Have you ever had a feeling that you cant put words to? If you grew up with a different language, you might’ve had the right words to describe it.

The language we speak has a massive impact on our cultures and on our patterns of thought. We often cannot deeply think about something unless our language provides the tools for us to do so. When confronted with a feeling that isn’t included in the standard list of happy, sad, excited, etc. people often find themselves at a loss for words, and over time, that has inspired people to create words to describe these feelings. If the feelings are shared commonly enough, the word associated with it becomes a standard part of the tool set that language provides. Here’s some of my favorite words that do not have immediate equivalents in the English language.

1. “Komorebi” – Japanese

(n.) The rays of sunlight that filter through the leaves of trees.

A really beautiful detail of life to have a name for, and a small but interesting window that lets us look into Japanese culture.

2. “Meraki” – Greek

(n.) To do something with soul, creativity, and love. To pour everything you are and everything you have into something.

I see this often in the Praxis community, so it’s nice to have another word to describe it.

3. “Poronkusema” – Finnish

(n.) The distance a reindeer can travel before needing a bathroom break

At first, this metric definitely seem oddly specific and kind of funny, but when you look into its origins, reindeer need to stop about every 7.5 kilometers (4.6 miles) to avoid being poisoned by the protein content of their urine. There must have been a need for people to talk about this, in order to avoid toxicity problems to their reindeer.

4. “Vacilando” – Spanish

(n.) A person for whom the act of traveling is more important than the destination itself.

A close approximation for this one in English is a “wanderer” but the beauty of the word comes from the difference in connotation and perspective.

5. “Trepverter” – Yiddish

(n.) words that came too late, literally translated as “Stairwords”

This is a perfect descriptor for when you come up with a great witty response, but it just so happens to be an hour later than you needed it.

6. “Stuisvogelpolitiek” – Dutch

(n.) Acting as if you have no idea what’s going on when something bad happens, and continuing on with your life like nothing has happened at all.

This word literally translates to “ostrich politics” and it is a very common practice at the current moment in time.

7. “Resfeber” – Swedish

(n.) The restless race of a travelers heart in anticipation for their journey to begin.

This all too familiar combination of anxiety, excitement, and overall anticipation contribute to what some might call “Travel Fever”.

8. “Waldeinsamkeit” – German

(n.) The unique feeling that comes about when you are alone in the woods.

This one is really interesting because there aren’t actually a lot of nuanced English descriptions or approximations for what exactly this feeling is, but it is still very clear that the word means a lot more than just being alone in the woods. This is a great example of a word that is so tied to its culture and people that It can only be truly understood by those people who have experienced it.

9. “Feuillemort” – French

(a.) Having the color of a faded leaf

This is a really old French word that we probably have some English equivalent of, but I’m sure it doesn’t sound as beautiful.

10. “Goya” – Urdu 

(n/a) as if/as though/as it were

Goya is explicitly defined above, but in practice, it is a complex and beautiful word that “conveys a contemplative ‘as-if’ that nonetheless feels like reality, and describes the suspension of disbelief that can occur, often through good storytelling.”

If you are interested, I wholeheartedly suggest you read the Quora post that this definition comes from, because It has a few great examples where “Goya” is used in Urdu Poetry.

What’s truly fascinating about this topic is the feedback loop of cultural influence. The culture of a language has impacted what words have arisen, and in turn, those words affect the way people can think about their lives, which affects their culture.

Also, since a large part of the inspiration for this post came from Ella Francis Sanders’s book “Lost In Translation” I want to provide the link to the book and to her art store for everyone to look at. If you are interested in art or foreign languages, she has some cool stuff!