Untranslatable words from
foreign languages that English desperately needs
English is a great language, spoken by millions of people
worldwide, either as their native language or a close second. The speakers
of English are more than happy to adopt words from other languages, and
even to invent new ones. New words enter English dictionaries at a fast pace,
keeping up with the diversity of all English speakers.
Other languages — French, Hindi,
Gaelic — spot things that English just doesn't hit.
But this language cannot overtake all the other languages on
Earth. What follows is an impressive list of words
from other languages that are simply untranslatable into English:
Abbiocco
|
Italian |
Everyone
has succumbed to drowsiness after a meal at one time or another, but only the
Italians have enshrined the phenomenon in a single word. When you wish you
could take a nap after lunch, you’re “having the abbiocco” (avere
l’abbiocco). |
Abseilen |
German |
To lower on a rope |
Age-otori |
Japanese |
To
look worse after a haircut. |
Aiteall |
Irish |
A Break Between Rain Showers. From Redditor u/Darth_Bfheidir:iteall; the
bit of nice weather you get between two short showers of rain |
Anteayer |
Spanish |
A
one-word way of saying the day before yesterday or a shorter version of
‘antes de ayer’. |
Anzi |
Italian |
'To
The Contrary' But So Much More.
"Anzi" would be my top Italian word. Such a pain to
translate, so much meaning in just 4 letters.
Context: Anzi can roughly be translated as “to the contrary,” but its
uses in Italian are many and varied. |
Apericena |
Italian |
Pre-dinner
drinks accompanied by free food. |
Arbejdsglæde |
Danish |
Literally work
happiness, the feeling of happiness provoked by a satisfying job. |
Arigata-meiwaku |
Japanese |
An
act someone does for you that you didn’t want to have them do and tried to
avoid having them do, but they went ahead anyway, determined to do you a
favor, and then things went wrong and caused you a lot of trouble, yet in the
end social conventions required you to express gratitude. |
Aşermek |
Turkish |
The
experience of craving certain foods while pregnant. |
Atolondrar |
Spanish |
To be
so overwhelmed by something that it causes you to become scatter-brained and
careless. For example, if you were multi-tasking so heavily at work that you
forgot to send an important e-mail. |
Aware |
Japanese |
The
bittersweetness of a brief and fading moment of transcendent beauty. |
Ayurnamat |
Inuit |
The
philosophy that there is no need or reason to worry about that which you
cannot change. Basically, Hakuna Matata. |
Backpfeifengesicht |
German |
A
face badly in need of a fist. |
Badkruka |
Swedish |
Somebody
reluctant to go into a body of water while swimming outdoors. |
Bakku-shan |
Japanese |
The
experience of seeing a woman who appears pretty from behind but not from the
front. |
Bérézina |
French |
More
than a serious failure, a defeat. |
Bescherung |
German |
The
handing out of presents at Christmas |
Beżżul |
Maltese |
Somebody
who is cursed with unrelentless bad luck. This is similar to the Yiddish
words ‘Schlimazl’ and ‘Schlemiel’. |
Bilita
Mpash |
Bantu |
An
amazing dream. Not just a "good" dream; the opposite of a
nightmare. |
Blaumachen |
German |
This
is a word used to describe feeling horribly unmotivated the moment you wake
up in the morning. Blaumachen, "to make blue," is believed to
originate from the expression Blauer Montag or "Blue Monday," which
was used to describe the day craftsmen had to wait around for their fabrics
to dry after being dyed indigo. Therefore, Mondays were deemed as rather unproductive
days. |
Boh |
Italian |
“I
don’t know”. Used to express
uncertainty/doubt. |
Boketto |
Japanese |
It’s
nice to know that the Japanese think enough of the act of gazing vacantly
into the distance without thinking to give it a name. |
Bricoleur |
French |
A bricoleur is
a handyman who makes use of whatever materials are available to him to create
a construction (or bricolage). Perhaps the closest equivalent in English
would be something like a DIYer, although this doesn’t quite convey the meaning
of using a variety of available materials to create one unified thing, like
taking the old wood in your shed to create a nice bookshelf. |
Buksvåger |
Swedish |
What
you call someone who has had sex with someone you’ve already had sex with. |
Cafuné |
Brazilian
Portuguese |
Leave
it to the Brazilians to come up with a word for “tenderly running your
fingers through your lover’s hair.” |
Cavoli
Riscaldati |
Italian |
The
result of attempting to revive an unworkable relationship. Translates to
"reheated cabbage." |
Çekoslovakyalılaştıra
madıklarımızdanmışsınız |
Turkish |
With
the breakup of Czechslovakia, Turks found themselves faced with the prospect
of a fantastically long new word, which means “you are reportedly one of
those that we could not make Czechoslovakian”. Not something we have a ready
equivalent for in English. But once again, this feat is achieved by sleight
of grammar. Turkish is an agglutinativelanguage, in which the various parts
of speech, tense and case markers are run together. It’s not really a word,
but a sentence. |
Chai-Pani |
Hindi |
Money
given to someone, often a bureaucratic worker, to get things done. |
Chez |
French |
This
is another classic French word that you probably are familiar with. But it’s
such a useful and versatile word. Not only can chez mean that you
are at a particular location (chez moi) but it can also indicate the
particular state of mind of a person or group of people (chez les français
— “among the French”) or to speak about an artist’s body of work (chez
Molière). |
Chindogu |
Japanese |
A
solution to a common problem that’s pretty useless otherwise. |
Chingada |
Spanish |
A
hellish, imaginary, faraway place where you send all those who annoy you. |
Clagarnach |
Irish |
The
Sound Of Rain On A Rooftop.
Clagarnach: the sound of heavy rainfall on a roof |
Commuovere |
Italian |
Often taken to mean “heartwarming,” but
directly refers to a story that moved you to tears. |
Cotisuelto |
Caribbean
Spanish |
A
word that would aptly describe the prevailing fashion trend among American
men under 40, it means one who wears the shirt tail outside of his trousers. |
Craic |
Irish |
No
one in Ireland can really define craic, but everybody knows that it
means. If you've ever belted out songs
while arm-in-arm with a few of the lads and a few more pints of Guinness,
you'll know it too. |
Cúbóg |
Irish |
A
collective noun for Easter eggs. |
Culaccino |
Italian |
The
mark left on a table by a cold glass. |
Da
brat’ mir doch einer ‘nen Storch! |
German |
Common
saying - A way to express surprise in
a very amusing way. It literally means
something along the lines of “Now fry me a stork!” |
Da
net, navernoe |
Russian |
‘Da’
means ‘yes’. ‘Net’ means ‘no’. ‘Navernoe’ means ‘maybe’. Therefore, the phrase literally means “Yes,
no, maybe”, but is used to mean “rather, no,” or, to a Russian mentality, it
is “no” communicated hesitantly. |
Dapjeongneo |
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. |
Davka |
Hebrew |
1.
