Have you ever had a feeling or experienced something oddly specific, but couldn’t find the right word for it? Chances are, another language already has one.
Looking at untranslatable words in different languages is a fun way to see how people put these experiences into words. In this post, we’ll look at 10 of our favorites from languages you can learn with the Ling app and find out what they really mean!
Key Takeaways
- Untranslatable words capture very specific feelings or experiences with just one word.
- This doesn’t mean that they can’t be explained, just that there’s no equivalent for them in the English language.
- Some untranslatable words describe emotions, while others describe everyday moments, habits, or situations.
- These words offer an interesting glimpse into how different languages and cultures express familiar parts of life.
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Untranslatable Words In Different Languages For Familiar Feelings
Now, let’s take a look at 10 interesting untranslatable words from different languages.
1. Portuguese – Saudade
The Portuguese word saudade describes an intense feeling of nostalgic longing for a person or place that you love, especially if you might never see them again.
For example, you might get a strong sense of saudade when thinking about an old friend, a childhood home, or a time in your life you wish you could go back to. There are similar words in other languages, but none quite capture this feeling of sadness and longing.
2. Russian – Toska (Tоска)
The Russian word tоска (toska) describes a deep feeling of sadness or longing, but sometimes without a clear reason. It can feel like a kind of emotional ache or heaviness that is hard to shake.
Unlike the Portuguese saudade, toska doesn’t always have to be about missing a specific person, place, or moment. You can simply feel toska without knowing exactly what you’re longing for.
3. Tagalog – Kilig
The Tagalog word kilig is used for the feeling of pure joy when something romantic happens and you get the butterflies in your stomach. You might feel it with your crush texting you out of nowhere, or finally admitting they like you.
You can also feel kilig when two fictional characters you’ve been rooting for finally kiss, and you’re behind the screen smiling as if it happened to you. This shows how specific Filipinos are in expressing emotions.
Untranslatable Words For Life’s Small Pleasures
4. Japanese – Komorebi (木漏れ日)
The Japanese have a beautiful word 木漏れ日 (komorebi) that describes sunlight shining through the leaves of trees. Roughly translated, it means “sunlight leaking through trees”, so English needs a whole phrase to describe what Japanese expresses in a single word.
5. Spanish – Sobremesa
The Spanish word sobremesa refers to the time spent chatting around the table after you’ve finished eating. The meal might be over, but no one is in a rush to leave, so you stay, talk, and enjoy each other’s company.
It literally translates to “upon the table”, but there’s no single English word for this tradition.
6. Danish – Hygge
The Danish word hygge is a specific Danish concept that describes a cozy, comfortable atmosphere where you feel completely at ease and enjoy the moment. Imagine that lovely moment when you’re with your close friends, talking and eating with nowhere else you need to be.
It’s not so much about what you’re doing, though, but more about the sense of comfort, just the general togetherness, and well-being that comes with it.
Untranslatable Words For How We Approach Life
7. Finnish – Sisu
The Finnish word sisu describes the strength and determination to keep going when things get tough, even when you feel you’ve got nothing left. It’s a kind of persistence that helps you push through something hard, instead of giving up. Finnish people tend to see it as something you show through your actions rather than something you talk about out loud.
8. Japanese – Wabi-Sabi (侘寂)
The Japanese word wabi-sabi (侘寂) is about appreciating things that are imperfect, simple, and changed by time. An old wooden table with scratches or a handmade bowl with an uneven shape can have wabi-sabi.
It can be summed up as “beauty in imperfection”, though the full idea also includes accepting that things age and don’t last forever.
Untranslatable Words For Specific Experiences
9. German – Schadenfreude
The German word Schadenfreude is the pleasure you get at another’s misfortune. It’s not meant to be malicious, but let’s say a person cuts in front of you in traffic and gets stuck at the next red light—you can’t help but feel a little satisfied.
The word consists of two parts: Schaden (harm) and Freude (joy). German is actually full of compound words like this that don’t have a direct English equivalent.
10. Tagalog – Gigil
The Tagalog word gigil is best described as “cute aggression”, when you get that overwhelming urge to squeeze or pinch something because it’s just so cute, like a tiny puppy or a fluffy kitten.
The word can also describe a strong feeling of excitement or frustration, though cuteness is probably the easiest example to relate to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Makes A Word Untranslatable?
A word is untranslatable when you can’t directly translate it into another language with a single word. You can still get the meaning across, but it usually takes a few words to explain it.
Are There English Words That Are Untranslatable Into Other Languages?
Yes. An example of an untranslatable word in English is serendipity, which means you unexpectedly find something good when you weren’t even looking for it. Other languages need a longer phrase to express the same idea.
What Are Untranslatable Words?
Untranslatable words are words that don’t have an exact equivalent in another language. You can still translate the idea, but you’ll often need a long explanation instead of a single word. An example is the Portuguese word saudade, which describes a deep feeling of longing for someone or something you miss.
Explore Different Languages With Ling
Untranslatable words from around the world are fun to learn, because you can come across one that describes something you might’ve felt a hundred times, but never knew how to say it.
That’s the great part about learning a language. The more you learn, the more you notice these little things in how people express themselves. If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, why not give a new language a try? The Ling app offers lessons in over 70 Asian and European languages. Just pick your favorite and get started! Who knows what interesting things you’ll learn along the way?
