Discover the most beautiful foreign words with deep meanings you won’t find in English. Untranslatable, poetic, and full of feeling, this curated list says what English can’t.
There’s already a post out there. On my travel blog. A beautiful one. It’s called Most Beautiful Words in the World, and somehow, over the years, it became the soul of that blog.
My quiet little post about words turned into the most visited, most loved, most shared thing I’d ever written. Not a destination guide. Not a packing list. Just… words.
So now that I’ve started a blog dedicated to words, to their beauty, weight, wonder, and power, how could I not write this post again? Even if it means competing with my past self (sorry, Travel Me). This version, though, is bigger, better, and so much more me.
I’ve already shared a few of my favorite English words that feel like soft poetry and afternoon thoughts, and a list of beautiful bookish words that deserve to be dog-eared, underlined, and maybe whispered into your coffee.
And if you love tracing word roots like I do, you’ll enjoy this deep dive into English words that come from Greek, and also this one on Latin words quietly living their second life in English.
I’ve been collecting aesthetic words, the little heartbreakers and heart-menders, since childhood, hoarding them in my notes app, scribbling them on bookmarks, and saving them like pressed flowers, from the margins of books, the ends of poems, those strange little phrases people drop in conversations and never explain.
Later, I found more while traveling, in signboards, menus, train stations, overheard chats, and sometimes tucked quietly inside a stranger’s smile.
Some of these pretty words with no English equivalent, yet so much meaning, I’ve carried for years, like souvenirs. Others still surprise me. But all of them do something English often doesn’t; they name the unnamed. That exact feeling. That blink-and-you-miss-it mood. That memory you didn’t know you were still carrying.
We also call them untranslatable words. It’s a fancy way of saying that English doesn’t really have a word for this. It would take a whole sentence (or paragraph) to explain what this one delicate word from another language captures in a heartbeat. And that’s the magic. These words name what we feel but don’t know how to say.
So here it is: a collection of the most beautiful untranslatable words in other languages from around the world I’ve ever found. From languages around the world. With meanings that stay with you long after you scroll past.
Each one comes from a different corner of the world. Each one carries a story. And trust me, by the end of this post, you’ll want to adopt at least five into your everyday moodboard of feelings.
✦ A Little Note From Me: This list is a mix of memory, curiosity, and a whole lot of wandering, both in real life and online. Some of these words came from chats with locals over coffee in tiny towns. Others were plucked from dusty books, late-night YouTube rabbit holes, and random Pinterest boards. I tried my best with the pronunciation. Some I picked up from people who speak the language, while others I learned from slow-motion videos, replaying every syllable like a detective with a magnifying glass. So, if you’re a native speaker and spot a little oopsie, do drop a kind correction in the comments. I’ll happily fix it. We’re building this word garden together. Think of it as a globe-trotting glossary sprinkled with a little human error, a lot of love, and probably a questionable accent or two.
