Say it in German and keep going

I asked a client what one of his products actually does.

He said “it’s a glue and it’s a Dichtung.“

I understood both halves. We carried on.

Most people would have stopped there. You feel the gap where the English word should be, you go looking for it, and by the time you’ve found it the conversation has moved on without you. Or you give up on the sentence and say something smaller instead.

He left the German word where it was and finished the thought.

A sentence with one German word in it is still a sentence. This happens all day in international teams, and the person listening either knows the word or asks you.

Quick win: When one word is missing, say it in German and keep going. “We call it a Dichtung in German” works even better, because now the other person can give you the English.