Done on purpose/done in spite.
Example: “Jon pushed that kid davka.” (This means he did it on
purpose, not by mistake). 2. On the
contrary/actually. Example: “I thought
you didn’t like basketball.” “What do
you mean? I davka ADORE basketball.” |
Dépaysé |
French |
Far
From Home And Disoriented, literally: "decountrysed". When you're abroad, or in a new place, and
you feel like this is something completely unfamiliar and new. |
Dépaysement |
French |
The
unsteady feeling you get when you are away from your home country or away from
your origin in geThis interesting word can mean anything from disorientation
to culture shock. The word is formed from the word pays or “country” and
would literally mean something like “to be uncountried”. Dépaysement is the
feeling one gets of not being in one’s own country, of being a foreigner. |
Desenrascanço
|
Portuguese |
The
ability to quickly improvise a solution.
Desenrascanço is the M.O. of any high-functioning procrastinator. Not
only does it mean to solve a problem or complete a task, it means doing so
with a completely improvised solution. TV’s MacGyver utilized this skill
every time he averted disaster with nothing but a bent paper clip and a
chewing gum wrapper. |
Desvelado |
Spanish |
Being
unable to sleep or to be sleep deprived. |
Doch |
German |
This
word negates a previous negation of a statement, or the disagreement to the
negative of an assumption. |
Dolilyts |
Ukranian |
To
lie with your face turned down to the ground. |
Donaldkacsázás |
Hungarian |
Quite
literally, ‘Donald Ducking’ – i.e. Wearing a shirt but no trousers or
underpants inside your house. |
Dor |
Romanian |
Dor
is the longing for someone you love very much, combined with sadness, and
implies the need to sing sad songs; its etymology relates it to “dorinta”
which means wish. |
Dozywocie |
Polish |
Parental
contract with children guaranteeing lifelong support. |
Drachenfutter |
German |
A
drachenfutter (it translates as ‘dragonfeed’, people!) is the gift you buy
them once you are well and truly in the dog house. |
Duende |
Spanish
|
Picasso.
Dali. Goya. El Greco. Spaniards don't
just paint. They paint hard.
Correspondingly, Spanish has a word for the stirring you feel in your
soul when gazing into a great work of art — duende. |
Embasan |
Philippines |
To
wear clothes while taking a bath. |
Empalagarse |
Spanish |
Being
overcome by sweetness to the point of nausea – so much that you find yourself
needing to drink water or eat something salty to take away the sweetness. |
Encandilar |
Spanish |
To
see spots/to be blinded by a flash of bright light. |
Eomchina |
Korean |
A
hilarious Korean word that is a contraction of the phrase “Mom’s friend’s
son”. Korean mothers are often very competitive and compare their children
against the offspring of their friends. This word is used to describe a
person who is more successful or skilled than you – the kind of person your
mother would compare you to in a negative light so as to motivate you to
study harder. |
Épater |
French |
Not
to bring up Baudelaire again, but among the French decadent poets of the 19th
century, they used the following rallying cry: épater la
bourgeoisie! This literally means, “shock the middle class”.
But épater also means to wow, to stun, to amaze, and to impress —
it packs quite a bit of punch! |
Erbsenzähler |
German |
Anyone
who is obsessed with details and a bit of a control freak would be referred
to as an Erbsenzähler by Germans. The word Erbsen means "peas" and
Zähler means "tally." Therefore, an Erbsenzähler literally
describes a person who counts their peas. |
Erklärungsnot |
German |
The
state of having to quickly explain yourself. |
Erotas |
Greek |
Specifically
Romantic Love. Erotas - The feeling of
being in love, which is different from "agapi" (love). I wish
English had different words for it cause you don't love a romantic partner
the same way you love your family. |
Eselsbrücke |
German |
A
little trick that helps you to remember something is called an Eselsbrücke,
which literally means "donkey bridge." Why donkey bridge? Because
when donkeys transported goods, people built bridges across rivers to help
cut the distance between destinations. These donkey bridges were shortcuts
just like a mnemonic device is a shortcut to memorizing something. |
Estrenar |
Spanish |
To
wear or use something for the first time. |
Extrawurnsch |
German |
Used
to call someone who is slowing things down by being fussy. |
Faamiti |
Samoan |
To
make a squeaking sound by sucking air past the lips in order to gain the
attention of a dog or child. |
Fachidiot |
German |
Someone
who knows a great deal about a very narrow subject. |
Fahrvergnügen |
German |
The
love of simply driving. |
Fare
la scarpetta |
Italian |
to
mop the sauce or whatever’s left on your plate with a piece of bread. |
Fargin |
Yiddish |
To
wholeheartedly appreciate the success of others. |
Faule
Socke |
German |
Someone
who has no drive or ambition is referred to as a ‘lazy sock’ in German,
which, I’m sorry, is just plain genius. What could be more insulting than
being called a lazy sock? |
Feierabend |
German |
The
Time Between Coming Home From Work And Bedtime. German: “Feierabend” - The time between
work and going to bed. The rest of the day when there is no (more) work to be
done. |
Fensterln |
German |
When
you have to climb through someone’s window in order to have sex with them
without their parents knowing about it. |
Fernweh |
German |
Feeling
homesick for a place you have never been to. |
Fika |
Swedish
|
Americans
eat lunch at their desks and have coffee breaks while walking to the next
meeting. The Swedish, those livers
of the good life, know how to break.
The fika, which happens about twice is a day, is when you grab coffee,
a pastry, and a conversation. No devices involved. |
Filotimo |
Greek |
A
friend of honour, but it also implies dignity, pride, sacrifice and respect. |
Fingerspitzengefühl |
German |
Literally,
‘fingertips feeling’; used to refer to situational awareness, and the ability
to react appropriately to a given situation. |
Firgun |
Hebrew |
Firgun is
a modern, informal Hebrew term and concept in Israeli culture that describes
a generosity of spirit and the unselfish joy that something good has happened
or might happen to someone else. Another possible definition
describes firgun as a genuine, unselfish feeling of delight or
pride in someone else's accomplishment. The infinitive verb form of the
word, lefargen, means to make someone feel good without any ulterior
motives. |
Fisselig |
German |
Being
flustered to the point of incompetence.
