Loanwords vs calques: How languages secretly borrow from each other

Ever ordered sushi, worn khaki trousers, or had déjà vu? Congratulations, you've used a loanword—a word borrowed straight from another language, no translation needed. English is full of them, thanks to centuries of cultural exchange. We’ve pinched piano from Italian, taco from Spanish, and robot from Czech. No modifications, just a straight-up linguistic heist.

What’s the difference between a loanword and a calque?

But then, there’s a sneakier way languages influence each other: calques. Instead of borrowing words wholesale, English translates them piece by piece. Think skyscraper—a direct translation of the French gratte-ciel (literally ‘scrape-sky’). Or flea market, lifted from the French marché aux puces (market of fleas). Even superman is a calque of the German Übermensch.

Some borrowings get lost in translation

Of course, things don’t always translate perfectly. The German calque for cloud computing is Datenwolke—data cloud—which sounds straight out of a sci-fi novel. And in Chinese, hot dog was once translated as re gou (heat dog), causing some understandable confusion.

Loanwords and calques show how languages constantly evolve, borrowing and reshaping words as cultures mix. So next time you sip a cappuccino (Italian) at a coffee shop (Dutch koffie schap), take a moment to appreciate the global conversation happening in your cup.