biancadjardins

22 Untranslatable Words From Around The Globe That Illuminate The Beauty Of Language

Toska: A sensation of great spiritual anguish. 
Katie Mather
September 26, 2016
“Fernweh: Feeling homesick for a place you have never been to.”
— German Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, German
“Komorebi: The sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees.”
— Japanese Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Japanese
“Forelsket: The indescribable euphoria experienced as you begin to fall in love.”
— Norwegian Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Norwegian
“Tsundoku: Leaving a book unread after buying it.”
— Japanese Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Japanese
“Wabi-Sabi: Finding beauty in imperfections.”
— Japanese Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Japanese
“Fika: Gathering together to talk and take a break from everyday routines; either at a cafe or at home, often for hours on end.”
— Swedish Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Swedish
“Saudade: The feeling of longing for something or someone that you love and which is lost.”
— Portuguese Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Portuguese
“Kilig: The feeling of butterflies in your stomach, usually when something romantic takes place.”
— Tagalog Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Tagalog
“Hiraeth: A particular type of longing for the homeland or the romanticized past.”
— Welsh Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Welsh
“Waldeinsamkeit: The feeling of solitude, being alone in the woods, and a connectedness to nature.”
— German Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, German
“Mamihlapinatapei: The wordless, meaningful look shared by two people who both desire to initiate something, but are both reluctant to do so.”
— Yagan Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Yagan
“Hanyauku: The act of walking on tiptoes across warm sand.”
— Rukwangali Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Rukwangali
“Toska: A sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without a specific cause; a longing with nothing to long for.”
— Russian Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Russia
“Cafuné: The act of tenderly running one’s fingers through someone’s hair.”
— Brazilian Portueguese Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Brazilian Portueguese
“Sobremesa: After-lunch conversation around the table”
— Spanish Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, spanish
“Gökotta: To wake up early in the morning with the purpose of going outside to hear the first birds sing.”
— Swedish Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Swedish
“Aware: The bittersweetness of a brief and fading moment of transcending beauty.”
— Japanese Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Japanese
“Utepils: To sit outside on a sunny day, enjoying a beer.”
— Norweigian Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Norweigian
“Lagom: Not too much, not too little, but perfect.”
— Swedish Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Swedish
“Hygge: Feeling peace and happiness.”
— Danish Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, Danish
“Commuovere: To be moved in a heartwarming way, usually relating to a story that moved you to tears.”
— Italian Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, italian
“Duende: The mysterious power that a work of art has to deeply move a person.”
— Spanish Saying, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Tagged: Untranslatable Words, Global, Language, spanish