Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Bored Panda
Bored Panda
Lifestyle
Asli Akalin

“My Native Language Doesn’t Have The Word For It”: 17 People Share What Words In Foreign Languages They Absolutely Love Using

Article created by: Vėja Elkimavičiūtė

Every language boasts words that are one of a kind. While certain ones are easier to pronounce, others might make a foreigner sound like Pink Panther trying to buy a dam-burrr-gheur. Some, though, are charming because they are oddly specific. For instance, the Japanese word for a lonely mouth (kuchisabishii) or the Finnish one describing a person drinking in his underwear in just several syllables (kalsarikännit).

Here at Bored Panda, we have gathered some of these fascinating linguistic gems for you to read. Shared by the r/AskReddit community members, they might be something you want to add to your vocabulary.

If you enjoy learning about unique terminology, don’t miss the chance to browse the list of times people were confused by the English language for some more entertaining content about languages.

#1




Image credits: Bratfahrer

#2


Image credits: Wise-Guarantee-6665

#3


Image credits: JR_0507

#4


Image credits: evendronesflyaway

#5


Image credits: mr_taco_man

#6


Image credits: NicholasTOPark

#7


Image credits: AdvantageBig568

#8


Image credits: rogue_rocketeer_

#9


Image credits: redsterXVI

#10




Image credits: 8thFurno

#11


Image credits: kk1289

#12


Image credits: Ntayeh

#13






Image credits: litvisherebbetzin

#14




Image credits: ImpeachedPeach

#15


Image credits: ElectricalCod9533

#16


Image credits: ViForYourAttention

#17




Image credits: a1rxx

Komorebi (木漏れ日) Japanese for sunlight that shines through trees. I like the sound of the word but also the fact that a word for such a concept exists in the first place. Saudade - Portuguese for 'a nostalgic longing for something that no longer exists and knowing that it may never return'. What a lovely word. Verschlimmbesserung - German noun for an attempted improvement that only makes things worse kalsarikännit - originating in Finland, in which the drinker consumes alcoholic drinks at home, dressed in as little clothing as possible, mainly in underwear with no intention of going out. It is a phrase not a word, but in Italian, to say "I love you", you usually say "ti voglio bene", which literally means "I want well for you". In english "love" means so many different things and I feel like this idea "I want well for you" encapsulates what love really means. Água-Viva (Brazil/Portuguese), it’s jellyfish but if you translate it word by word it means “alive-water”. Meerschweinchen, it’s German for Guinea Pigs, I like it because it literally means “little sea pigs”. Which makes no sense. Tokidoki - “sometimes” in Japanese, just really fun to say lol kuchisabishii (Japanese). Kuchi means mouth and sabishii means lonely. Kuchisabishii means you're longing to put something on your mouth - essentially the feeling you have when you eat something (or chew on your nails or pencil) because your mouth feels bored. Krankenwagen German for ambulance. Papillon. Means butterfly in french and its fun to say Yalla in Arabic means hurry up let's go or right now depending how you use it Die!!!! It means stop/ enough in Hebrew. My kids yell it at anything/one that frustrates them. Ikigai - lit. The Fruit of Life (in Japanese). It is the philosophy of how to live a good life, it's elements and how to exercise them. sanguagsuga - “blood-sucker” leech or bed bug in italian. can be used to describe a person too. Kitanai, or dirty in Japanese. It’s amusing to say at any minor mess like a disappointed mom chèri which translates to “darling” in english. idk why i love that term so much it sounds so sexy omg
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.