When Ukrainian lyrics sound like a sci-fi horror: The story behind "З мене вийдуть люди" (+ 3 funny idioms explained)
Hello everyone! As a native Ukrainian speaker and tutor, I often see my students getting absolutely bamboozled by literal translations.
Recently, one of my students was listening to the brilliant song by Schmalgauzen — "Твій біль" and got completely confused by the third line: "А може з мене вийдуть люди..."
Their literal translation was: "Or maybe people will come out of me?" (Sounds like a scene from Alien, right?).
Of course, it’s not about cloning or sci-fi childbirth. It’s a classic Ukrainian idiom!
Here is the breakdown of this and 3 other funny idioms that confuse learners:
1. З когось вийдуть люди (People will come out of someone)
Literal meaning: People will exit someone.
Actual meaning: To make something of oneself / to turn out to be a decent, successful, and respected person in society. In the song, the author is self-deprecatingly hoping he'll turn out fine in the end.
2. Взяти себе в руки (To take oneself into one's own hands)
Literal meaning: Physically picking yourself up.
Actual meaning: To pull oneself together, to regain self-control. (Equivalent to "get a grip").
3. Зуби з'їсти на чомусь (To eat teeth on something)
Literal meaning: Having a weird dental diet.
Actual meaning: To have tons of experience in something, to know something inside out. (Like "to know the ropes").
4. Робити з мухи слона (To make an elephant out of a fly)
Literal meaning: High-level genetic engineering.
Actual meaning: To blow things out of proportion / to make a mountain out of a molehill.
💡 Want to learn more real, lively Ukrainian without boring textbook torture?
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What is your favorite weird Ukrainian idiom so far? Let me know in the comments!