It's most often used in reference to a nagging wife or a
micro-managing boss, but it seems to be applicable for newborns who won't go
to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. |
Fjellvant |
Norwegian |
Being
accustomed to walk in the mountains. |
Flâner |
French |
Perhaps
one of the most Parisian of all French words, the verb "flâner" was
defined in the 19th century by the Paris literary crowd. It refers to the art
of leisurely strolling the streets of Paris without any goal or destination
simply for the pleasure of soaking up the city's beauty. These aimless
pedestrians are known as "flâneurs." |
Foozle |
Scandinavian-American |
The
small pieces of lint or hair that stick to clothing or other fabric. As in, ” here, let me get that foozle off
your shirt.” |
Forelsket |
Norwegian |
The
euphoria you experience when you are first falling in love. |
Formacja |
Polish |
A
state of mind and its own culture of a generation. |
Fremdschämen |
German |
The
kinder, gentler cousins of Schadenfreude, both these words mean something
akin to "vicarious embarrassment.” |
Fremdschämen |
German |
Embarrassment
By Proxy. "Fremdschämen" -
to feel embarrassed when we see someone else doing something embarrassing |
Friolero |
Spanish |
A
person who is especially sensitive to cold water and temperatures. |
Frühjahrsmüdigkeit |
German |
This
18-letter word is used to describe a general sense of weariness in the
springtime, specifically between mid-March through mid-April. In German, the
word Frühjahr means "springtime," and Müdigkeit means
"tiredness." Conjoined, Frühjahrsmüdigkeit is "springtime
lethargy." |
Gattara |
Italian |
A
woman, often old and lonely, who devotes herself to stray cats. |
Geborgenheit |
German |
Was
selected as the most beautiful word in German a few years ago. The meaning is a feeling of being wrapped
in comfort, protection, security, satisfaction and pleasure. Imagine the feeling you had in your mom’s
tummy. |
Geisterfahrer |
German |
Ghost
driver. this is someone who is driving in the oncoming side on the Autobahn,
presumably to commit suicide. |
Gemütlichkeit |
German
|
Describing
a feeling of togetherness and warmth while drinking. When welcome, comfort, and joy all come
together, you've got Gemütlichkeit.
"A soft chair in a coffee shop might be considered 'cosy,'"
explains a German language blog. "But sit in that chair surrounded by
close friends and a hot cup of tea, while soft music plays in the background,
and that sort of scene is what you’d call gemütlich." |
Genki
|
Japanese |
Describes
a state of general well-being..healthy, lively, happy etc. |
Gezellig |
Dutch |
Cozy,
quaint or nice, but can also represent time spent with loved ones and general
togetherness. |
Gezellig |
Dutch |
Literally
'Cozy,' But With Infinite Shades Of Meaning.
"gezellig" [is] one of the most used words of the Dutch
language and absolutely not translatable.
Context: Gezellig literally means “cozy” or “quaint,” but its usage in
Dutch goes far beyond that, encompassing ideas of family togetherness, time
comfortably spent, etc. |
Gezelligheid |
Dutch |
This
Dutch word can be associated with the Danish concept
of hyggelig and the German concept of gemütlichkeit, although
its definition depends on the context. Gezelligheid refers to a
convivial, cozy, or warm atmosphere, but can also refer to the warmth of
being with loved ones, the feeling of seeing a friend after a long absence,
or a general togetherness that provides a feeling of warmth. Many consider it
the word that most closely encompasses the heart of Dutch culture. |
Gigil |
Filipino |
The
overwhelming urge to squeeze or pinch something unbearably cute. |
Gökotta |
Swedish |
To
wake up early in the morning with the purpose of going outside to hear the
first birds sing. |
Gotterdammerung |
German |
Complete
destruction of an institution, regime, order, etc. |
Goya |
Urdu |
Goya is
an Urdu word that refers to the transporting suspension of disbelief that
happens when fantasy is so realistic that it temporarily becomes reality. It
is usually associated with good, powerful storytelling. |
Greng-jai |
Thai |
That
feeling you get when you don't want someone to do something for you because
it would be a pain for them. |
Greng-Jai
|
Thai |
That
feeling you get when you don't want someone to do something for you because
it would be a pain for them. |
Gretchenfrage
|
German |
A
question asked for the purpose of finding out someone’s real intentions.
First dates are overflowing with Gretchenfrages. |
Handschuhschneeballwerfer |
German |
A
coward willing to criticize and abuse from a safe distance. A bit of a mouthful, this one translates to
‘gloves snow wearer’ and refers to someone who wears their gloves in a
snowball fight. Also known as ‘a massive pussy’ or a coward who criticises
from a safe distance. |
Hanyauku |
Rukwangali
(Namibia) |
The
act of walking on tiptoes across warm sand. |
Hapukurgihooaeg |
Estonian |
A
Time For Pointless Busywork. In
Estonian hapukurgihooaeg, which literally means pickle season. It refers to a
period of time where someone has nothing to do and therefore starts making up
silly things that nobody needs. Also used in journalism when journalists have
nothing special to write about. |
Házisárkány |
Hungarian |
Literally indoor
dragon, a nagging restless spouse. |
Hiraeth |
Welsh |
Hiraeth is
a Welsh word that refers to homesickness mixed with grief and sadness over
the lost or departed, or a type of longing for the homeland or the
romanticized past. It represents a mixture of longing, nostalgia, wistfulness
and yearning. The concept of hiraeth is considerably similar to the
Portuguese saudade mentioned earlier, the Romanian dor, and
the Ethiopian tizita. |
Hiraeth
|
Welsh |
A
longing for your homeland (as opposed to your home) whilst absent. |
Holopos
kuntul baris |
Indonesian |
A
phrase uttered in order to gain extra strength when carry heavy objects, and
is meant for a person who is lifting solo. |
Honigkuchenpferd |
German |
By
dissecting this word, you have "horse-shaped honey cake," but it
really means to have a giant dorky grin on your face. If your mom embarrasses
you in front of your friends, you're probably going to have a honigkuchenpferd-looking
smile. German dictionaries translate this word as the action of
"grinning like a Cheshire cat" given the wide-sweeping smile from
the Cheshire cat in "Alice and Wonderland." |
Hyggelig
|
Danish |
Do
you ever wish there was one word to combine everything snuggly, safe,
friendly and caring? The Danes have you covered with hyggelig. The word is
used so often in daily life that many Danes consider it part of the national
character. This Danish word refers to
a warm, friendly, cozy, delightfully intimate moment or thing. It gives off
imagery of a candlelit winter evening at home with warm blankets and maybe a
bit of alcohol. While there are similar words in German (gemütlichkeit),
Swedish (gemytlig) and Norwegian (hyggelig), there is no direct translation
in English. |
Ikigai |
Japanese |
A
reason to get up in the morning, a reason to live. |
Iktsuarpok |
Inuit |
Iktsuarpok refers
to the feeling of anticipation when you're expecting someone that leads you
