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taha's avatar
taha

Saudade is a Portuguese word that refers to a deep, melancholic longing for either something or someone, often with a sense of incompleteness or nostalgia, but with more of a warm feeling or a sense of positive emotions at the same time, a complex feeling to really translate to English.

I actually first came across the word at the end of Resident Evil 2 (2019), as the end credits song, "Saudade" played. Some of the lyrics fit the word, like the idea of there being "two sides to every story" like the sadness and the happiness, and "the pain of remembering", even if it is a happy memory.

I don't think there really is a single word that fits the idea of saudade so it's my foreign word that has no equivalent!

Limal's avatar
Limal

Dépaysement

This French word describes the feeling of disorientation that comes from being in a unfamiliar environment or situation. Kinda the sensation of being outside usual context. A sensation of being pleasantly detached from the familiar routines of everyday life.

Hunter's avatar
Hunter

When some one go and explore the vast ocean that is the Arabic one of the Semitic languages , can find wonders , there is a word and a longue one that translates to :
" Did we ask you both to give it to us to drink from? "

the word is written like this: " أَفَإِستَسقَينَاكُمُوها " pronounced : afaastasqaynakumuha

S
Smileyy

so, the funny and unique word that's in Polish is: konstantynopolitańczykowianeczka

it basically describes a young girl from constantinople ( I think that's Istambul right now )

Lanah Tyra's avatar
Lanah Tyra

There is a very interesting Hungarian word which doesn't exist in a lot of languages:

Káröröm

If you try Google Translate, it will give you "My Pleasure" which is far from being correct.

Best translation would be "finding joy at someone's expense."

For example you really dislike your neighbour and he trips over in his shoelaces and you laugh at it.

I think the Klingons would love this word.

Shovel's avatar
Shovel

There is another beautiful Arabic word, whose English translation does not do justice, besides the obvious ones, any of these other respective definitions can be contained in the dictionary of the English language: “إحتواء” (Ihtiwaa’). The definition is more than ‘to be in or to encompass. It suggests the notion of giving companionship and a feeling of refuge to someone, most probably, when they are in a state of distress. This does not mean just soothing them, but giving them an emotional feeling of safety and comprehension, almost figuratively ‘cradling’ them within. After all, it is more intense than ‘comfort’ in English, and most people have felt it at some point; such comprehension begs for a definition.

yan57436's avatar
yan57436

Almost all the Dutch people I meet are very proud of the word “gezelligheid” and, according to them, there isn't a single language that has a translation for it. The word itself means a state of togetherness and comfort, but it goes beyond the idea of the physical, it gives the idea of a hot chocolate by the fire on a snowy day with your parents or closest friends.

AndyRice's avatar
AndyRice

As a Chinese, this question feels tailor-made for me, because in Chinese, there is a category of words called “chengyu.” ‘Chengyu’ are special four character idioms. These four-character idioms often carry rich meanings, and many of them are derived from ancient stories. Over time, they have taken on new meanings. For example, the phrase “风花雪月” (wind, flowers, snow, and moon) literally translates to wind, flowers, snow, and moon in English. In ancient times, it referred to natural scenery, but nowadays it is means a romantic story.

avrona's avatar
avrona

I never thought about it before, but in Poland we have the word "Smacznego" which you usually say to others before you start eating. It's something along the lines of "hope it tastes good to you", and if you are eating with others, everyone usually says that before you start.

Sturmer's avatar
Sturmer

One fascinating German dictionary word that has no direct English equivalent is "Fernweh."

It describes a feeling similar to homesickness, but instead of yearning for home, it expresses a deep longing for distant places — a kind of reverse homesickness. It's the desire to explore the unknown, seek adventure, and escape the familiar. Some might confuse it with "wanderlust" (another German word), but "wanderlust" simply refers to a strong urge to travel. "Fernweh," on the other hand, conveys a more emotional, almost nostalgic yearning for the unknown.