Untranslatable Beautiful Foreign Words That Speak to the Soul
Aamukaste (Finnish)
📖 the morning dew on grass or leaves
🗣️ aa-moo-kahs-teh
🫧 that soft shimmer you step on before the world fully wakes
Abbiocco (Italian)
📖 the drowsy, contented feeling after a big meal
🗣️ ab-byok-koh
😴 when pasta hugs you from the inside, and your eyelids agree
Abendrot (German)
📖 the reddish glow of the sky at sunset
🗣️ ah-buhnt-roht
🌇 when the day exhales one last color-soaked breath before night folds in
Ahimsa (Sanskrit)
📖 non-violence in thought, word, and action
🗣️ uh-him-saa
🪷 the quiet strength of choosing kindness, even when anger feels easier
Age-otori (Japanese)
📖 looking worse after a haircut
🗣️ ah-geh oh-toh-ree
✂️ when you said “just a trim” and they heard “start over”
Ailyak (Bulgarian)
📖 the subtle art of doing everything calmly and without rush
🗣️ eye-lyak
🍵 for days when you’re not lazy, just masterfully slow
Akihi (Hawaiian)
📖 forgetting directions right after they’re given
🗣️ ah-kee-hee
🌀 when your brain nods politely but your feet forget the plan
Amānati (Arabic)
📖 something entrusted to your care, with the promise it will be protected and returned
🗣️ ah-mah-nah-tee
🪶 some things we hold aren’t ours, they’re acts of trust waiting to be honored
Apnapan (Hindi)
📖 the warm feeling of belonging, of being accepted as one’s own
🗣️ up-naa-pun
🤗 like walking into a room and feeling instantly at home—no need to explain yourself, just be
Apprivoisé (French)
📖 to tame; to form a bond through gentle patience and trust
🗣️ ah-pree-vwah-zay
🪶 the kind of closeness that’s not forced, but quietly earned over time
Apresado (Spanish)
📖 someone who’s always in a rush
🗣️ ah-preh-sah-do
⏰ when life feels like a never-ending sprint to nowhere
Arbejdsglæd (Danish)
📖 the joy you feel from doing your work well
🗣️ ar-bites-gleh-the
💼 when a good day at work makes your heart clock in too
Arigata-meiwaku (Japanese)
📖 an act someone does for you that you didn’t want, but must thank them for
🗣️ ah-ree-gah-tah may-wah-koo
😓 the polite smile you put on while screaming inside
Aspaldiko (Basque)
📖 the joy of seeing someone you haven’t seen in a long time
🗣️ ahs-pal-dee-ko
🤗 like hugging a memory that turned back into a person
Attraversiamo (Italian)
📖 let’s cross over (often used symbolically to mean starting anew)
🗣️ ah-trah-ver-see-ah-mo
🌉 when you’re ready to leave the old shore behind, no map needed
Augenblick (German)
📖 a fleeting, blink-of-an-eye moment
🗣️ ow-gen-blick
🌠 the kind of second that leaves a mark deeper than time
Backpfeifengesicht (German)
📖 a face that’s begging to be slapped
🗣️ back-fy-fen-ge-zisht
😤 that rare expression that tests every ounce of your patience
Baadastoor (Urdu)
📖 continuing as always, carrying on in the usual way
🗣️ baa-das-toor
📜 when life moves forward, unchanged, unshaken, quietly steady
Badkruka (Swedish)
📖 someone who refuses to get into the water
🗣️ bahd-kroo-kah
🏖️ the one wrapped in a towel while everyone else is making splashy memories
Bakku-shan
📖 a girl who looks pretty from behind but not from the front
🗣️ bahk-koo-shahn
🙈 beauty that only lasts until the turn, then you pretend to squint at the sun
Beija-flor (Portuguese)
📖 a hummingbird, literally “flower kisser”
🗣️ bay-zha flor
🌺 joy on wings, flitting through petals like it’s writing poems mid-air
Bérézina (French)
📖 a complete and disastrous failure
🗣️ beh-ray-zee-nah
💥 when everything goes wrong, and you just stand there blinking
Besa (Albanian)
📖 a solemn promise that must never be broken
🗣️ beh-sah
🤝 trust woven so deeply, it becomes part of your breath
Bhava (Sanskrit)
📖 a state of being, emotion, or mental attitude; the mood behind an action or expression
