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

9/24/2017
19,295 views
knowledge Story: 10 awesome and beautiful foreign words that can't be translated to English

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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)

knowledge Story: #1: KOMOREBI (Japanese)
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- sunlight filtering through the leaves and branches of trees.

#2: HYGGE (Danish)

knowledge Story: #2: HYGGE (Danish)
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- 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)

knowledge Story: #3: POCHEMUCHKA (Russian)
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- that's how you call a person (especially a child) who asks you too many questions.

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#4 SHLIMAZL (Yiddish)

knowledge Story: #4 SHLIMAZL (Yiddish)
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- a person who is always unlucky.

#5 MÅNGATA (Swedish)

knowledge Story: #5 MÅNGATA (Swedish)
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- 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)

knowledge Story: #6 - RIRE DANS SA BARBE (French)
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- quietly laughing in your beard at something funny from your past.

#7: SAUDADE (Portugese)

knowledge Story: #7: SAUDADE (Portugese)
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- a feeling of emptiness while missing someone or something you love which can't be reached anymore.

#8: FERNWEH (German)

knowledge Story: #8: FERNWEH (German)
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- a strong desire to wander, travel. In other words, it's when you miss a place you've never been to.

#9: JAYUS (Indonesian)

knowledge Story: #9: JAYUS (Indonesian)
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- when an unfunny joke is told so badly you can't stop laughing at its awkwardness.

#10 MOKITA (Kivila)

knowledge Story: #10 MOKITA (Kivila)
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- 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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SHARE this article with someone who is interested in LANGUAGES and CULTURES!

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What are your thoughts on this subject?
170 Comments
karen twirly
karen twirly
Knew schlimazel because of the TV show Laverne and Shirley.
10
Jul 13, 2019 6:33PM
aphid
aphid
Mangata and Saudade both resonate with me.
8
Sep 24, 2017 7:20PM
Rob Deamer
Rob Deamer
Moon road is a translation maybe? 🤣
0
Aug 5, 2023 4:42PM
Marian Spitzig
Marian Spitzig
Wish I had the correct pronunciation of these, and could learn them!
0
Jan 20, 2023 6:25PM
Shelley Durocher
Shelley Durocher
SHLIMAZL = "hapless" in English.
1
Dec 20, 2022 3:28PM
motocha
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.”
3
Jul 10, 2022 5:35PM
Finka Tjandra
Finka Tjandra
Omg proud to be an Indonesian!!🇮🇩❤️
4
Aug 15, 2020 6:52AM
nadiegefroget
nadiegefroget
Iancompat, actually the word is Brebis, not brebe. No such a word in French and for the record, I am French.
2
Apr 22, 2020 4:19PM
bdselland
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.
2
Feb 11, 2020 7:13PM
Iancompat
Iancompat
Here's another one for you. "Brebe Galeuse" French for Black sheep of the family!
3
Jan 22, 2020 3:26PM
Susan Golebiewski
Susan Golebiewski
Wow! Never heard of these words & meanings. Thank you for sharing.
1
Jan 1, 2020 9:44PM
stellaclaude
stellaclaude
Never heard these words, but I love them! Great words. I wish they would’ve put the pronunciation!
3
Dec 10, 2019 8:55PM
ladylumberjack
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
4
Nov 22, 2019 6:43PM
jack patti go
jack patti go
I really liked learning yhese words!
0
Nov 4, 2019 11:36PM
teamregan
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 “
1
Sep 29, 2019 11:10PM
Martin Nelthorpe
Martin Nelthorpe
Can associate with saudede.
1
Jun 16, 2019 5:29PM

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