to constantly check to see if they're coming. It's the impatient excitement
for a visit that makes you look out the window countless times in hope of
seeing your guest arrive. |
Iktsuarpok
|
Inuit |
The
anticipation you feel when you’re waiting for someone to show up at your
house. |
Ilunga |
Tshiluba
(Congo) |
A
person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time, to tolerate it a
second time, but never a third time. |
Inuuqatigiittiarniq |
Inuit |
Being
respectful of all people. |
Jaksaa |
Finnish |
A
lack of enthusiasm to do something. |
Jayus |
Indonesian |
A
joke so poor and unfunny that one cannot help but laugh. |
Jijivisha |
Hindi |
The
Hindi word jijivisha refers to the strong, eternal desire to live
and to continue living. It is usually used to talk about a person who loves
life and always has intense emotions and desires to live and thrive. |
Kaapshljmurslis |
Lithuanian |
Being
cramped in public transportation during rush hour. |
Kaelling |
Danish |
You
know that woman who stands on her doorstep (or in line at the supermarket, or
at the park, or in a restaurant) cursing at her children? The Danes know her,
too. |
Kaelling
|
Danish |
You
know that woman who stands on her doorstep (or in line at the supermarket, or
at the park, or in a restaurant) cursing at her children? The Danes know her,
too. |
Karelu |
Tulu
Indian |
The
mark left on the skin by wearing something tight. |
Kiasu
|
Singapore |
Someone
willing to go to any lengths to be first in the queue, get the best bargain,
outdo everyone and anyone etc. |
Kilig |
Tagalog |
The
Tagalog noun kilig is often used in the Philippine culture to refer
to the thrilling feeling of butterflies in your stomach that you typically
feel when something romantic happens. When used as an adjective, it refers to
the exhilaration a person feels during an exciting or romantic experience,
such as catching your crushes' eye for the first time or watching a marriage
proposal. |
Kilig
|
Tagalog |
The
stupid-silly rush you feel immediately after something good happens,
especially when it comes to love (like after accidentally bumping into your
crush.) |
Kilkanaście |
Polish |
A
Number Greater Than 10 But Less Than 20.
I think that kilkanaście is a very useful word that's used
commonly in Polish language while it exist only in Polish and other Slavic
languages. English doesn't have something like that. Kilkanaście means
"some" but only between 11 and 19. "Several" is not
enough, "a dozen or so" is around 12, and "many" doesn't
really say anything, because "many" is different for everyone. |
Kjæreste |
Norwegian |
A
gender neutral term for girlfriend or boyfriend. It literally translates as
“dearest”, and can be used in similar constructions (for example, “kjæreste
minne” means “dearest memory”). |
Koi
no yokan |
Japanese |
The
feeling of knowing that you will soon fall in love with the person you have
just met. |
Koi
No Yokan |
Japanese |
It’s
not quite love at first sight, but koi no yokan is nevertheless the feeling
you get upon meeting someone that love will happen for the two of you, in
time. |
Kombinować |
Polish |
Clever,
Unorthodox Work-Around. This is
difficult to explain, but basically means to handle problems or situations
with a clever, kinda tricky workaround solution. If your government closes
your gym but you turn it into a church and a shop that allows customers to
test their equipment, you are doing the art of kombinowanie perfectly. If you want to succeed in Poland, you will
have to learn how to kombinować well.
Edit: Also, it's not always necessarily a positive word as sometimes
it refers to avoiding taxes. |
Komorebi |
Japanese |
Komorebi is
a Japanese word that refers to the sunlight that filters through the leaves
of trees. The word is made up of three kanji and the hiragana particle れ. The
first kanji means "tree" or "trees," the second kanji
refers to "escape," and the third kanji means "light" or
"sun." |
Kuidaore |
Japanese |
To
eat yourself into bankruptcy. |
Kummerspeck |
German |
Literally grief
bacon, the binge eating or the excess weight gained from emotional
over-eating that follows an emotional blow. |
Kyoikumama |
Japanese |
Mother
who pushes her children into academic achievements. |
L’appel
du vide |
French |
“The
call of the void” is this French expression’s literal translation, but more
significantly it’s used to describe the instinctive urge to jump from high
places. |
L’esprit
de l’escalier |
French
|
Ever
have a zinger come to mind five minutes after getting into a spat with
somebody? The French, of course, have
a phrase for it: L'esprit de l'escalier, the wit of the staircase. |
La
douleur exquise |
French |
Literally
‘the exquisite agony’, this is used to refer to the pain of unrequited love. |
Lagom |
Swedish |
Maybe
Goldilocks was Swedish? This slippery little word is hard to define, but
means something like, “Not too much, and not too little, but juuuuust right.” |
Laotong |
Chinese |
A
friendship bonding two girls together for eternity as kindred sisters. |
Layogenic |
Tagalog |
Remember
in Clueless when Cher describes someone as “a full-on Monet…from
far away, it’s OK, but up close it’s a big old mess”? That’s exactly what
this word means. |
Layogenic
|
Tagalog |
Remember
in Clueless when Cher describes someone as “a full-on Monet…from far away,
it’s OK, but up close it’s a big old mess”? That’s exactly what this word
means; when someone looks attractive from far away, but, oh, they’re getting
closer, oh, never mind. |
Lebenskunstler |
German |
Something
like "someone for whom life is an art form" |
Lebensmüde |
German |
Weary
of life. |
Lebenswelt |
German |
All
the events and experiences, thoughts and so on which make up an individual.
Think of it as a kind of giant bag fill with all the goo that is essentially
you. Can also be the particular social
and historical situation in which an individual is immersed. |
Leiliviskaja |
Estonian |
The
person who makes steam in a sauna by throwing water on the hot rocks. |
Leise |
German |
Opposite
of “loud”. “Soft” or “quiet” are not
complete equivalents, because they have the connotations of “not hard” or
“not restless”. |
Lieko |
Finnish |
A
trunk of tree that has submerged to the bottom of a lake. |
Lihai |
Mandarin
Chinese |
"Lihai"
isn't a value judgment. It's doesn't say whether something is good or bad,
but that whatever you're describing is powerful. A storm that tears down trees is lihai, a
teacher that demands the most out of students is lihai, and a spicy soup is
lihai. Lions are lihai; pandas are not. |
Listopad |
Russian |
The
falling of the leaves. |
Litost |
Czech |
A
state of anxiety and torment created by the sudden sight of one’s own misery. |
Lønningspils |
Norwegian |
First
Beer After Getting Paid. Lønningspils
- beer that you have after monthly payment |
Luftmensch |
Yiddish
|
Have
a friend who's endlessly abstract? Who can't stop staring out of windows, up
into the sky or stars? Bumps into things because they're always in their
head? That person is a luftmensch, a
German by way of Yiddish word directly translating as air person. |
Luftschloss |
German |
The
word luft in this context means "sky" and schloss means
"castle," coming together to create "castle in the sky."
