50 Untranslatable Words from Around the World

50 UNTRANSLATABLE WORDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD 1 Forelsket 2 Tsundoku (Norwegian) The indescribable euphoria experienced as you begin to fall in love. (Japanese) Leaving a book unread after buying it. 3 Pålegg (Norwegian) Anything and everything you can put on a slice of bread. 4 Wabi-Sabi (Japanese) Finding beauty in imperfections. 5 Trepverter (Yiddish) A witty comeback you think of only when it's too late to use. 6. 7 FIKA KOMOREBI (Swedish) Gathering together to talk and take a break from everyday routines; either at a cafe or at home, often for hours on end. (Japanese) The sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees. 8 Saudade ДДА 9киG (Portuguese) The feeling of longing for something or someone that you love and which is lost. (Tagalog) The feeling of butterflies in your stomach, usually when something romantic takes place. 11 Luftmensch 10 Commuovere (Italian) Often taken to mean “heartwarming," but directly refers to a story that moved you to tears. (Yiddish) Refers to someone who is a bit of a dreamer; literally, an “air person." 12 Tretår (Swedish) A second refill or "threefill" of coffee. 13 Extrawurst (German) Used to call someone who is slowing things down by being fussy. mokita 14 Hiraeth 15 Mokita (Welsh) A particular type of longing for the homeland or the romanticized past. (Kivila) The truth everyone knows but agrees not to talk about. 16Dapjeongneo (Korean) When somebody has already decided the answer they want to hear after asking a question, and are waiting for you to say that exact answer. 18 Dépaysement 17 waldeinsamkeit (German) The feeling of solitude, being alone in the woods, and a connectedness to nature. (French) The feeling that comes from not being in one's home country; being a foreigner. 20 Jaye 19 Iktsuarpok (Indonesian) An unfunny joke told so poorly that one cannot help but laugh. (Inuit) The feeling of anticipation that leads you to keep looking outside to see if anyone is coming. 21 Mamihlapinatapai 22 (Yagan) The wordless, meaningful look shared by two people who both desire to initiate something, but are both reluctant to do so. Verschlimmbessern (German) To make something worse when trying improve it. 23 Schadenfreude 2 Fernweh (German) The feeling of joy or pleasure when one sees another fail or suffer misfortune. (German) Feeling homesick for a place you have never been to. 25 Tingo (Pascuense) To gradually steal all the possessions out of a neighbor's house by borrowing and not returning. 26 Pochemuchka (Russian) A person who asks too many questions. 27 Gökotta 28 Bakku-shan (Japanese) A beautiful girl- as long as she's being looked at from behind. (Swedish) To wake up early in the morning with the purpose of going outside to hear the first birds sing. 30 Hanyauku 29 Shlimazl (Rukwangali) The act of walking on tiptoes across warm sand. (Yiddish) A chronically unlucky person. 31 Prozvonit (Czech) To call someone's cell phone only to have it ring once so that the other person has to call back, allowing the caller to not spend money on minutes. 33 Utepils 32 Iktsuarpok (Norwegian) To sit outside on a sunny day and enjoy a beer. (Inuit) The frustration of waiting for someone to turn up. 34 Culaccino (Italian) The mark left on a table by a moist glass. 36 Toska 35 Age-otori (Russian) A sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without a specific cause; a longing with nothing to long for. (Japanese) To look worse after a haircut. 131 Tartle (Scottish) The act of hesitating while introducing someone because you've forgotten their name. 38 Gezellig (Dutch) Cozy, quaint or nice, but can also represent time spent with loved ones and general togetherness. 40 Torschlusspanik 39 Cafuné (German) The fear of diminishing opportunities as one ages. (Brazilian/Portueguese) The act of tenderly running one's fingers through someone's hair. 42 L'appel du vide 4| Hygge (Danish) Creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. (French) Literally translated to "the call of the void"; contextually used to describe the instinctive urge to jump from high places. 44Duende 43 Ya'aburnee (Spanish) The mysterious power that a work of art has to deeply move a person. (Arabic) A declaration of one's hope that they'll die before another person because of how unbearable it would be to live without them. 45 Sobremesa (Spanish) After-lunch conversation around the table. 47 OTSUKARESAMA 46 Abbiocco (Italian) Drowsiness from eating a big meal. (Japan) "You're tired." and is used to let someone know that you appreciate their hard work. 48 Schnapsidee 49Goya (Urdu) The suspension of disbelief that can occur, often through good storytelling. (German) An ingenious plan one hatches while drunk. (Russian) A feeling a person has for someone he or she once loved but no longer feels the same way about. Razbliuto Sources: http://thoughtcatalog.com/katie-mather/2015/07/45-beautiful-untranslatable-words-that -describe-exactly-how-youre-feeling/ http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/21/12-untranslatable-words-and- their-translations Morningside Translations www.morningtrans.com