🗣️ bhuh-vuh
🔥 it’s that deep, unspoken feeling that colors everything like devotion in a glance, or sorrow in silence
Bilita Mpash (Bantu)
📖 a dream that’s blissfully perfect, better than reality
🗣️ bee-lee-tah mm-pahsh
🌙 waking up wishing sleep could last just five minutes more
Blunda (Swedish)
📖 to shut your eyes, not in sleep, but to shut out the world
🗣️ bloon-dah
🌫️ the soft pause button when the day gets too loud
Boghz (Persian)
📖 the lump in your throat when you’re trying not to cry
🗣️ boghz (like bo-ghz, with a deep guttural ‘gh’)
🥀 when emotion rises, but you lock it behind silence
Boketto (Japanese)
📖 gazing blankly into the distance without thinking
🗣️ boh-keh-toh
🌥️ when your thoughts drift somewhere between here and nowhere
Bricoleur (French)
📖 someone who creates with whatever is on hand
🗣️ bree-koh-lur
🧰 making beauty out of scraps like life’s version of freestyle art
Cafuné (Brazilian Portuguese)
📖 the act of running your fingers gently through someone’s hair
🗣️ kah-foo-neh
💆♀️ a silent love letter written with fingertips
Camhanaich (Scottish Gaelic)
📖 the twilight of early morning; the pale light just before sunrise
🗣️ kav-an-ach (soft “ch” as in “loch”)
🌄 when the world hasn’t fully woken, but the light is already whispering secrets to the sky
Cavoli riscaldati (Italian)
📖 “reheated cabbage”; getting back with an ex
🗣️ kah-voh-lee rees-kahl-dah-tee
🔥 some leftovers are better left cold
Chindōgu (Japanese)
📖 an ingenious gadget that’s almost useless
🗣️ chin-doh-goo
🧪 clever chaos in object form, delightful and pointless
Chingada (Mexican Spanish slang)
📖 a vulgar place or state of being messed up
🗣️ cheen-gah-dah
💥 when life flips the table and smirks
Chutzpah (Yiddish)
📖 shameless audacity or boldness
🗣️ khoots-pah
🔥 walking into the storm in heels and demanding a seat at the table
Commovente (Italian)
📖 something deeply moving, stirring emotions to the core
🗣️ koh-mo-ven-teh
🥹 when your chest feels full and your eyes forget to stay dry
Conte (French)
📖 a short tale or story, often whimsical or imaginative in nature
🗣️ kon-tuh
📚 the kind of story that slips between reality and fantasy, leaving a trace of wonder behind
Còsagach (Scottish Gaelic)
📖 snug, sheltered, and warm, evoking a sense of cozy contentment
🗣️ kaw-sa-gach
🪵 like curling up with a book while the wind hums outside your window
Croire (French)
📖 to believe, not just in facts but in people, dreams, love
🗣️ krwah
🌟 faith that lives quietly in your heart, even when logic packs up and leaves
Cúbóg (Irish)
📖 a shadowy nook, a small hidden place
🗣️ koo-bohg
🪻 where secrets curl up and stories take shelter
Culaccino (Italian)
📖 the ring left on a table by a cold glass
🗣️ koo-lah-chee-no
🥤 proof something refreshing once lingered, a memory in liquid form
Cynefin (Welsh)
📖 the feeling of belonging in a place, as if your soul knows it
🗣️ kuh-neh-vin
🏞️ when a place feels like memory, even if you’ve never been there before
Dalisay (Tagalog)
📖 pure, untainted, sincere
🗣️ dah-lee-sigh
💧 like truth without noise or love without conditions
Dalalæða (Icelandic)
📖 calm fog that rolls in quietly on a windless day
🗣️ da-la-lay-tha
🌫️ a hush over the world, like nature holding its breath
Dapjeongneo (Korean)
📖 the answer someone gives just because it’s expected
🗣️ dap-jung-nyuh
🎭 nodding your head while your soul shrugs
Dépaysement (French)
📖 the strange, disorienting feeling of being in a new place
🗣️ day-peyz-mahn
🌍 that floaty feeling of being out of your usual world, not lost — just elsewhere
Dérive (French)
📖 a spontaneous, unplanned drift through streets, guided by the city’s mood rather than a destination