The expression is used to describe someone's unrealistic dream. |
Madrugada |
Spanish |
The
time of day occurring between past midnight and early morning. |
Magari |
Italian |
Maybe
/ If only / I wish / I desire that |
Mamihlapinatapai |
Yaghan
- Tierra del Fuego |
This
word captures that special look shared between two people, when both are
wishing that the other would do something that they both want, but neither
want to do. |
Mångata |
Swedish |
This
beautiful Swedish word refers to the road-like reflection of the moon on the
water. It's the long, wavy shape that appears across the water when the moon
is shining on it. It is made up of the prefixes "Måne" meaning
moon, and "gata" meaning street/road. For this reason, it is
sometimes indirectly translated as "moon-path,"
"moon-river," "moon-track," or "moon-wake." |
Manja |
Malay |
Gooey,
childlike, and coquettish behaviour by women designed to elicit sympathy or
pampering by men. |
Mencolek |
Indonesian |
You
know that old trick where you tap someone lightly on the opposite shoulder
from behind to fool them? The Indonesians have a word for it. |
Merak |
Serbian |
The
Serbian word merak is a wonderful little word that refers to a
feeling of bliss and the sense of oneness with the universe that comes from
the simplest of pleasures. It is the pursuit of small, daily pleasures that
all add up to a great sense of happiness and fulfillment. |
Meraki |
Greek |
To do
something with soul, creativity or love; when you leave a piece of yourself
in your work. |
Meriggiare |
Italian |
To
escape the heat of the midday sun by resting in the shade. |
Mitdenken |
German |
To
“think along”. To anticipate the actions and needs of the people around you,
assist accordingly, and also avoid obstructing them. To act in a way that
maximizes the efficiency of everyone’s work all around you. Its a state of mind.
A way you live your life. |
Mokita |
Kivila |
The
truth everyone knows but agrees not to talk about. |
Morfar'
And 'Farfar |
Swedish |
Maternal
And Paternal Grandfather. I'm quite
partial to how Swedish handles describing relatives. Morfar = maternal
grandfather, farfar = paternal grandfather. Morbror = uncle on the mother's
side, farbror = uncle on the father's side, etc etc. Simple, straightforward and logical. |
Myötähäpeä |
Finnish |
a
shared sense of shame |
Nahat |
Hebrew |
Contentment/satisfaction
at someone's successes |
Natsukashii
|
Japanese |
Describing
something which brings back nostalgic memories or takes them back in time. |
Naz |
Urdu |
The
pride or confidence derived from knowing that somebody holds you as the
object of their affection and desire. |
Nekama |
Japanese |
A man
who pretends to be a woman on the internet. |
Nivroku |
Ukrainian |
Not
bad, suitable, right, good, appropriate.
Used to express the wish not to bring unhappiness, especially via the
evil eye. |
Notgeil |
German |
This
one translates to ’emergency horny’ and is used to describe the urgency when
one becomes aroused and feels the need to do something about it immediately.
So basically the feeling you get before a quickie. It’s efficient with just
two syllables and by definition. |
Nővér'
And 'Báty |
Hungarian |
Older
Siblings. Honestly, [separate] words
for older and younger siblings. Nővér and báty are older sister and
brother and húg and öcs are younger sister and brother. |
Nunchi |
Korean |
The
ability to gauge mood of others, read the atmosphere, and react
appropriately. |
Odnoliub |
Russian |
Someone
who has only one love in his or her life, or someone who is capable of loving
only one at a time. |
Onsra |
Boro
Language Of India |
That
bittersweet feeling of loving for the last time — in other words, that
feeling you get when you know a love won’t last. |
Oodal |
Tamil |
The
overly exaggerated, fake anger that follows a lovers’ quarrel. |
Oodal
|
Tamil |
The
fake-sulking you do after getting into a lovers’ tiff, usually over something
inconsequential. Also see: crocodile tears. |
Oohrwurm
|
German |
A
little animal (which is a symbol for a song) being in your ear and you aren't
able to get rid of it. English now has
Ear Worm. |
Otsukaresama |
Japanese |
"You're
tired", and is used to let someone know that you appreciate their hard
work. |
Paasa |
Cebuano
Dialect |
“A
person who leads someone on (intentionally or not). Appearing as if they are
genuinely interested romantically when they aren’t.” |
Packesel |
German |
The
packesel is the person who’s stuck carrying everyone else’s bags on a trip.
