No other word for it!
Like idioms, the unique, untranslatable words of a language also give us a look into that culture’s traditions, ethics and identity.
Arabic, “Gurfa”: The amount of water that can be held in one hand.
Arabic, “Ya´aburnee”: The desire to die before someone else, because you could not bear to live without them.
Brazilian Portuguese, “Cafuné”: The act of running your fingers through someone´s hair.
Czech, “Prozvonit”: The act of calling someone only to have it ring once so they call you back and you don’t spend any telephone credit.
French, “L´esprit d´escalier”: When you come up with a witty remark or retort long after the moment you should have said it.
German, “Drachenfutter”: Literally “dragon fodder”, the gift a husband gives his wife when asking for her forgiveness.
German, “Fernweh”: Feeling homesick for a place you have never been to.
German, “Verschlimmbessern”: When trying to make things better actually makes things worse.
Hebrew, “Firgun”: A genuine, unselfish joy or pride in someone else’s good fortune.
Indonesian, “Jayus”: When an unfunny joke is told so poorly, you cannot help but laugh.
Japanese, “Baku-Shan”: A girl who is beautiful only when seen from behind
Japanese, “Komorebi”: The dampened light that shines through trees.
Japanese, “Tsundoku”: The act of buying a book but never reading it.
Korean, “Dapjeongneo”: The feeling you get when someone asks you a question and you can tell they think they know the answer you will give.
Norwegian, “Palleg”: Anything that can be put on a slice of bread.
Pascuenese, “Tingo”: Stealing your neighbors’ possessions by slowly borrowing them, then never returning them.
Russian, “Toska”: To be bored with even the most interesting things in life.
Scottish, “Tartle”: The moment of hesitation you have when you cannot remember someone´s name.
Spanish, “Sobremesa”: The time after a meal spent socializing with the people you have just ate with.
Swedish, “Fika”: Gathering together for an extended period at a café or home to take a break.
Swedish, “Gökotta”: The act of waking up early specifically to hear the birds sing.
Tamil, “Oodal”: The exaggerated anger one feels after a lover´s quarrel.
Turkish, “Aşermek”: The strange, highly specific cravings one gets when they are pregnant.
Welsh, “Hiraeth”: Longing for a place that no longer exists, because it has changed so much.