"Directly translate" your native hair words to English!

[TatsuOni]

Normally we're using the correct English words for hair stuff, but if we translate some words "directly" it might end up as something else.

Example: A bobby pin is "hårnål" in Swedish and it's actually the words "hair" and "needle" together. So directly translated it's "hairneedle".

U-pin - Knutnål - Knot needle

Claw clip - Hårklämma - "Hair squeeze"


Share your directly translated words and don't forget to tell us what language it is!

[MusicalSpoons]

Ooh what a great idea for a thread! My native language is English (though autocorrect may have you think otherwise) so I have nothing to contribute but I look forward to seeing all the responses

[RubberDucky]

Cool idea

Some direct translations from Estonian:

hair pin - juuksenõel - "hair needle"

hair clip - juukselõks - "hair trap"

ponytail holder - patsikumm / juuksekumm - "braid rubber" / "hair rubber"

curling iron - lokitangid - "curl pliers"

[Joules]

Here's some Russian for ya'll

Bobby pin - невидимка (nevi'dimka) - invisible thing (lol, they're very visible sometimes)

U-pin - шпилька ('shpilka) - the same word we use for stiletto heels

Claw clip - заколка-краб (za'kolka-krab) - crab clip (sometimes we just say "crab", like, "I'm wearing a crab in my hair today", or "I'm gonna make a bun with little crabs")

Hair elastic - резинка (re'zinka) - a piece of rubber (I just realised we don't have a separate word for scrunchies, so they're called rubber too, we just specify that thay're velvet rubber or satin rubber, sounds quite ridiculous I know)

Straightening iron - утюжок (utyu'zhok) - little iron (iron being the same word as for the iron you use on your clothes)

Paddle brush - массажная расческа, массажка (ma'ssazhnaya ra'scheska, ma'ssazhka) - massage brush

Hairspray - лак для волос (lak dlya vo'los) - hair polish

[lapushka]

Ooh, I don't know that Dutch is gonna give spectacular results...

Bobby pin is "een schuivertje", literally, a "little slider".

Curling iron is "een krultang", literally, "curling tong".
Straightening iron... errr, I don't think we have a word for that in Dutch... or I'm blanking on that!

Blow dryer is "een haardroger", literally, "a hair dryer".

Hair elastic is "een haarelastiekje", literally, "a hair elastic".

Hair brush is "een haarborstel", literally, "a hair brush".

Hair spray is "haarlak", literally, "hair lacquer".

Claw clip is "een klem" or "een klemspeld", literally, "a vice" or "a vice grip" (no joke").

Shampoo = shampoo.
Conditioner = conditioner.
Gel = gel.
Leave-in = leave-in.
Curling cream is "krul crème", literally, "curling cream".

Curls = "krullen"
Straight hair = "glad haar"
Wavy hair = "golvend haar"

I'll see if I can think of other words.

[Sid0rela]

I don't know if there are Albanian people in here, but I'm going for it:

hairdryer- "tharese" meaning 'dryer'
straightening iron - "piaster", idk the literal meaning....
curling iron - "mashe", something like 'fire iron'
pins/clips - "kapese", literally 'holder'
wavy - "onde" literally 'kinks'
straight - "te shtrira" literally 'extended'
elastics - "lidhese" like 'link'

[Ligeia Noire]

Copying some and adding others.

Direct translation from English to European Portuguese:

Bobby pin is "alfinete", just like safety pin.... the proper word is "passador" as in passing because the hair passes through the pin.

Upin is "alfinete em U" literally the same. Proper word is "gancho" which means hook.

Curling iron is "ferro de encaracolar" literally iron to make curls.

Straightening iron is "ferro de alisar" iron to straight/smooth

Hair dryer is "secador de cabelo", literally the same.

Hair elastic is "elástico de cabelo", literally, "a hair elastic".

Hair brush is "escova de cabelo", literally, "a hair brush".

Comb "pente" comes from the word "pentear" to comb.

Hair comb "pente de cabelo" literally the same. Proper word "travessa" or "travessão" like an indent.

Hair fork "garfo de cabelo' literally the same.

Claw clip is "alfinete de garra" meaning claw as in animal claws.
Proper name is "mola" which means pin with spring. It is the same word we use for clothes pins. It is a spring!

Hair stick is "pau de cabelo" literally wood stick. Kind of like a twig. Piece of wood.

Flexi- non existent.

Headband is "fita de cabeça" literally head tape. Proper word "Arco" as in arch. Wich is a regional term. The more common is "bandolete" from the French. We import many words from them.

Shampoo = champô

Conditioner = condicionador

Gel = gel.

Curls = "caracóis" same.

Straight hair = "cabelo liso" same.

Wavy hair = "cabelo ondulado" same.

Thin hair "cabelo fino" same.

Thick "grosso" same.

short "curto" same.

long "comprido" same.

brown "castanho" same.

Blond "Loiro" same.

Red "vermelho" proper is "ruivo"!

Black "Preto". Same.

[Milady_DeWinter]

Ok, here i go! In Spain those are called:

• hairdryer - Secador de pelo, literally "hairdyer"
• straightening iron - Plancha para el pelo, literally "straightening iron"
• curling iron - Rizador de pelo, literally "hair curler"
• pins/clips - Horquillas/clips, literally "little pitchfork" and "clips"
• wavy - Ondulado, literally "wavy"
• straight - Liso, literally "straight"
• elastics - Gomas de pelo, literally "rubbers for the hair"
• claw clip - Pinza para el pelo (pelo is hair BTW lol), literally "hairgrip"
• Hairstick - Palo para el pelo, literally "stick for the hair"
• Hair slider - Pasador de pelo, literally "Hair slider"

More added:

• Shampoo = champú
• Conditioner = acondicionador
• Gel = gel.
• Thin hair "pelo fino" same.
• Thick "pelo grueso" same.
• short "corto" same.
• long "largo" same.
• brown "castaño" same.
• Blond "rubio" same.
• Red "pelirrojo"
• Black "Negro". Same.

[ocelot210]

So cool. I'm English so I don't have any to add.

[Ylva]

A bobby pin is "hårnål" in Swedish and it's actually the words "hair" and "needle" together. So directly translated it's "hairneedle".

I am confused, because when I google 'hair needle' in Finnish (hiusneula), which I know to be a thing, I get results of both bobby pins and hairsticks. I personally thought it meant stick, but now I'm not sure anymore.