Literally, a burro. |
Padkos |
Afrikaans |
Food
taken with you while traveling/going on a trip. Literally means “road-food”. |
Pålegg |
Norwegian |
Sandwich
Artists unite! The Norwegians have a non-specific descriptor for anything –
ham, cheese, jam, Nutella, mustard, herring, pickles, Doritos, you name it –
you might consider putting into a sandwich. |
Pålegg
|
Norweigian |
Sandwich
Artists unite! The Norwegians have a non-specific descriptor for anything –
ham, cheese, jam, Nutella, mustard, herring, pickles, Doritos, you name it –
you might consider putting into a sandwich. |
Pana
Po’o |
Hawaiian |
“Hmm,
now where did I leave those keys?” he said, pana po’oing. It means to scratch
your head in order to help you remember something you’ve forgotten. |
Pantoffelheld |
German |
A man
who may act tough in front of his friends but can't stand up for himself
against his wife is what Germans call a Pantoffelheld or a "slipper
hero." The first part of the word, Pantoffel means "slipper"
and the latter, Held means "hero." The closest English reference
would be someone who is "whipped" by their overbearing partner. |
Papakata |
Maori
(Cook Islands) |
To
have one leg shorter than the other. |
Parea |
Greek |
A
group of friends that get together to enjoy nothing else but sharing their
life experiences, their philosophies, values and ideas |
Pelinti |
Buli,
Ghana |
Your
friend bites into a piece of piping hot pizza, then opens his mouth and sort
of tilts his head around while making an “aaaarrrahh” noise. The Ghanaians
have a word for that. More specifically, it means “to move hot food around in
your mouth.” |
Pelinti
|
Buli,
Ghana |
Your
friend bites into a piece of piping hot pizza, then opens his mouth and sort
of tilts his head around while making an “aaaarrrahh” noise. The Ghanaians
have a word for that. More specifically, it means “to move hot food around in
your mouth.” |
Pena
ajena |
Spanish |
[Mexico]
The embarrassment you feel watching someone else’s humiliation. |
Pisan
Zapra |
Malay |
The
time needed to eat a banana. |
Pochemuchkas |
Russian |
A
person who asks too many questions |
Półtorej |
Polish |
One
And A Half. Półtorej (or
półtora, still not sure which one is correct) - one and a half. Sometimes I forget that word[s] like this
doesn't exist in the English language, which causes my mind to try to
remember a non-existent word |
Prozvonit |
Czech |
To
call a mobile phone only to have it ring once so that the other person would
call back, allowing the caller not to spend money on minutes |
Psithurism |
Greek |
The
sound of leaves rustling in the wind. |
Queesting
|
Dutch |
A
whole verb dedicated to inviting a lover into your bed for some pillow talk. |
Raabta |
Hindi
|
In
American English we may "vibe" with someone. But in Hindi, there's a much more elegant
word: raabta. It speaks of a soul-level connection. Appropriately enough, it's also the title
of a Bollywood banger. |
Radioukacz |
Polish |
Telegraphist
for the resistance movements on the Soviet side of the Iron Curtain. |
Razbliuto |
Russian |
The
feeling a person has for someone he or she once loved but now does not. |
Razbliuto
|
Russian |
The
(usually sentimental) feeling you have toward someone you used to loved but
no longer do. |
Ré
nao (热闹) |
Chinese |
The
Chinese word ré nao is usually translated as "lively" or
"bustling," but its true meaning goes beyond these adjectives. A
place or situation that is ré nao is not only fun and lively, but
also has a special vibe that makes everyone want to be there. A lively,
special bar or club may be ré nao, but so might a university class or
meeting with friends. |
Repelar |
Spanish |
Getting
Every Last Bit Of Food With Your Spoon.
repelar or rebañar (depends where you are from) which is when you are
eating a yogurt for example and you try to get all of its content with your
spoon. It’s something a lot of grandmas and mums tell us so we don’t waste
any food |
Resferber |
Swedish |
The
restless race of a traveller’s heart before the journey begins, when anxiety
and anticipation are mixed together. |
Retrouvailles |
French |
I
love this word. Literally meaning something like “refindings”, this word
refers to the reunion you would have with someone you care deeply for but
whom you have not seen in a long time. The English word “reunion” just
doesn’t do this word justice. |
Retrouvailles
|
French |
Retrouvailles,
or “rediscovery,” refers to the happiness you feel upon reuniting with
someone after you’ve been apart for a long time. |
Rhwe |
Tsonga,
South Africa |
College
kids, relax. There’s actually a word for “to sleep on the floor without a
mat, while drunk and naked.” |
Rire
dans sa barbe |
French |
To
laugh in your beard quietly while thinking about something that happened in
the past. |
S’encoubler |
French |
[Switzerland]
Losing balance or falling because you got entangled in something, like a
cable. |
Sankocha |
Kannada |
The
feeling of embarrassment due to receiving an inordinately and perhaps
inappropriately large or extravagant gift or favor, that makes you feel
obliged to return the favor when you can’t. Example: Coming over only to
chat, and being made to stay for tea and then dinner. |
Saudade |
Portuguese
|
If
anybody knows about longing, it's sailors.
So it's natural that one of the world's greatest seafaring tongues,
Portuguese, has a word for missing your home, your love, and your life that
no word in English can touch: Saudade.
Centuries of men dying on their way toward Africa, Asia, and the New
World left the culture with a sense of longing that English can't touch. A melancholic nostalgia for someone or
something from the past. |
Sauregurkenzeit |
German |
A
typical German vacation, which can last anywhere from 3-6 weeks in July
through August, is referred to as the Sauregurkenzeit. This literally
translates to "pickle time," possibly because cucumbers come into
season in the summer. This is the "off-season" where there is
nothing happening because everyone is away. Washington, D.C. experiences a
Sauregurkenzeit during Congress' 5-week summer recess. |
Savoir-Faire |
French |
This
word is, of course, ubiquitous in English. In French, it is similar to
“know-how”, or how to solve certain practical problems. Once adopted into the
English language, however, this French word took on a different meaning:
knowing how to act appropriately in social situations. |
Scarpetta |
Italian |
Scooping
Up Leftover Sauce On A Plate.
Scarpetta - dipping bread in plate to finish wip[ing] up the sauce to
eat it. Context: When the sauce is too
good to waste, grab the nearest piece of bread - heck, even a crust - and sop
up that deliciousness! Scarpetta means “little shoe” in Italian, and shoes,
just like little bread pieces, are good at scraping up what's under them. |
Schadenfreude |
German |
Enjoyment
obtained from the misery of others. |
Schilderwald |
German |
A
street crowded with so many road signs that you become lost. |
Schlemiel
and schlimazel |
Yiddish |
Someone
prone to bad luck. Yiddish distinguishes between the schlemiel and
schlimazel, whose fates would probably be grouped under those of the klutz in
other languages. The schlemiel is the traditional maladroit, who spills his
coffee; the schlimazel is the one on whom it's spilled. |
Schlimmbesserung |
German |
An
"improvement" that actually makes things worse |
Schnapsidee |
German |
or a
schnapps idea, is that drunk decision to go skinny dipping in the community
