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Word Nerdery

Untranslatable words other languages have that we need

4 min read · English, take notes

For a language with roughly a million words, English has some baffling gaps. There is no single English word for the specific feeling of light coming through leaves, or for buying books you'll never read. Other languages solved these problems ages ago. Here are ten we should simply take.

Komorebi (Japanese), sunlight filtering through the leaves of trees. A whole word for the prettiest thing outside your window.

Tsundoku (Japanese), acquiring books and letting them pile up unread. Devastatingly specific. You know who you are.

Hygge (Danish), the cozy, contented warmth of a good moment with good people. Blankets, candles, no plans.

Saudade (Portuguese), a deep, bittersweet longing for something loved and lost, or maybe never quite had.

Fernweh (German), "far-sickness." The ache to be somewhere distant. The opposite of homesickness.

Schadenfreude (German), the guilty little joy you feel at someone else's minor misfortune. Don't pretend.

Gigil (Filipino), the overwhelming urge to squeeze something unbearably cute.

Utepils (Norwegian), a beer enjoyed outdoors, especially the first one on a warm day. A word for a vibe.

Sobremesa (Spanish), the lazy, lingering conversation after a meal, when nobody wants to leave the table.

Iktsuarpok (Inuit), the restless anticipation of waiting for someone to arrive, that keeps sending you to check the window.

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English may be missing these, but it makes up for it with sheer volume, and finding the good ones fast is a skill you can actually build.

Go find some words

Anagram Rush hands you seven letters and sixty seconds. You'll be amazed how many words are hiding in there, no translation required.

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