Does Not Translate - Words That Don't Translate

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Shimau·Combined with a verb to indicate something was done without meaning to or recklessly.

Japanese

Skula·To seek shelter from (and wait out) a rain shower.

Swedish, Scanian

IJsberen·Literally meaning to polar bear walking in circles nervously or out of boredom. Derived from The behavior of polar bears in zoos.

Dutch

Ainbhlinn·Froth from mouth of decaying corpse.

Irish

άπειρος·The word can denote both 'infinite' and 'inexperienced'. Because one can not experience infinity.

Greek

Alkoholleichen·Drunk people wandering home late at night/early morning.

German

“hún dàn (混蛋) = literally “mixed egg”·A person who has at least two biological fathers and one biological mother, the idea being that the mother mated with two or more males in quick succession and a mosaic embryo was formed.

Chinese

Notgeil·Being so horny it's an emergency.

German

Köldökszösz·The dirt from one's bellybutton on the clothes. ;).

Hungarian

Strohwitwer·Literally straw widow. Noun: A husband who's home alone while his wife is out of town.

German

Palla·To steal fruit from a tree.

Swedish

Chichihualtzitzquia·To touch the breasts of a woman.

Nahuatl

Ašţal·That chin-stroking moment you get, often accompanied by a frown on your face, when someone expresses an idea that you’ve never thought of and you have a moment of suddenly seeing possibilities you never saw before.

Ithkuil

Aizuchi·To interject into a monologue with a short phrase to indicate understanding and active listening.

Japanese

Elpusztul·Lit.: perish. Said specifically to mean the death of an animal or a plant (an unconscious being) as opposed to the death a person.

Hungarian

Pogamudiyaathavargalukkaga·For the sake of those who cannot go.

Tamil

Arretado·(adj.) awesome, skillful, intrepid, angry.

Brazilian Portuguese

Kummerspeck·'Grief Bacon', the weight you gain from overeating while upset.

German

Mahnmal·A specialised form of memorial, which would be Denkmal. mahnen means to remind, caution, urge, Mal is the -ial part. Hence why Holocaust memorial is a very, very fuzzy translation.

German

Schadenfreude·The pleasure derived from observing others' misfortune.

German

Gluggaveður (lit. window-weather)·It's the kind of weather that is nice to look at through the window but not nice to be out in.

Icelandic

Jo·Yes when replying to a negative claim or question.

Norwegian

Bildungslücke·A gap in your education or your knowledge of pop culture.

German

Hatza-ha·The humid-smelling wind that blows before rain.

Mayan

ǂnūu·Chase off a storm because of threatening lightning strikes by waving a burning branch and throwing it into the sky or by rubbing armpit sweat onto oneself and saying sūi sàa-tê.

!Xóõ

Tartle·The awkward moment when you forget someone's name and are hesitant to introduce them.

Scottish

吸猫 xī māo·To zone out and enjoy the company of a cat, as if it were a drug. Lit. “snort/suck cat”.

Chinese

Jugaad·A frugal yet creative and highly effective solution to a problem which everyone is solving with the usual scripted and expensive way.

Hindi

घरोबा (gharobā)·The kind of relationship where you can and do show up at each other's house frequently, anytime, without prior notice; and even if you don't live with the other person, you are as close to them as you are to anyone living with you.

Marathi

Kitty-corner·Diaganolly adjacent.

English