pool, or the decision to go try and play the guitar after having a few too
many cold ones. Schnapsideen are the dumb decisions you make while
drunk. “An ingenious plan one hatches
while drunk.” |
Schotter |
German |
As
distinct from Kiesel: in english “gravel”, schotter is crushed gravel like
that used in road construction. Kiesel is gravel composed of of natural
smooth rocks. |
Sehnsucht(-üchtig) |
German |
It is
a kind of longing for something you may or may not have in the future. It's
somewhat similar to the Portuguese word Saudades. |
Seigneur-terraces |
French |
Coffee
shop dwellers who sit at tables a long time but spend little money. |
Sentak
Bangun |
Indonesian |
To
wake up with a start - when you dream that you’re falling and wake up
suddenly, |
Sesselpupser |
German |
This
word is reserved for those who sit around all day doing nothing, a little bit
like a lazy sock, only this one is known as a ‘chair farter’. It’s pretty
self explanatory from there. |
Sgriob |
Gaelic |
The
itchiness that overcomes the upper lip just before taking a sip of whisky. |
Shemomedjamo |
Georgian |
You
know when you’re really full, but your meal is just so delicious, you can’t
stop eating it? The Georgians feel your pain. This word means, “I
accidentally ate the whole thing." |
Shemomedjamo
|
Georgian |
You
know when you’re really full, but your meal is just so delicious, you can’t
stop eating it? The Georgians feel your pain. This word means, “I
accidentally ate the whole thing." |
Shlimazl |
Yiddish |
An
inept, bungling person who is chronically unlucky. |
Shouganai |
Japanese |
Connected
to the idea of fate, this word means that something can’t be helped, so why
worry about it. |
Si |
French |
Si can
mean multiple things in French (like “if”), but it is also a cool way to
answer in the affirmative to a negative question. So, for example, someone
asks you, referring to a film perhaps, tu ne l’as pas vu, n’est-ce
pas? (You didn’t see it, right?), you would say si (and
not oui) in order to respond, si, je l’ai vu la semaine
dernière (yes, I saw it last week). |
Sitzfleisch |
German |
Seat
meat or butt flesh - The amount of endurance a person has for sitting
still on his/her butt for the hours and hours and hours of time that it takes
to get important work done |
Sitzpinkler |
German |
Slang
for “wimp,” literally translated as “a man who sits to pee”. |
Släkt |
Swedish |
Extended
Family. In Sweden we have
"familj" meaning close family, and "släkt" which is the
rest of the family. |
Slampadato |
Italian |
Addicted
to the UV glow of tanning salons? This word describes you. |
Sobremesa |
Spanish |
Sobremesa is
the Spanish word that refers to the time spent after lunch or dinner
socializing with the people you shared the meal with. Meals are a very
important part of the Spanish culture, and the Spanish people value the time
spent relaxing and chatting after finishing eating. The Catalan equivalent
is sobretaula. |
Sólarfrí |
Icelandic |
Sun
holiday, i.e., when workers are granted unexpected time off to enjoy a
particularly sunny/warm day. |
Sonnenuntergangsgemutlichkeit |
German |
The
happiness you feel upon watching the sun going down", presumably while
sitting on the patio with a long drink. |
Spannend |
Dutch |
Scared
And Excited. I would also add
spannend. I recently heard on an American podcast, the host saying that she
invented the word "scited" to say scared+excited. But the Dutch say
spannend to mean this. |
Spanungsbogen |
German |
The
self imposed delay between the desire for a thing and the action of reaching
out to get that thing. |
Spleen |
French |
Ah,
spleen. Another 19th century, Baudelairian word. In French, spleen means
melancholy, profound boredom and dissatisfaction. In fact, its synonymous
with another French word that the English language has adopted: ennui.
In English, spleen (not the anatomical definition) is bad temper or spite. |
Sprachgefuhl |
German |
A
feeling for language or a sensitivity for what is correct language |
Stam |
Hebrew |
“With
no purpose, value or significance.”
Example: “What is that?” “Oh,
that’s stam an old bucket.” or “Why did you step on the ant?” “Stam.” |
Suilk |
Scottish |
To
swallow, gulp, suck with a slobbering noise. |
Tampo |
Filipino |
Withdrawing
affection from a person when one’s feelings have been hurt. |
Tan-te |
Mandarin |
A
sense of uneasiness and worry – as if you were hyper-aware of your own heart
beating. |
Tarab
|
Arabic |
A
noun and can be used as a verb, to refer to not only music, but getting drunk
on the poetry and magic of music. |
Tartle |
Scottish
|
The
nearly onomatopoeic word for that panicky hesitation just before you have to
introduce someone whose name you can't quite remember. - you're at a
colleague's birthday party. Another colleague is there. With his girlfriend.
Whose name you don't remember. The
conversational contortions you pull off to not have to admit that you don't
recall their names is called tartling, according to the Scots, and it's one
of the more ridiculous things you can do. |
Terroir |
French |
I’ve
written a blog post on this word before. Terroir is a notoriously
tricky word to translate, although it is often used in the international wine
and cheese industries. Terroir describes the combination of climate,
labor, geology, and geography of a certain place that contributes to its distinct
agricultural products, including wine and cheese. |
Tidsoptomist |
Swedish |
A
person who is always late because they think they have more time than they
do; a time optimist. |
Tima |
Icelandic |
Not
being ready to spend time or money on a specific thing, despite being able to
afford it. |
Tingo |
Pascuense
(Easter Island) |
To
gradually steal all the possessions out of a neighbour’s house by borrowing
and not returning. |
Tocayo |
Spanish |
Somebody
who shares your first name is your ‘tocayo’. |
Togok |
Malay |
To drink
from a bottle in huge gulps. |
Tokka |
Finnish |
A
large herd of reindeer. |
Torschlusspanik |
German |
Literally fear
of a closed door, fear of losing opportunities because of ageing, the fear
that time is running out. It describes the panic you get when you realise one
day that in actual fact, you haven’t done very much with your life, and if
you don’t act soon then you may miss out on more opportunities as time passes
and the ‘gate closes’. |
Toska |
Russian |
The
Russian word toska can be roughly translated to mean sadness or
lugubriousness, but according to Lolita author Vladimir Nabokov, these
English words don't come close to its real meaning. "No single word in
English renders all the shades of toska. At its deepest and most
painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any
specific cause. At less morbid levels it is a dull ache of the soul, a
longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental
throes, yearning. In particular cases it may be the desire for somebody or
something specific, nostalgia, love-sickness. At the lowest level it grades
into ennui, boredom." |
Treppenwitz |
German |
Stairway
joke. To explain, I need to give you a bit of a scenario: so you’re out at
the bar, and a friend of yours come over and you two get into a heated debate
over who’s boxers are “sexier”. The other guy wins because you didn’t come up
with a good enough comeback about the plebness of his boxers. Ten minutes
later, you come up with the perfect line… but he already won… that comeback
