15 Untranslatable Love Words That Don’t Have English Equivalents
There are 6,500 languages in the world, even if about 2000 have less than a 1000 speakers. That means there are a lot of words for love that are hard to translate! Here’s some to keep you both entertained and romantic. From the French “retrouvailles” (the joy of reuniting after long separation) to Tamil “oodal” (the fake anger lovers show after a tiff), they all show the more subtle angles of love.
“More Than Just A Word – Untranslatable Words Of Love From Around The World” is a collaboration between Vashi jewelers and illustrator Emma Block. She graduated with First Class Honours in BA Illustration at Middlesex University. She has recently published a children’s book and has worked with major brands in the world. Block claims “the people she meets in her everyday life, old photos, vintage clothes, old films, travel, 1950s illustration, 1930s jazz and sausage dogs” among her inspirations.
More info: vashi.com | emmablock.com | facebook | instagram | twitter (h/t: boredpanda)
#1 Cafune
#2 Zhi Zi Zhi Shou, Yu Zi Xie Lao
#3 Firgun
#4 Viraha
#5 Merak
#6 Retrouvailles
#7 Naz
#8 Dor
#9 Mo Chuisle Mo Chroi
#10 Mamihlapinatapei
#11 Cwtch
#12 Oodal
#13 Koi No Yokan
#14 Ya’aburnee
#15 Gezelligheid
Got wisdom to pour?
No. 8 also means pain in Portuguese, the equivalent word for the same meaning of ‘longing for something you love’ in Portuguese is.. ‘saudades’ and is also apparently untranslatable…