Untranslatables
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Untranslatable Series by U-M Language Resource Center is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Gaakaapiganeyaakwakin
Language: Ojibwe - Anishinaabemowin
Translation: It’s bone-cracking cold
(credit: James Vukelich)
صبحية التقليدية |
Alsubhiat altaqlidia
Language: Arabic (Levantine)
Translation: having a peaceful cup of coffee with close friends to start the day
Pronunciation: Alsubhiat altaqlidia
ՍՐՏՄՏՈՒԹԻՒՆ | Srdmdutiwn
Language: Armenian
Translation: that which enters the heart (aka, anger or fury!)
Pronunciation
(vocal credit: Mariam Habring)
霞 | Xiá (Xia2)
Tokka
Dérive
Language: French
Translation: a spontaneous journey where the traveler abandons normalcy and follows fate’s footsteps
Gemütlichkeit
Language: German
Translation: a warm, cozy, friendly, comfortable, relaxing, snug place that could be reminiscent of one’s home
חי בסרט | Chai Be’seret
Language: Hebrew
Translation: completely unrealistic, lit. living in a movie
Pronunciation
(vocal credit: Hanna Lupovitch)
रिमझिम | Rimajhim
Hoppípolla
Masuk Angin
Language: Indonesian
Translation: the feeling of unwellness caused by weather changes and exposure to wind
Gattara
Language: Italian
Translation: a woman, often imagined to be old and lonely, who feeds and takes care of stray cats
こもれび | Komorebi
Language: Japanese
Translation: the visual effect of sunlight as it filters through leaves on trees
눈치 | Nunchi
Language: Korean
Translation: the ability to sense other people’s moods and act accordingly, having high social awareness
Saudade
Language: Portuguese
Translation: a melancholic longing or yearning that is both a state of being and a feeling
Почемучка | Pochimuchka
Language: Russian
Translation: a person, typically a young boy, who asks a lot of “why?” questions
Chimurenga
Language: Shona
Translation: lit. (revolutionary) struggle; liberation as the struggle for human rights, political dignity, and social justice
Duende
Language: Spanish
Translation: the mysterious power a work of art can have on a person (and in some countries, a small spirit/being)
Gökotta
ถูกใจ | Túuk Jai
Language: Thai
Translation: An inexplicable strong liking or love for a person or object
Nhậu
Ubuntu