As every professional translation agency will know, translating between languages isn’t always straightforward. Each language comes with its own differences regarding its semantic, linguistic, and grammatical features, leading to many terms and phrases being ‘‘lost in translation’’. The reality for individuals working in translation is that quite often, certain words and phrases are untranslatable. There may be no direct translation for the word that they’re looking for, as the word, unfortunately, doesn’t exist in the language that they’re translating into. So are you ready to explore the rich tapestry of emotions that transcend language barriers? Discover below the fascinating 25 untranslatable words that beautifully capture sentiments from around the world.
#1 Arabic:
Word: ‘Ya’aburnee’
Meaning: A wish that they’ll die before another particular person does because it would be intolerable to live without them.
#2 Chinese:
Word: ‘Ré nao’
Meaning: A fun place or situation that has an amazing vibe that makes everybody want to be there.
#3 Czech:
Word: ‘Litost’
Meaning: Being agonised by the sudden sight of your own despair.
4. Dutch
Word: ‘Gezelligheid’
Meaning: The feeling of fondness when spending time with loved ones.
5. Estonian
Word: ‘Ei viitsi’
Meaning: Feeling lazy and not being bothered to do anything.
6. Filipino
Word: ‘Kilig’
Meaning: Getting butterflies in your stomach when something romantic happens to you.
7. French
Word: ‘Dépaysement’
Meaning: When you’re not in your own country, feeling like a foreigner and feeling out of place.
8. Georgian
Word: ‘Shemomedjamo‘
Meaning: When you keep eating, despite being full because the food tastes amazing.
9. German
Word: ‘Waldeinsamkeit’
Meaning: Feeling connected to nature when alone in the woods.
10. Hebrew
Word: ‘Firgun’
Meaning: When you are joyful that something great has happened to someone else.
11. Hindi
Word: ‘Jijivisha’
Meaning: Refers to when someone has an intensely strong desire to live life to the fullest and continue living.
12. Italian
Word: ‘Abbiocco’
Meaning: When you are feeling drowsy after eating a huge meal.
13. Indonesian
Word: ‘Jayus’
Meaning: When you hear an unfunny joke told so badly, that you cannot help laughing.
14. Japanese:
Word: ‘Wabi-Sabi’
Meaning: Finding beauty in imperfections.
15. Norwegian:
Word: ‘Forelsket’
Meaning: The euphoria that you feel as you fall in love.
16. Portuguese
Word: ‘Saudade’
Meaning: When you are longing for someone you’ve lost, that you love.
17. Romanian
Word: ‘Dor’
Meaning: Feeling sad and longing for somebody you love, with the need to sing sad songs.
18. Russian
Word: ‘Pochemuchka’
Meaning: A person asking far too many questions.
19. Serbian
Word: ‘Merak’
Meaning: When you feel at one with the universe, derived from the simplest of pleasures.
20. Swedish
Word: ‘Fika’
Meaning: When you get together to talk for hours and hours and have a break from everyday life.
In the polyglot world, untranslatable words from around the globe present a huge challenge for professional translators; but an exciting challenge that they’ll relish.
21. Bengali
Word: Shonjog
Meaning: The inexplicable joy of reuniting with a loved one after a long separation.
22. Croatian
Word: Proživljavanje
Meaning: The act of fully immersing yourself in a specific experience or feeling.
23. Danish
Word: Hygge
Meaning: A cozy and comforting feeling of contentment and well-being.
24. Finnish
Word: Kaiho
Meaning: A nostalgic yearning for something or someone that is absent or lost.
25. Greek
Word: Meraki
Meaning: Putting your soul, creativity, and love into your work or actions.
Have you ever come across any unique, untranslatable words? Do you know any words for emotions in other languages?
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