🗣️ day-reev
🚶♀️ when you let the city lead and your thoughts wander with your feet
Desbundar (Portuguese)
📖 to let loose completely, to break free from inhibitions and go all out with joy or emotion
🗣️ des-boon-dar
🎉 when you dance like no one’s watching, laugh till you cry, or finally stop holding it all in, that’s desbundar in full swing
Desenlace (Spanish)
📖 the outcome, resolution, or ending of a story
🗣️ deh-sen-lah-seh
📘 that final page where all knots come undone or tighten
Desenrascanço (Portuguese)
📖 the ability to improvise a solution on the spot
🗣️ deh-sen-ras-kan-soo
🧩 pulling brilliance out of chaos without a plan, just vibes
Desvelado (Spanish)
📖 sleep-deprived, unable to sleep
🗣️ des-veh-lah-doh
🌙 when your mind keeps dancing long after your eyes beg to rest
Dès vu (French — not standard)
📖 the unsettling feeling that something very familiar is suddenly unfamiliar
🗣️ dess voo
🌫️ like forgetting the face you see in the mirror every day
Datsuzoku (Japanese)
📖 the feeling of freedom that comes from breaking routine or escaping convention
🗣️ daht-soo-zoh-koo
🪁 when life slips out of its box and breathes a little easier
Dor (Romanian)
📖 an aching longing, both sweet and sorrowful
🗣️ dor
💔 when your heart reaches for something it can’t quite hold
Doreh (Persian)
📖 a cozy gathering of close friends filled with conversation and ease
🗣️ doh-reh
🪑 the kind of evening that feels like a soft chair and familiar laughter
Dożywocie (Polish)
📖 a life sentence
🗣️ doh-zhih-voh-cheh
🔒 forever sealed in time, no turning pages, just the same line
Drachenfutter (German)
📖 a gift given to a partner after doing something wrong
🗣️ dra-khen-foot-er
🎁 guilt, wrapped up in flowers and a hopeful smile
Duende (Spanish)
📖 the soul or spirit of passion in art that gives you goosebumps
🗣️ dwen-deh
🔥 when words, music, or dance make you feel wildly alive
Dugnad (Norwegian)
📖 unpaid voluntary work done together for the good of the community
🗣️ doog-nahd
🤝 hands joined in effort, the heart of a neighborhood beating in sync
Duktig (Swedish)
📖 hardworking, capable, or well-behaved
🗣️ dook-teeg
💼 when praise feels like pressure dressed as politeness
Duša (Slavic languages – e.g., Serbian, Croatian, Slovene)
📖 soul; the essence of one’s being that holds emotion, spirit, and depth
🗣️ doo-sha
🪞 the part of you that feels things before your mind even catches up
Dushi (Papiamento – spoken in Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire)
📖 sweet, lovely, or dear, used to describe someone or something precious
🗣️ doo-shee
🍯 when a single word feels like a warm hug with sunshine in its arms
Eigengrau (German)
📖 the color your eyes see in total darkness, not black, but dark gray
🗣️ eye-gen-grow
🌫️ the quiet shade behind closed eyes that still feels like something
Einfühlungsvermögen (German)
📖 the ability to deeply understand and empathize with others
🗣️ ine-fyoo-loongs-fer-mer-gen
🫂 walking in someone’s shoes, feeling every stone underfoot
Ellerinize sağlık (Turkish)
📖 literally means “health to your hands”, a heartfelt way to thank someone for something they’ve made, especially food
🗣️ el-leh-ree-nee-zeh sah-luhk
🍽️ when gratitude tastes better than dessert
Elmosolyodni (Hungarian)
📖 the act of slowly breaking into a smile
🗣️ el-moh-shoy-od-nee
😊 when your face surrenders to a feeling it can’t hide anymore
Elvágyódás (Hungarian)
📖 the strong, aching desire to be somewhere far away, a wistful yearning for a distant place
🗣️ el-vaah-dyooh-daash
🌬️ like your soul packed its bags before your body ever did
Encandilar (Spanish)
📖 to dazzle or blind with light or beauty
🗣️ en-kahn-dee-lar
