Does Not Translate - Words That Don't Translate

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Otonagai·おとながい.

Japanese

宣泄 xuānxiè·Lit. 'to let accumulated water flow'.

Chinese

反射孤绕地球两圈 fan3she4hu2 rao4 di4qiu2 liang3 quan1 When it takes you forever to get a comment or a joke someone just made. (Lit·Your reaction nerve impulse (reflex arc) took two orbits around the earth.).

Mandarin

Déconseiller·To advise against, to recommend in not doing.

French

Mirediredy·To talk so wholeheartedly about something hypothetical that you forget it's actually not real yet, and probably impossible.

Malagasy

Cafeteria Christian·A person who professes Christian adherence, but who selectively chooses which doctrines to follow.

English

urubozo·A slow and painful death.

Kinyarwanda

morgunfúll (adj.)·Being grumpy just after you've woken up in the morning.

Icelandic

Schärme·Rain shadow, the area where you can take cover from rain.

Mihika·When you eat too much dry things and it becomes hard to swallow.

Malagasy

Estar de Rodríguez·For a married man to be left home for a few days, just like when they were single.

Spanish

相合い傘 (aiaigasa)·To share an umbrella.

Japanese

Empalagado·The feeling you get when you eat a lot of sweets and you don’t want more sugar. You’re not full, just “empalagado”.

Spanish

Moralkaka (lit. morality cookie)·A preachy, insincere, or trivial moral lesson.

Swedish

Morgontrött·An adjective to describe a person who has problems with getting up, and is always tired after waking up, in the morning.

Swedish

搭讪 (dāshàn)·To start talking to end an awkward silence or an embarrassing situation; also means to flirt.

Chinese

Bildungsroman·A novel detailing the psychological growth of main protagonist.

German

Schaambrokje·The final snack on a platter that no one wants to take out of politeness.

Dutch

Ser ikke ut i måneskinn·Something so ugly it doesn't even look good under the moonshine.

Norwegian

Dagsmeja·When snow melts due to direct sunlight while the air temperature is still below freezing.

Swedish

Fina’gui·To be visited by a spirit.

Chamorro

Xanèa·An arch that connects two houses and that passes under inhabited rooms.

Sicilian

cipṣan·To put finger in something one time and then lick it.

O'odham

Arbushebew Bassor Ile·His Wednesday is Lacking.

Lishan Didan // Aramaic

小吃 (Xiǎochī)·A category of food that is bigger than a snack but smaller than a meal, typically cheap street food.

Chinese

Russisches Taschentuch·Russian Handkerchief.

German

十個茶壺九個蓋 Sap go caa wu gau go goi·Only 9 lids for 10 teapots.

Cantonese

Klämkäck (lit. squeeze-dashing)·Someone who's a bit too perky, energetic, and positive, often to the point where it feels fake. Think some waiters and the like.

Swedish

Okynnesäta·Eating even though you're not hungry, in a mischievous sort of way.

Swedish

Brunsmeta (lit. to brown-smear)·To try to associate with right-wing extremism or Nazism to discredit.

Swedish