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Every language is unique. It doesn't matter if it has the same roots (e.g. Spanish and Portuguese), each language developed its own unique phrasing, words and meanings. If you're bi-lingual, and you've ever tried to translate from one language to the other, you probably had at least a few times said: "This can't really be translated.", because each language does have words that just don't have a parallel in other languages. Here are 30 fine examples of some truly great words that just can't be translated into another language. |
| 1. Fernweh (German) |
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| 2. Komorebi (Japanese) |
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| 3. Tingo (Pascuense) |
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| 4. Pochemuchka (Russian) |
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| 5. Bakku-shan (Japanese) |
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| 6. Gökotta (Swedish) |
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| 7. Backpfeifengesicht (German) |
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| 8. Aware (Japanese) |
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| 9. Tsundoku (Japanese) |
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| 10. Shlimazl (Yiddish) |
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| 11. Rire dans sa barbe (French) |
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| 12. Waldeinsamkeit (German) |
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| 13. Hanyauku (Rukwangali) |
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| 14. Gattara (Italian) |
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| 15. Prozvonit (Czech) |
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| 16. Iktsuarpok (Inuit) |
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| 17. Papakata (Cook Islands Maori) |
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| 18. Friolero (Spanish) |
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| 19. Schilderwald (German) |
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| 20. Utepils (Norwegian) |
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| 21. Mamihlapinatapei (Yagan) |
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| 22. Culaccino (Italian) |
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| 23. Ilunga (Tshiluba) |
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| 24. Kyoikumama (Japanese) |
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| 25. Age-otori (Japanese) |
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| 26. Chai-Pani (Hindi) |
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| 27. Won (Korean) |
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| 28. Tokka (Finnish) |
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| 29. Schadenfreude (German) |
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| 30. Wabi-Sabi (Japanese) |
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