✨ the kind of brightness that stuns more than it glows
Epibreren (Dutch)
📖 pretending to be busy to avoid work
🗣️ eh-pee-breh-ren
📎 the fine art of desk-staring with great conviction
eraya (Somali)
📖 a word or expression, especially one that holds deep meaning or emotional weight
🗣️ eh-rah-yah
📝 it’s not just a word, it’s a feeling wrapped in sound, the kind you carry long after the conversation ends
Erlebnisse (German)
📖 the rich, personal experiences that shape and color your life
🗣️ air-layb-nis-seh
🪶 the kind of memories that don’t just stay, they sculpt who you become
Esperanza (Spanish)
📖 hope, especially in the face of difficulty
🗣️ es-peh-rahn-tha
🌱 the green that grows through sidewalk cracks
Estro (Italian)
📖 a sudden surge of creative inspiration or artistic passion
🗣️ es-troh
🎨 when ideas dance in your mind faster than your pen can keep up
Eudaimonia (Greek)
📖 a state of deep human flourishing, where you live in alignment with your true self and purpose
🗣️ yoo-dai-moh-nee-uh
🌞 that grounded joy that doesn’t scream, it hums quietly from a life well-lived
Eunoia (Greek)
📖 beautiful thinking, a state of goodwill and balanced mind
🗣️ yoo-noy-uh
🌿 like a quiet morning when your heart and head finally agree
Extrawunsch (German)
📖 an extra wish or demand, often seen as unnecessary
🗣️ eks-trah-voonsh
🥄 like ordering soup with exactly five croutons and a whisper of basil
Fachidiot (German)
📖 someone highly knowledgeable in one area but clueless elsewhere
🗣️ fahkh-ee-dee-ott
🎓 genius in their lane, but don’t ask them where the spoons are
Faamiti (Samoan)
📖 a gesture or sound to catch someone’s attention silently
🗣️ fah-ah-mee-tee
🤫 the unspoken shout you throw across a room with your eyes
Famn (Swedish)
📖 the space within someone’s arms; an embrace or a lap
🗣️ fahm
🤗 the soft, silent comfort of being held where the world can’t touch you
Fare la scarpetta (Italian)
📖 to mop up the last of your meal with bread
🗣️ fah-reh lah skar-pet-tah
🍞 when the sauce is too good to leave behind, manners be damned
Fargin (Yiddish)
📖 to genuinely feel joy or pride in someone else’s success, without envy
🗣️ far-ghin
💛 that rare and beautiful feeling when your friend wins and it feels like you won too
Farpotshket (Yiddish)
📖 something that’s been completely messed up or ruined
🗣️ fahr-pot-shket
💥 started as a DIY dream, ended as an unsolvable puzzle
Fernweh (German)
📖 a deep longing for faraway places, even ones you’ve never been to
🗣️ fehrn-vey
🧭 when your heart starts packing a suitcase before your mind even decides where to go
Feierabend (German)
📖 the peaceful feeling when the workday ends and personal time begins
🗣️ fy-er-ah-buhnt
🌇 that sigh of relief when you shut your laptop, toss off your shoes and officially reclaim your evening
Feuillemort (French)
📖 the color of dying leaves, faded brown-yellow
🗣️ fuh-yee-mor
🍂 like walking through a memory that still rustles when you step
Fika (Swedish)
📖 a slow coffee break with friends, more about connection than caffeine
🗣️ fee-kah
☕ when the mug is warm, and so is the silence
Filotimo (Greek)
📖 doing good out of honor and deep moral duty
🗣️ fee-lo-tee-mo
🕊️ kindness with roots, the kind you don’t need to announce
Firgun (Hebrew)
📖 the joy you feel when someone else succeeds
🗣️ feer-goon
🌼 clapping in your heart for someone else’s sunshine
Fisselig (German)
📖 flustered to the point of clumsiness or distraction
🗣️ fis-suh-lig
🌀 when your brain forgets its to-do list and your feet forget the floor
Flâneur (French)
📖 a person who strolls aimlessly, simply observing the world
🗣️ flah-nur
🎩 the art of doing nothing… poetically
Forelsket (Norwegian, Danish)
