am going to travel Dalat this summer, but I’m planning on taking only one rucksack.

3. From Spanish origin

- Square /ˈplæzə/

12 English vocabulary borrowed from other languages

This word is used to refer to public, crowded areas in the city, sometimes, “plaza” is also used to mean “square”.

In addition, in English, "plaza" is also used to refer to shopping centers, complex buildings or large areas.

For example:

  • My kids are playing in that plaza with their friends.

4. Japanese origin word

- Tsunami /tsuːˈnɑːmi/

12 English vocabulary borrowed from other languages

“Tsunami” means tsunami, referring to giant waves, after an earthquake, with heavy destructive power.

The word “tsunami” became popular after the 2004 tsunami in East Asia and 2011 in Japan.

For example:

  • A tsunami early warning system was set up in Hawaii.

5. Chinese origin

- Tofu /ˈtoʊfuː/

12 English vocabulary borrowed from other languages

This is a word derived from the word “dou fu” which means “tofu” in Chinese. However, before “spreading” to English-speaking countries, it was popular in Japan and was read as “tofu”.

For example:

  • I know a good vegaterian restaurant in this area. They have the best tofu in town!

- Typhoon

The origin of this word is still very vague. Some people believe that "typhoon" is derived from the Chinese word "taifeng", meaning "big wind".

“Typhoon” is the word used to refer to storms or tornadoes

For example:

  • Earthquakes, typhoons and other natural disasters are frequent in this area.

- Yin and yang

12 English vocabulary borrowed from other languages

In Chinese culture, “yin” represents femininity, darkness, and night. Meanwhile, “yang” represents the opposite: masculinity, light, and day. In English, this phrase is used to refer to opposites. In Vietnamese, it means “yin and yang.”

For example:

  • Mary is the yin to Peter’s yang. They’re complete opposites, but they have a happy marriage. I guess it’s true that “opposites attract”!

EnglishTop We have compiled for you 12 English words originating from other countries. We hope you will be able to use these words more flexibly and interestingly. Wishing you success in conquering English!