JHenckes's avatar
JHenckes

There's a word in my native language (Portuguese-Brazilian) that we always say is strange not to have a similar word in English. That word is “Saudade”! It means a deep, melancholy longing for something or someone. It is often used to describe the feeling of nostalgia or longing for something lost, or just used colloquially to show how much that person you love is missing you at that moment (usually used with people who have traveled or are living elsewhere).

It's a very interesting word and extremely widely used here in Brazil. The closest English expression for this word is “miss you”.

Braulio M Lara 🔹's avatar
Braulio M Lara 🔹

Sirimba

Sirimba is another word in Spanish but more then Spanish is in Dominican, dialect, what it means to someone who has had some kind of attack

a mix between a convulsion, fall and uncontrolled movements, the average Dominican calls it sirimba

it is a kind of three situation merged in 1 word in one that unfortunately has no exactly translation into English

The Dominican International singer Juan Luis Guerra mentioned this popular Word in his song 🎶 El Costo de la Vida (The Cost Of the Life )

and this is my contribution to my people.

God Bless all 🤗

Gaypengwing 🔜 Ren Faire Uk's avatar
Gaypengwing 🔜 Ren Faire Uk

I think that Umami has to be my favourite foreign word with no English equivalent because it can mean so much but be so specific at the same time.

Savoury and one of the five basis for food tastes, alongside sour, butter, salty and sweet.

The closest equivalent would most likely be yummy or delicious but it doesn’t convey the same meaning and depth.

It’s also just a really fun word to say too!

Block9's avatar
Block9

The Brazilian Portuguese word "gambiarra" beautifully encapsulates a unique concept that has no direct equivalent in English.

Meaning of "Gambiarra"

Gambiarra refers to an improvised solution or makeshift fix to a problem, often using whatever materials are readily available. It's about being resourceful and creative in the face of challenges, whether that involves fixing a broken appliance, adapting furniture, or finding a way to solve a logistical issue. The term can be applied across various contexts, such as:

  • DIY projects: Making repairs with limited resources.

  • Creative solutions: Innovatively addressing unexpected challenges in everyday life.

Cultural Significance

In Brazilian culture, gambiarra is celebrated as a reflection of resilience and ingenuity. It highlights a "can-do" attitude, where individuals manage to “make do” with what they have, showcasing their creativity and adaptability.

While it might imply a lack of permanence or sophistication in the solution, gambiarra often carries a positive connotation, celebrating the ability to improvise and innovate. It symbolizes the Brazilian spirit of finding joy and utility even in less-than-ideal circumstances.

Overall, gambiarra is more than just a word; it represents a mindset of flexibility and inventiveness that resonates deeply within Brazilian culture.

mypets's avatar
mypets
Block9

That's the perfect word to define Brazil! We do a lot of “gambiarras” haha

P
Paige

Hiraeth - a Welsh word for a deep longing that is sometimes mixed with grief and desire for something now lost <3

DU
Deleted user

Spanish is a language rich in words that have no direct translation or equivalent in English.

One of them is the word "arroba", which is used to refer to the "@" symbol, so prevalent in our daily lives over the past three decades.

H
Hangerhead

I think my favourite word is schadenfreude - It's a german expression that describes taking pleasure out of someone else's misfortune.

There's also a Japanese expression: Kuchisabishii, which means lonely mouth - it's used to describe the feeling when you are not hungry, but still wanting to put food in your mouth.

mypets's avatar
mypets

I'm from Brazil and Bahia, a state where people are excellent at inventing new slang on a regular basis.

But in general, I've noticed that the word “Saudade” doesn't have such a faithful translation in English. It means to miss, but in our context it expands far beyond missing someone. It can even be a person's name. A memory, a feeling of nostalgia, feeling the absence of something or someone.

Block9's avatar
Block9
mypets

verdade :)

I
IRON

Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz is a german
Komposita, which is a compound noun, just not limited to just 2 nouns, like in English.

Rindfleisch­etikettierungs­überwachungs­aufgaben­übertragungs­gesetz is the german word for "the law concerning the delegation of duties for the supervision of cattle marking and the labelling of beef"
While this word was removed from the dictionary 11 years ago do to being outdated, it is still one of the most recognizable instances of Komposita. Even though Komposita can be translated into English, it refers to something that does not fully exist, as compund nouns in english are limited to only 2 vocab items.

