20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words

[Jashan]

An article about untranslatable words

Discussion/arguments may begin.

[catberry]

#17 isn't a word, but rather a phrase. That is all.

[din]

The 'untranslatable' can be attacked, of course, but that would be missing this author's point.

The point is in the last two paragraphs-- words do not only have shared meanings; they also have shared connotations. That depth is something the author wants to draw attention to, and appreciate. For that, he selected a few words that really connect to his own experience, and possibly ours.

A tad poetic, but why not.

[Dewrad]

Both #1 and #20 (both of which always crop up on these lists) can be adequately translated with the Welsh hiraeth (which never crops up on any list.)

[Whimemsz]

Also, note that as the example of schadenfreude exhibits, we can always just borrow the word in question, and the problem of translation becomes moot.

[Yng]

Both #1 and #20 (both of which always crop up on these lists) can be adequately translated with the Welsh hiraeth (which never crops up on any list.)

I think I saw it on a list once... but it was in a patronising 'wow celtic is so SPIRITUAL' format that made me want to VOMIT.

I like number 3... that's kind of covered by youth dialect 'fail', but 'fail' has a whole variety of meanings (which I imagine are 'untranslatable', actually ).

Also, isn't 14 kind of 'homesickness' (and also, incidentally, I'd argue, can be translated as 'hiraeth' if it has connotations of 'missing')?

Anyway, these are pretty good words... I'm going to try and adopt 'tingo'.

[Shm Jay]

I couldn't see what was so untranslatable about prozvonit. It's obvious it has to do with calling, and it would be even more obvious for Mecislau.

[catberry]

I like #1 a lot. But then, I'm a teenager

[LinguistCat]

I like #1 a lot. But then, I'm a teenager

I also like toska, but I've known that feeling since I was self aware and I like Russian. I don't think it's really a "teen" thing. Not for everyone.

[Yiuel Raumbesrairc]

Also, isn't 14 kind of 'homesickness' (and also, incidentally, I'd argue, can be translated as 'hiraeth' if it has connotations of 'missing')?

"Dépaysement" certainly doesn't mean that. If it's related to homesickness, it's its opposite; to be "dépaysé" is mostly positive. It's a feeling of akwardness when in a different place, but it makes you feel good, or at least, it doesn't hurt. It's the feeling of being filled with the alienness of a new country you visit, and it positively conflicts with your internalized normality. You are not missing your home country; indeed, it may lead to the opposite, where you turn out to loathe your home country.

(Edit : This meaning comes from a more negative meaning, which is simply to "disorient". Then again, I wouldn't use "dépayser" (litterally, "uncountrify") in such a negative way. At best, I'd use it in a way meaning "to confound someone about a place by virtue of its inherent alienness.")

[Yng]

I did wonder why it was listed as untranslatable if it just meant 'homesickness'. That's an interesting one, then.

[Adrianovaz2007]

Hey! #10, a brazillian one! Well, I think isn't so untraslatable (The word "untraslatable" can, actually, be translated to Brazillian Portuguese as "intraduzível")...

#20: "Ter saudades de alguém" can be translated as "to miss someone". The proper "miss" can't be translated as one word onto Brazillian Portuguese, usually I wrote "sentir falta".

P.S.: #19 - Does duende really means that in Spanish???

[Ziz]

Isn't jayus something like a Chinese "cold joke?" Maybe it's not, though; the only one I've ever been told I thought was very funny.

I can't decide which one I like most. Toska, litost, Torschlusspanik, wabisabi and l'appel du vide are all pretty illuminating. Anyways, what are some English words that don't translate into any other language?

[Adrianovaz2007]

Now I've readed all the posts with attention I'm thinking how strange is see that other languages don't have a word for saudade, this word is so poetic and deep, emotionally speaking...

[Adrianovaz2007]

I can't decide which one I like most. Toska, litost, Torschlusspanik, wabisabi and l'appel du vide are all pretty illuminating.

Toska and L'Appel du Vide are really interesting, these two and Schadenfreude are my fav on the list (along Saudade, of course).

[Viktor77]

Anyways, what are some English words that don't translate into any other language?

Fuck. There's no one word in any other language that can cover all the uses of the English word fuck.

I'm also sad they're missing the Finnish word sisu.

[Yiuel Raumbesrairc]

Anyways, what are some English words that don't translate into any other language?

Fuck. There's no one word in any other language that can cover all the uses of the English word fuck.

I beg to disagree, criss.

[Adrianovaz2007]

Anyways, what are some English words that don't translate into any other language?

Fuck. There's no one word in any other language that can cover all the uses of the English word fuck.

I think the Brazilian slang "foda" and his verbal form "foder" could cover all the meanings of fuck...

[Legion]

#17 isn't a word, but rather a phrase. That is all.

It's a compound actually, French is fond of those.

[Legion]

Also, isn't 14 kind of 'homesickness' (and also, incidentally, I'd argue, can be translated as 'hiraeth' if it has connotations of 'missing')?

"Dépaysement" certainly doesn't mean that. If it's related to homesickness, it's its opposite; to be "dépaysé" is mostly positive. It's a feeling of akwardness when in a different place, but it makes you feel good, or at least, it doesn't hurt. It's the feeling of being filled with the alienness of a new country you visit, and it positively conflicts with your internalized normality. You are not missing your home country; indeed, it may lead to the opposite, where you turn out to loathe your home country.

Indeed. Homesickness is generally translated by "mal du pays".

[Cockroach]

I was kinda disappointed they didn't have l'esprit de l'escalier.

My favorite is Li (理), literally meaning the markings in jade, but symbolically means the fluid organization of nature, the sort of "just so" nature of the universe characterized by the Chinese view of heaven and earth.

[Jipí]

Danish hyggelig pretty much corresponds to German gemütlich as far as I know.

[linguoboy]

Fuck. There's no one word in any other language that can cover all the uses of the English word fuck.

I think the Brazilian slang "foda" and his verbal form "foder" could cover all the meanings of fuck...

Like fuck!

I was kinda disappointed they didn't have l'esprit de l'escalier.

Oh, you mean Treppenwitz?

[Acid Badger]

It's because words such as Torschlusspanik why I think that german is a beautiful language.

Fuck. There's no one word in any other language that can cover all the uses of the English word fuck.

Oh, did you heard about italian cazzo? I'm not native to english, but I think it fits fuck quite well in many situations.

[Salmoneus]

Note: they only said the words couldn't be translated into ENGLISH.

For a word the other way, I doubt if many languages have a simple non-borrowed equivalent for "googly": the event in which a ball, thrown from a person's right hand in a way that does not involve flexing the elbow, to which spin has been imparted by a rotation of the wrist of the thrower, which causes the ball to drift to the left (looked at by the thrower) in the air and then reverses direction to travel sharply to the right (while still drifting back to the left/centre) upon impact with the ground, but which is thrown in such a way as to make observers expect the ball to drift to the right and turn to the left instead.