🗓️ Idiom: Lost in Translation (adj)
💬 Meaning
- When the meaning of something is misunderstood or changed, often because of language or cultural differences.
- When a message does not come across clearly.
- A misunderstanding or confusion.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The client’s request was lost in translation, so we delivered the wrong product.
- Some of our marketing ideas got lost in translation during the overseas campaign.
- Be careful with slang, it often gets lost in translation.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom comes from real situations where words from one language are translated into another, but the full meaning is lost or changed. Over time, people began using “lost in translation” for any time an idea is misunderstood, even when it’s not about language.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
The team’s message was __________ when the report was shared with the international partner.
Answer
lost in translation
2. Choose the correct meaning of “lost in translation”:
A) Understood perfectly
B) Delivered quickly
C) Misunderstood due to language or unclear message
Answer
C) Misunderstood due to language or unclear message
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“The message was not clear in the long e-mail.” → Change the sentence using: lost in translation
Answer
The message was lost in translation in the long e-mail .
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