TrialByStory's avatar
TrialByStory

Umwelt is a strange beast in this regard. It's a German word that does have an equivalent, it means Environment or Surroundings. But biologist Jakob von Uexkull and Linguist Thomas Sebeok adopted it for their semiotic theories with a different meaning, which they translated as 'self-centered world.' Basically it means that because different organims have different reference points due to the way their own particular senses perceive the world, they each have their own version of the world, even if they exist in the same environment.

In essence, if you take your dog for a walk in a nice meadow and it chases a squirrel or sees a butterfly, all three animals experience the world so differently, due to physical senses optimized for different tasks, instincts centered around different needs, and fundamentally different reasons for being there in the first place, that they all functionally exist in their own distinct version of that meadow, despite the fact that they're all sharing it together.

It sometimes gets talked about in a more human context, where it's generally treated as the idea of subjective reality, i.e. you and I have different values and experiences, therefore the lens through which we perceive the world is different, therefore we live in different versions of the world.

Oh and fun fact, webcomic XKCD posted an April Fools' joke in 2012 based around this concept. The comic was completely different based on where you were located, what web browser you were using, and even whether you came to XKCD by clicking a link on an external site.

https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1037:_Umwelt

CJ
CMDR James Lauer

Here in Brazil, we have the word "saudade". In one word, you are meaning "the feeling of missing someone or something that you've not seen or felt for a long time", the equivalent of english "I miss you". In Brazilian Portuguese we say " sinto saudade de você." That can be translated as "I feel the sadness caused when you're far away from me".

Kings Court's avatar
Kings Court

I studied Japanese for a few years and at the beginning was always stumped by one word that turned up a lot.

DESU

It ends a lot of sentences and has, as far as I remember, no known translation in English.
There is no reason for it in English other than to help the sentence have structure.

CMDR Henckes's avatar
CMDR Henckes

There is a very specific word in Brazilian Portuguese (the main portugueses of course) that describes an affection that is to passa you fingers in the head of another person, between the hair locks. It is called CAFUNÉ.

If your search the translation of it in the internet the best one is the "gentle head rub" in site

https://pt.bab.la/dicionario/portugues-ingles/cafun%C3%A9#:~:text=cafun%C3%A9%20%7Bmasculino%7D&text=gentle%20head%20rub%20%7Bsubst.%7D&text=gentle%20rub%20%7Bsubst.%7D

Makster's avatar
Makster

Moe or moé. Another Japanese word that is hard to describe in English but once you see something you know it is moe.

Often used to describe fictional characters in anime, manga, and video games, it is a certain appeal of them that draws you in. Common features of big eyes, big head (compared to body)/ chibi, cartoonish design, and bright colours. It's not quite a sexual attraction (although modern usage in certain contexts describe the term) but its still an attraction of some sort.

Moe has been used to great effect in marketing in Japan. You can't go two steps without new goods or services being highlighted with an anime girl with a big smile informing you about it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moe_(slang)#:~:text=8%20External%20links-

,Meaning,are%20called%20%22moe%20characters%22.

If you want to know the antonym of Moe is, just look up Moe Szyslak from The Simpsons

Raven's avatar
Raven

In my country, the Dominican Republic, we have several words that don’t have English translation, one of them is “Empalagar”, which means: the sensation of being overwhelmed by too much sweetness, either in food or in an overly affectionate situation. Other one that I really like is “Friolento” o “Friolenta” which is a person that is s particularly sensitive to the cold, getting cold easily even when others don’t feel it as much.

CMDR_M's avatar
CMDR_M

Ikigai

a Japanese word, meaning a sense of purpose or fulfillment, through a combination of passion, skill, service and vocation - the balance between doing what one loves doing, is good at doing, may be of use in the world and may be rewarded for doing :)

Kings Court's avatar
Kings Court
CMDR_M

yeh this is one of my fave !

tinny_three's avatar
tinny_three

German has tonnes that are well known, but my favourite at the moment is Kaufrausch, which literally translates as 'shopping drunkness', but it's kind of the mindset you're in when you're going on a shopping spree.

