Why you shouldn't say "throw in the eyes": how to translate it into Ukrainian

Phraseological units are stable constructions that can make speech extremely rich and vivid. But there is one problem with them that only people who switch from one language to another fully experience. They are almost impossible to translate directly. Most of the time, you'll end up with some nonsense, because many phrases are not taken literally.

For example, the phrase "catching a loon" rarely refers to the process of catching these birds. It is usually used to describe a person who has completely lost concentration or is simply doing nothing. Similarly, it can be difficult for people switching from Russian to translate the phrase "throw in the eyes". Linguist Olexandr Avramenko decided to correct this common mistake.

According to his observations, this is exactly the case when a phraseology is translated literally. The result is the construction "to catch the eye". But it is not peculiar to the Ukrainian language.

To describe something noticeable, remarkable, bright in Ukrainian, it is correct to say "catches your eye" or "strikes your fancy". These are equivalent options, and you can choose between them at your discretion, depending on your style of speech or personal preferences.

The word "throw" in Ukrainian means to move quickly in a certain direction, to attack or to fall down on purpose. Therefore, it will be appropriate, for example, in the phrase "to throw oneself into the arms". But a frightened kitten or an angry bull, for example, can jump into your eyes. And this is a rather dangerous situation that you would hardly want to find yourself in.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL talked about the wide variety of equivalents of the Russian phrase "in the middle of nowhere".

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