is an example of treppenwitz, a comeback or joke that you come up with after
the fact. |
Trepverter |
Yiddish |
Literally, staircase
words, a witty riposte or comeback you think of only when it is too late to
use it. |
Tretår |
Swedish |
A
second refill of a cup of coffee; a ‘threefill’. |
Tsundoku |
Japanese |
The
act of leaving a book unread after buying it, typically piling it up together
with other such unread books. |
Tuerto |
Spanish |
A man
with only one eye. |
Tumiwisiz |
Polish |
A
noun derived from the sentence ‘Wisi mi to’ (‘I don’t give a damn’). It
describes an attitude which could be compared to ‘not being bothered about’,
that means lack of engagement and caring, mostly connected with lack of
passion for one’s actions because of feeling cocky or overconfident rather
than depression or resignation. |
Tuqburni
|
Arabic |
The
literal translation is “You bury me,” referring to a love so deep you can’t
imagine living life without your partner. |
Tutear |
Spanish |
To
treat someone informally by addressing them as tú instead of the more formal
usted. |
Übermorgen |
German |
The
Day After Tomorrow. Morgen = tomorrow,
Übermorgen = the day after tomorrow, Überübermorgen = the day after the day
after tomorrow. And this could be continued to eternity. But using more than
2x "über" is quite uncommon. |
Ubuntu |
South
African |
The
belief that we are defined by our compassion and kindness towards others. |
Uffda |
Swedish |
A
sympathetic word to be used when someone else is in pain. It combines ‘Ouch
for you’ and ‘Oh, I’m sorry you hurt yourself’. Also an exclamation or interjection
expressing bafflement, surprise, or dismay. |
Uitwaaien |
Dutch |
Going
out for a walk or to the countryside in order to clear one’s mind. |
Utepils |
Norwegian |
Utepils is
a Norwegian word that literally translates to "outdoor
lager." Utepils has taken on several different interpretations
within Scandinavian culture and among beer drinkers worldwide throughout the
generations, but it typically refers to the act of sitting outside on a sunny
day enjoying a beer. It also may refer to the first beer you drink outside on
a warm, sunny day, and is the (great) name of a brewing company. |
Vedriti |
Slovenian |
To
take shelter from the rain and wait for it to finish. |
Vergangenheitsbewaeltigung |
German |
A
difficulty in coming to terms with the wrong done in the past. It is
particularly relevant in modern German society, which is still guilt-wracked
by the atrocities carried out in their name during WWII. |
Verschlimmbessern
|
German |
We’ve
all done this before: by trying to fix a small problem we create a bigger
problem. Perhaps you tried to repair a flat tire on your bike, and now the
wheel won’t turn? Or after reinstalling Windows your laptop freezes every
time you boot up? Oh no, don’t tell me you tried to fix that bad haircut
yourself! |
Verschlimmbesserung |
German |
Attempted
Help That Backfires. Apart from all
the beautiful German words already mentioned: Verschlimmbesserung. Making
something worse by trying to fix it. |
Viraag
|
Hindi |
The
emotional pain of being separated from a loved one. |
Voorpret |
Dutch |
Literally pre-fun,
the pleasure feeling one might have before a pleasant event, like a vacation. |
Voorpret
|
Dutch |
That
feeling of excitement you get even before an event actually takes place.
Literally translates to “pre-fun.” |
Vorfreude |
German |
You
probably already know the meaning of schadenfreude but another super-specific
German word 'vorfreude' describes a kinder, less terrible feeling. The joy
you feel when thinking about good things that will happen. |
Vybafnout |
Czech |
A
word tailor-made for annoying older brothers—it means to jump out and say
boo. |
Wabi |
Japanese |
A
flawed detail that creates an elegant whole. |
Wabi-Sabi |
Japanese
|
You
can probably blame the Ancient Greeks for the Western obsession with the
perfect — perfect painting, perfect product, perfect body. Japan — which has its own troubles with
perfectionism — has a gorgeous history of wabi sabi, an aesthetic sense
wherein cracks in clay or wrinkles in skin are signs of beauty. |
Wakuwaku
Dokidoki |
Japanese |
The
nervous excitement that causes your heart to beat faster in anticipation. |
Waldeinsamkeit |
German |
The
feeling of being alone in the woods.
This is how you feel when you’re in your most peaceful state. Just
imagine being a hundred miles from civilization and looking up at the stars…
that sort of peaceful feeling. |
Weichei |
German |
Literally soft
egg; someone who is weak and cowardly. |
Weltanschauung |
German |
World
view; philosophy of life; a framework through which to interpret the world. A
unified conception of one's philosphical view of the world. |
Weltschmerz |
German |
Denotes
the kind of feeling experienced by someone who believes that physical reality
can never satisfy the demands of the mind.
Literally “world grief”, it means a gloomy, romanticized
world-weary sadness, experienced most often by privileged youth. |
Witzelsucht |
German |
A
rare neurological disorder whose sufferers have an excessive tendency to tell
pointless stories or inappropriate jokes and puns |
Won |
Korean |
The
reluctance on a person’s part to let go of an illusion. |
Ya’arburnee |
Arabic |
This
word is the hopeful declaration that you will die before someone you love
deeply, because you cannot stand to live without them. Literally, may you
bury me. |
Yakamoz
|
Turkish |
No
matter which language you speak, from time to time you probably admire the
moon’s reflection on a body of water. But unless you’re Turkish or Swedish
it’s impossible to describe this beauty with a single word. The Swedish
mångata literally translates to “moon-road”, an aptly poetic
description. Turkish also has a very
specific word, gümüşservi, but it’s not really used in everyday speech.
It’s far more common to call the moon’s reflection on water yakamoz, which
can be used to describe any kind of light reflecting on water, or even the
sparkle of fish. |
Yoko
meshi |
Japanese |
Literally
a meal eaten sideways, refers to the peculiar stress induced by speaking a
foreign language. |
Yūgen |
Japanese |
A
profound, mysterious sense of the beauty of the universe – and the sad beauty
of human suffering. |
Yuputka |
Ulwa |
A
word made for walking in the woods at night, it’s the phantom sensation of
something crawling on your skin. |
Zaida |
Ukrainian |
An
alien, one who came from the outside.
A foreign invader. |
Zankha
|
Arabic |
A
particular unpleasant smell that lingers on cups or plates, produced by
certain foods, such as fried eggs. |
Żanżan |
Maltese |
To
wear or use something new for the first time. Similar to the Spanish
‘Estrenar’. |
Zapoi |
Russian |
Two or
more days of drunkenness usually involving a journey or waking up in an
unexpected place. |
Zeg |
Georgian |
It
means “the day after tomorrow.” OK, we do have "overmorrow" in
English, but when was the last time someone used that? |
Zeitgeist |
German |
The
cultural, social and political spirit of an era. |
Zhaghzhagh |
Persian |
The
chattering of teeth from the cold or from rage. |
Zug |
German |
Literally
anything that travels in a line. Train, caravan, a line of children,
whatever. |
Zugzwang |
German |
The
tail end of this word Zwang means "to be forced." This word is used
in scenarios when you feel extreme pressure and stress to make a strategic
move, like in a game of chess. |
Zwischenzug |
German |
A
purely tactical move made to buy time. |