When Words Fail … 30 Phrases You Won’t Find in English

 

Is there anything more frustrating than being misunderstood? Sometimes it takes a whole paragraph to express exactly how we feel, but other times, if we’re lucky, there might be one perfect word or phrase to sum up our sentiments just perfectly.

 

When you visit other countries, you might find yourself picking up some foreign words or even gestures that have a certain finesse for articulating human emotions.

 

 

In honor of ‘International Translation Day’ (September 30^th), here are 30 moving and useful words and phrases that don’t quite have an English counterpart.

 

 

FRENCH

 

Dépaysement (n) – The closest English equivalent would be something like “disorientation”, which doesn’t at all capture the elegance of this word. If you have ever experienced a feeling of unsteadiness or bewilderment that can come from being in a totally foreign environment, like out of your home country, then you can relate to dépaysement.

 

 

Empêchement (n) – In the world of travel, you should always be ready to encounter an empêchement, an unexpected last-minute change of plans.

 

Etre à l’ouest – The literal meaning is “being west", but this expression typically describes a unique person, a daydreamer, someone who thinks outside of the box. The closest English expression might be "on another planet."

 

Flâneur (n) – This might be you if you find yourself ambling about Parisian avenues. Coming from the French verb flâner, which means “to stroll”, flâneur describes a person of leisure who seems to wander the streets aimlessly, but whose real purpose is to walk the city in order to experience its atmosphere.

 

L’appel du vide – Literally translated as “the call of the void”, this quite beautiful phrase has a bit more ominous meaning as it’s used to describe that inexplicable and distinctive urge to jump from high places.

 

L’ésprit de l’escalier – Have you ever come up with the perfect remark or retort only too late? The French would call this l’esprit de l’escalier, or “staircase wit”. The philosopher Diderot coined this phrase because he could only think of a suitable repartee after walking away from a conversation, literally down the stairs.

 

Retrouvailles (n) – A touching word that allows you to easily name the joy of reuniting with someone you haven’t seen in a very long time.

 

 

Sortable (adj) – How you can describe a person you would take anywhere without fear of being embarrassed. Does this describe your favorite travel companion?

 

 

GERMAN

 

Schadenfreude (n) – It’s a mouthful, but this one world encapsulates the feeling of experiencing joy from another’s misfortune. Not a generous emotion perhaps, but we’ve all had our enemies at one time or another.

 

Torschlusspanik (n) – Have you ever felt like time is running out to accomplish your goals and dreams? That panic setting in is the feeling of torschlusspanik.

 

 

 

GREEK

 

Meraki (adj) – If you pour all of your passion and joy into some task or form of art, if you put a little of yourself and your soul into what you do or what you make, you are doing it with meraki.

 

 

Philotimo (n) – Literally translated as “friend of honor”, this complex noun is used to stand for the highest Greek virtue, comprising elements of honor, justice, courage, dignity, pride, self-sacrifice, respect, freedom, gratitude, hospitality, and prioritizing the greater good.

 

 

ITALIAN

 

Abbiocco (n) – The drowsy but pleasant feeling you have after eating a big meal. And if you’re in Italy, you’ll definitely find an opportunity to use this one!

 

 

Apericena (n) – When your pre-dinner drink comes with free snacks, it becomes an “apericena” - a cross between aperitif and dinner (“cena” in Italian).

 

Culaccino (n) – That troublesome watermark you get when you put a cold or wet glass down on a table.

 

Menefreghista (n) – You might know someone who’s particularly prone to this way of thinking. It is Italian dialect for a person who generally couldn’t care less.

 

Meriggiare (v) – Naturally coming from the word meriggio (noon), this unhurried verb means to rest at noon, particularly in a shady spot on a hot day. This is also the best way to enjoy Italy, leaving plenty of time to stop and savor life in the shade.

 

 

 

JAPANESE

 

Tsundoku (v) – If you just can’t stop buying books, then you’ll be familiar with this action; the habit of letting a stack of unread books keep piling up.

 

 

Wabi-sabi (adj or n) – This descriptor gives us valuable insight into the Japanese aesthetic. It relates to finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence or simplicity.

 

 

PORTUGUESE

 

Desenrascanço (n) – A valued quality in Portuguese culture, this word connotes the art of solving a problem with quick improvisation or an imaginative solution. Or as some of us might say in English, the ability to MacGyver a situation.

 

Saudade (n) – The most pensive word on the list, saudade combines feelings of longing, melancholy, and nostalgia. Use it to describe how you feel when you are pining for something you love which is now lost.

 

 

 

SLOVENIAN

 

Vedriti (v) – This poetic word means to take shelter from the rain and wait for it to pass. It can also be used as a metaphor for your life, when you are waiting for difficult times to get better.

 

 

 

SPANISH

 

Antier (n) – A more convenient way of saying the day before yesterday. A shortened version of “antes de ayer.”

 

Desvelado (adj) – During your travels, we hope that you will not feel desvelado - unable to sleep or sleep-deprived. Ok, English-speakers could say ‘sleepless’, but it sounds more romantic in Spanish.

 

 

Duende (n) – One of the most difficult words in the Spanish language to translate to English, duende is listed in the dictionary as a sort of magical spirit, but in practice it refers to the inspiration or strong emotion evoked by a powerful piece of art.

 

Enchilar (v) – To add chili to a dish or to become overpowered by the heat of chili peppers. Most common in Mexico, but very useful!

 

Friolento (adj) – Another practical moniker, this describes someone who is more sensitive to cold than the average human being.

 

Madrugar (v) – To get up very early. As experienced travelers know, “The early bird catches the worm.” As they say in Spanish, A quien madruga, Dios le ayuda.

 

Sobremesa (n) – What you want at your next dinner party – the satisfactory period after everyone has finished eating a meal and the conversation is still flowing at the table.

 

 

 

TURKISH

 

Yakamoz (n) – Truly unique, yakamoz (yah-kah-moze) won first prize for the world’s most beautiful word in a 2007 German competition. It has been translated as the reflection of moonlight on water, but a closer meaning might be the phosphorescence that comes from bioluminescent, microscopic sea creatures.

 

 

Learning poetic words from other languages is a beautiful way to get a sense for how different cultures see the world. After you understand some of the compelling turns of phrase from a more international lexicon, you might want to adopt a few of them as your own.

 

All images in this article were generated by AI.