You can be in Kaufrausch - it's a state of mind like 'shopping fever', where you want to buy stuff (probably more than you need) and perhaps are feeling exhilarated as a consequence.

Toretto 70's avatar
Toretto 70

in Indonesia we have Pageblug it's similar like plague but leaning towards the mystical

FirestormGamingTeam's avatar
FirestormGamingTeam

So I googled this and the one I found is this, its a word and more.

Datsuzoku (n, Japanese)

This Japanese word is more of a philosophy, as it is one of the seven principles of Zen aesthetics. It means to escape from the daily routine, to take a break from the conventions and mundanities of one’s life, to discover more creativity, resourcefulness, and to perceive your surroundings differently. It means to step out of your comfort zone, so if you have been thinking about learning a new language abroad, perhaps you can apply to principle of datsuzoku to your thinking!

Source:

https://ihworld.com/news-blog/ih-blog/10-words-that-don-t-exist-in-english/

Alucard's avatar
Alucard

In my country we use a word for “the first time you wear or do something”. We call it “estrenar”.

LiquidMorkite's avatar
LiquidMorkite
Alucard

So real I've been looking for it in English for ages to realize that it doesn't exist in English lol

PedroPato's avatar
PedroPato

I'm Brazilian and there are some words and sayings that end up not making sense or simply not having an equivalent in English.

One of these is the word "bah". This is a word normally spoken in the south of Brazil, it can be used for all types of situations, just change the intonation in which you pronounce it, but in general it is used as a reaction, for example:

Person 1 - "It's cold today, don't you think?"

Person 2 - "Bah guri (guri can be translated as child or kid, as we use it to call children normally, but also to call adult men, as if it were a nickname, in the south it is quite common for example for some people to start saying "It's the guri", honestly, It's hard to explain why, but it happens.), not that much, it's only 7°C" (Normally, sulistas(People who live in the south of Brazil) have the reputation of liking the cold and wearing normal clothes even though it is very cold for other people in the country, since Brazil is big and the temperature difference is absurd. great, while today it may be 19°C in the south, in the north it is 38°C)

Anyway, another way to use bah can also be when you receive news, such as:

Person 1 - "Bah, you don't know what happened to me "guri", I found 50 reais (Brazilian money) on the street!"

Person 2 - ""Bah guri", today is on you then"

CJ
CMDR James Lauer
PedroPato

Hey there a fellow Brazilian! are you from RS too? 😁

Block9's avatar
Block9
PedroPato

I hear the word ''oshe'' a lot

oshe mainha

vish

A
AsDeEspadas1

Sobremesa in spanish is a time after lunch when people stay in their seats to chat.

There´s no english equivalent.

SIRCAM's avatar
SIRCAM

In spanish we use the word: Anteayer or Antier
Meaning of the word in English: The day before yesterday

Braulio M Lara 🔹's avatar
Braulio M Lara 🔹
SIRCAM

Spanish is so variety and this one and so manny other we can’t find in English speak

Excellent choice

(you’re the Fisrt one)

SIRCAM's avatar
SIRCAM
Braulio M Lara 🔹

Yeah bro, spanish language it's pretty rich, thanks for the comment Braulio.

mypets's avatar
mypets
SIRCAM

Here in Brazil we also have a very similar word haha

We say “anteontem” to mean the day before yesterday!

SIRCAM's avatar
SIRCAM
mypets

Personally i understand pretty well when Brazilians friends speak to me, there are a lot of similarities in our languages. Almost magical. 😃

Lanah Tyra's avatar
Lanah Tyra
SIRCAM

we also have a word for that in Hungarian.

"Tegnapelőtt" means the day before yesterday

"Tavaly" means last year

"Tavalyelőtt" means the year before last year

Strange that English doesn't have one simple word for these.

SIRCAM's avatar
SIRCAM
Lanah Tyra

This amazing, suddenly want to learn Hungarian too 🙂

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