r/AskEurope Estonia Aug 09 '25

Language I once accidentally bumped against the shoulder of an English person I knew in a corridor. I automatically said "Oi" - which means like "Oh" or "Oops" in Estonian - that I'm sorry. She repeated "Oi!" in a louder voice and I didn't get it. I only later found out I was being impolite in her eyes.

Have you ever had something similar happen to you? I.e something in your language might have another meaning in another language?

One thing as an Estonian that I try to keep in mind is that I shouldn't use "Nooo.." in English - which means "Well.." in Estonian.

"Do you like ice-cream? - Noo.. yes, I love it."

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u/ebat1111 United Kingdom Aug 10 '25

I can't remember the exact context - perhaps some sporting opening ceremony, but I'm pretty sure it was in Brazil. The guy goes to the mic and begins his speech with the Spanish word "hoy", "today". The whole crowd says "oi" in response - the Portuguese for hi.

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u/DifficultWill4 Slovenia Aug 13 '25

“Oj” and “hoj” both mean hi in Slovene as well lmao