Languages of the World

The Case of the Missing ‘Is’ in Russian

In Russian, "My brother is a doctor" becomes "Мой брат – врач" (My brother – doctor). This isn't a mistake…

4 weeks ago

The Amharic ‘And’: A Verb’s Best Friend

In English, we connect actions with a simple 'and.' But in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia, this conjunction is…

4 weeks ago

Forgetting the Subject: The Case of Pro-Drop in Italian

Ever wonder why an Italian speaker says "Vado al cinema" instead of "Io vado al cinema"? This linguistic magic trick…

4 weeks ago

Why Icelandic Creates New Words, Not Borrows Them

While English readily borrows words, Icelandic takes a different path, deliberately creating new terms from its Old Norse roots. This…

4 weeks ago

How Persian Lost Its Gender

Modern Persian, or Farsi, is famously gender-neutral, but its ancestor, Old Persian, was not. This post explores the fascinating linguistic…

4 weeks ago

Speaking Up, Speaking Down: Java’s Speech Levels

In the Javanese language, 'please' and 'thank you' are just the beginning. The entire vocabulary—from pronouns to verbs—changes based on…

4 weeks ago

Why Korean Uses Two Number Systems

Ordering coffee in Seoul? You'll need one set of numbers. Telling the time? You'll need another. This might seem confusing,…

4 weeks ago

The Georgian Verb: A Sentence in One Word

Ever wondered if you could fit an entire sentence into a single word? In the ancient and beautiful Georgian language,…

4 weeks ago

Why Is ‘An’ Used Before Vowels?

Why do we say 'an apple' but 'a pear'? This fundamental rule is about more than just grammar; it's a…

4 weeks ago

What Is a Phrasal Verb?

Phrasal verbs like "run into" and "give up" are a cornerstone of natural English, yet they often frustrate learners. This…

4 weeks ago

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