Why "Kum" Cannot Be Translated


Language Thinking Lab Series | Family Words That Don't Translate

"Some words describe people. Others describe entire social institutions."

When people first encounter the Ukrainian word kum, they often look for a simple translation.

Usually they find one:

godfather.

Unfortunately, this translation is incomplete.

It explains part of the relationship, but it completely misses its cultural meaning.

A Word That Means More Than One Person

In English, a godfather is the person chosen to support a child spiritually after baptism.

The relationship primarily exists between the adult and the child.

In Ukrainian culture, however, kum is something much larger.

The relationship extends beyond the child.

It creates a long-term social bond between two families.

The parents become kumy.

This connection often lasts for life.

The word no longer describes only a religious ceremony.

It describes trust, friendship, mutual support and a special form of family connection.

Translation Stops Working

This is where dictionaries reach their limits.

English can explain the religious role.

German can explain the religious role.

Neither language has one word that carries the same cultural meaning.

The translator has two choices:

translate the word,

or explain the concept.

Good translators know that explanation is often the better translation.


Every Culture Draws Different Family Maps

Some societies distinguish relatives by blood.

Others distinguish relatives by marriage.

Some create entirely new relationships through religious traditions.

That is why words like kum exist.

The language reflects the culture that created it.

The Invisible Part Of Language

When students learn vocabulary, they often believe they are memorizing words.

In reality, they are learning how another society organizes human relationships.

Some concepts exist everywhere.

Others exist only because a particular culture needed them.

Final Thought

Every untranslatable word teaches us the same lesson.

Languages do not simply describe the world.

They preserve the history of the people who speak them.

Sometimes understanding one word requires understanding an entire culture.

Language Thinking Lab Series

Family Words That Don't Translate

Previous articles in this series:

Why Many Slavic Family Words Have No Direct English Equivalent

https://languagethinkinglab.blogspot.com/2026/06/language-thinking-lab-family-words-that.html

Why Germans Need One Word While Slavic Languages Need Five

https://languagethinkinglab.blogspot.com/2026/06/why-germans-need-one-word-while-slavic.html

Learn Languages Through Understanding

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https://levitintymur.com/languages/english/

German

https://levitintymur.com/languages/learning-german/

Language Learnings (USA)

https://languagelearnings.com/

© Tymur Levitin
Founder & Director, Levitin Language School

Language Thinking Lab explores the connection between language, culture, and human thinking.

Telegram: @START_SCHOOL_TYMUR_LEVITIN

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