Every language has a bunch of words that are more or less untranslatable in English or other languages. Here we have a collection of twenty-five brilliant Spanish, German, Swedish and Finnish words that can not be translated into English.
Often, words and expressions that are untranslatable describe features of local culture, climate or typical national characteristics that might not even exist in other countries. Enjoy!
Untranslatable German words
Wanderlust = A strong desire to travel and see the world.
Example: Ich habe Wanderlust und möchte schnell irgendwohin reisen!
Fernweh = Some languages have a word for this feeling, but English does not. Fernweh is longing for some place far away, either a specific location or simply the experience of being away from home.
Example: Immer wenn ich zu Hause bin, habe ich Fernweh.
Weltschmerz = English speakers might well feel this, but they still havenât come up with a good translation for it. Weltschmerz is literally âworld painâ: feeling down because of all the things that are wrong in the world and oneâs limited capacity to do something about it.
Example: Wenn ich keinen Kummer im eigenen Leben habe, kommt der Weltschmerz.
der innere Schweinehund = An inner voice tempting you to be passive and lazy. It says the weather is a bit bad, so itâs fine to cancel that plan to go running, isnât it? And sure there are just two flights of stairs, but why walk when thereâs a lift? Conquering your lazy inner voice makes you feel good and accomplished.
Example: Um dein Ziel zu erreichen, musst du deinen inneren Schweinehund ĂŒberwinden!
der Kummerspeck = Extra weight gained because of eating to get over a broken heart.
Example: Nach der Trennung hat sie eine Menge Kummerspeck angesetzt.
die Schnapsidee = A really terrible idea. Ideas like this are usually born as a result of a few schnapps and possibly a bit of additional alcohol, but you can also have a Schnapsidee while perfectly sober. Itâs just that these ideas are so bad, youâd think they were thought up by a drunk person.
Example: Das ist ja eine Schnapsidee!
Untranslatable Spanish words
Sobremesa = The relaxed sitting around the table, digesting and chatting that takes place after a meal in Spanish culture. Sobremesa is the reason why Spanish waiters often wonât bring the bill before it has been specifically requested.
Example: Estuvimos de sobremesa hasta las seis.
BotellĂłn = Getting the party started outdoors (because alcohol is cheaper in the store than the bar), generally done by young people. If possble, a botellĂłn takes place at the beach or in âcampoâ or the countryside. In big cities, people gather in parks and on the streets.
Example: ÂżTe apetece hacer botellĂłn esta noche?
Tener ganas de = Feel like, want to. The negative version âno tengo ganas deâ can also mean âI donât have the energyâ. The expression âtengo ganas de tiâ can also be used to mean âI want youâ in the romantic or sexual sense.
Example: Tengo muchas ganas de ver esa pelĂcula.
Merendar = Eat a bite of something, grab a snack. Note that the Spanish noun âmeriendaâ means a snack or a light meal. Merienda is usually had between lunch and dinner.
Example: TodavĂa no tengo hambre porque acabo de merendar.
Friolero/friolera = Person who feels the cold easily.
Example: Si eres muy friolero, mejor no mudarte a Finlandia.
Consuegros = The parents-in-law of your married son or daughter.
Example: Mis consuegros son majĂsimos, al igual que mi nuera.
Untranslatable Swedish words
Fika = Have coffee, take a coffee break. For Swedes, âfikaâ means more than drinking some coffee. Itâs a social occasion by definition, so technically you canât âfikaâ alone. Besides coffee, youâre also expected to have a cinnamon roll, a sandwich or a piece of cake.
Example: NĂ€r ska vi fika?
Lagom = Swedenâs answer to hygge. Freely translated, âlagomâ means moderation and having enough â not too much and not too little.
Example: VÀdret Àr lagom varmt.
Lördagsgodis = Saturday sweets. Some parents allow their children sweets only once per week, and traditionally this day is Saturday.
Example: Det Àr lördag idag. Ska vi köpa lite lördagsgodis?
Orka = This verb is very common in Swedish but doesnât have an English equivalent. It means roughly âto have the energy to do somethingâ. Often seen in the negative, âI donât have the energyâ.
Example: Jag Àr sÄ trött! Jag orkar inte göra nÄgonting.
Hinna = Another very common Swedish verb without a good English translation: âto be there in time (and not be late)â.
Example: Vi har fem minuter pÄ oss. Jag tror inte att vi hinner!
Mysa = Comfortable lounging around, relaxing. Usually done at home, but itâs not unknown to do this in a cafĂ©. Fredagsmys is a common Swedish way of spending a Friday evening. This means staying at home and cuddling on the sofa, eating a bit of something good and watching TV. Mysbyxor are comfortable trousers that you change into immediately when you come home from work.
Example: Nu fÄr vi mysa resten av kvÀllen.
Jobbig = A very common and useful word that can be used whenever something is a bit annoying, troublesome, difficult, complicated or generally frustrating.
Example: Jag hade en riktigt jobbig dag idag.
Untranslatable Finnish words
Löyly = Heat and steam rising from the sauna stove when you throw water on it. When the atmosphere in the sauna is especially pleasant and the temperature and moisture are just right for you, âhyvĂ€t löylytâ is the best kind of praise.
Example: HeitÀ lisÀÀ löylyÀ!
Sisu = A combination of stamina, grit, and sometimes sheer stubbornness, this is the famous quality that keeps Finns going after everyone else has given up.
Example: Sisu vie vaikka lÀpi harmaan kiven.
Kaamos = Polar night, the time of the year when the sun does not rise at all north of the Arctic Circle. There is a specific term, kaamosmasennus, for depression caused by kaamos.
Example: En kestÀ tÀtÀ kaamosta, haluan matkustaa etelÀÀn.
Talkoot = Finlandâs version of barn raising, where the community gets together to get some task done for the common good. Participation is usually voluntary, and compensation consists of something to eat and drink and a feeling of accomplishment.
Example: Tuletko pihatalkoisiin?
Kyykkyviini = Literally âsquatting wineâ, meaning wine that is a bit cheaper than average. You donât have to squat while drinking it, only while buying it ̶ the term comes from the habit Finnish liquor stores have of putting cheaper wines on the bottom shelf.
Example: Join opiskeluaikana vÀhÀn liikaa kyykkyviinejÀ.
Tosikko = Person without a sense of humour. Someone who is a tosikko isnât necessarily annoyed or offended by jokes and pranks, he simply doesnât find them funny. At all. Of course, a tosikko wonât identify as one ̶ in her view, she is normal and everyone else is laughing for no reason.
Example: Et sinÀ kuitenkaan naura tÀlle, koska olet tuollainen tosikko.
