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.
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1. Fernweh (German) |
2. Komorebi (Japanese) |
3. Tingo (Pascuense) |
4. Pochemuchka (Russian) |
5. Bakku-shan (Japanese) |
6. Gökotta (Swedish) |
7. Backpfeifengesicht (German) |
8. Aware (Japanese) |
9. Tsundoku (Japanese) |
10. Shlimazl (Yiddish) |
11. Rire dans sa barbe (French) |
12. Waldeinsamkeit (German) |
13. Hanyauku (Rukwangali) |
14. Gattara (Italian) |
15. Prozvonit (Czech) |
16. Iktsuarpok (Inuit) |
17. Papakata (Cook Islands Maori) |
18. Friolero (Spanish) |
19. Schilderwald (German) |
20. Utepils (Norwegian) |
21. Mamihlapinatapei (Yagan) |
22. Culaccino (Italian) |
23. Ilunga (Tshiluba) |
24. Kyoikumama (Japanese) |
25. Age-otori (Japanese) |
26. Chai-Pani (Hindi) |
27. Won (Korean) |
28. Tokka (Finnish) |
29. Schadenfreude (German) |
30. Wabi-Sabi (Japanese) |
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Friday, December 5, 2014
Beautiful Words that Cannot Be Translated
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