10 awesome and beautiful foreign words that can't be translated to English

9/24/2017

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knowledge Story: 10 awesome and beautiful foreign words that can't be translated to English

Surely, these wonderful words describe phenomena and feelings you have seen and experienced, you just didn't have the right word to describe them. I believe we should steal these 10 outstanding units of speech to our language!

I thought some of my feelings I couldn't describe were strange and even... abnormal. Now I see that I'm not alone in that, and people from other cultures have even invented precise words to describe these concepts.

#1: KOMOREBI (Japanese)

- sunlight filtering through the leaves and branches of trees.

#2: HYGGE (Danish)

- an ability to recognize and enjoy the coziness and fascination of the present moment.
Now I know how to describe this warm Christmas feeling

#3: POCHEMUCHKA (Russian)

- that's how you call a person (especially a child) who asks you too many questions.

#4 SHLIMAZL (Yiddish)

- a person who is always unlucky.

#5 MÅNGATA (Swedish)

- a beautiful and mysterious reflection of the Moon on the water which looks like a shining road. Can also be translated as a "moon road".

#6 - RIRE DANS SA BARBE (French)

- quietly laughing in your beard at something funny from your past.

#7: SAUDADE (Portugese)

- a feeling of emptiness while missing someone or something you love which can't be reached anymore.

#8: FERNWEH (German)

- a strong desire to wander, travel. In other words, it's when you miss a place you've never been to.

#9: JAYUS (Indonesian)

- when an unfunny joke is told so badly you can't stop laughing at its awkwardness.

#10 MOKITA (Kivila)

- the truth everyone is aware of but chooses not to talk about.

Were any of these words familiar to you? Which of the feelings or phenomena from the list have you experienced in your life? Which word did you like most of all?

We are waiting for your comments!

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What are your thoughts on this subject?

171 Comments

karen twirly

Knew schlimazel because of the TV show Laverne and Shirley.

aphid

Mangata and Saudade both resonate with me.

Bob Gorby

Where is Kivita spoken?

Rob Deamer

Moon road is a translation maybe? 🤣

Marian Spitzig

Wish I had the correct pronunciation of these, and could learn them!

Shelley Durocher

SHLIMAZL = "hapless" in English.

motocha

Apapachar as the most beautiful word in Spanish from Nahuatl. Defined by the RAE as “affectionate pat or embrace.” However, Mexicans have a much more poetic definition for this act: “to embrace or caress with the soul.”

Finka Tjandra

Omg proud to be an Indonesian!!🇮🇩❤️

nadiegefroget

Iancompat, actually the word is Brebis, not brebe. No such a word in French and for the record, I am French.

bdselland

I liked Komorebi, Hygge, Mangata, Saudade because I’m an artist and would like to do appropriate paintings and then title the painting with the appropriate word.

Iancompat

Here's another one for you. "Brebe Galeuse" French for Black sheep of the family!

Susan Golebiewski

Wow! Never heard of these words & meanings. Thank you for sharing.

stellaclaude

Never heard these words, but I love them! Great words. I wish they would’ve put the pronunciation!

ladylumberjack

Number 7 Saudade, I have lost my husband and my little sister within 15 months of each other. I considered both in my best friends catagory. Now I can adequately discribe how I feel, Thanks

jack patti go

I really liked learning yhese words!

teamregan

I Like Mokita. It seems like a good word to describe what’s going on when there’s a proverbial “elephant in the room “

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