📖 the euphoric feeling of falling in love
🗣️ fohr-els-ket
💘 when the world goes blurry and beautiful at the same time
Formacja (Polish)
📖 formation, but also a sense of being shaped by time, events, or people
🗣️ for-mah-tsya
🧱 the invisible blueprint that makes you who you are
Friolero (Spanish)
📖 someone extremely sensitive to cold
🗣️ free-oh-leh-roh
🧤 the first to grab a sweater when the wind so much as thinks about blowing
Gardacvaleba (Georgian)
📖 a gentle word for death, it literally means “to cross over”
🗣️ gar-da-ts-va-leh-bah
🌫️ when someone doesn’t disappear, they just take a different road beyond our eyes
Gattara (Italian)
📖 a woman with many cats who cares for them deeply
🗣️ gah-tah-rah
🐾 she doesn’t own the cats; they’ve simply allowed her into their lives
Geborgenheit (German)
📖 the feeling of being safe, protected, and emotionally secure
🗣️ guh-bor-gen-hite
🛌 the world can roar outside, but in here, you’re okay
Genatsvale (Georgian)
📖 a heartfelt expression meaning “I’d die for you”, used to show deep affection or love
🗣️ geh-nats-vah-leh
❤️ when love makes you say the wildest, most beautiful things and mean every word
Gezelligheid (Dutch)
📖 cozy, warm togetherness that makes you feel at home
🗣️ heh-zell-ikh-hite
🕯️ when a room feels like a hug, and laughter hums in the corners
Ghataa (Hindi)
📖 heavy rain clouds gathering before a storm
🗣️ gha-taa
🌫️ when the sky holds its breath, thick with silence and waiting
Gilchi (Korean)
📖 the feeling when your hair stands on end from awe or emotion
🗣️ gil-chee
⚡ like goosebumps with a soundtrack
Gigil (Tagalog, Filipino)
📖 the overwhelming urge to pinch or squeeze something irresistibly cute
🗣️ gee-geel
🐰 when you see cheeks so squishy, your hands forget their manners
Glas Wen (Welsh)
📖 a smile that’s more polite than genuine — thin as glass
🗣️ glass when
🎭 when your lips smile but your eyes sit this one out
Gluggaveður (Icelandic)
📖 “window weather”, lovely to look at, awful to go out in
🗣️ gloog-ah-veth-ur
🌬️ when the sky’s a liar and your sweater regrets everything
Gokotta (Swedish)
📖 to wake early and go out to hear the birds sing
🗣️ yur-kot-tah
🐦 the kind of morning that teaches your heart to listen again
Gönül (Turkish)
📖 the heart, not just as an organ, but as the seat of emotions, will, and soul
🗣️ guh-nül
💓 where love, intuition, and longing quietly hold hands and whisper truths
Gosohada (Korean)
📖 that delicate, warm feeling after you’ve been kind or helped someone
🗣️ go-so-ha-da
🌸 like the warmth that lingers long after a smile
Goya (Urdu)
📖 the transporting suspension of disbelief in a story
🗣️ go-yah
📚 when the line between fiction and feeling quietly disappears
Gumusservi (Turkish)
📖 the moon’s reflection on water, “moonlight silver”
🗣️ goo-moos-sair-vee
🌙 when the ocean wears jewelry and forgets to take it off
Hakuna matata (Swahili)
📖 no worries, no troubles, a life without stress
🗣️ ha-koo-nah ma-ta-ta
🦁 the breeze you feel when you finally let it go
Hanaemi (Japanese)
📖 a smile that blossoms gently like a flower
🗣️ ha-na-eh-mee
🌼 when joy tiptoes onto your face without asking
Hanyauku (Rukwangali, Namibia)
📖 walking barefoot on warm sand
🗣️ han-yah-oo-koo
🏖️ toes-first happiness
Harkla (Swedish)
📖 that little clearing of the throat before you speak
🗣️ hark-la
🔔 the soft drumroll before your voice makes its entrance
Házisárkány (Hungarian)
📖 literally “house dragon”, a nagging or domineering person at home
🗣️ ha-zee-shar-kahn-yee
🐉 when slippers roar louder than you
Heimat (German)
📖 a deep-rooted sense of belonging to a place that feels like home
🗣️ hy-muht
🏡 where your soul breathes easy, even if it’s not on any map
Heimweh (German)
📖 a deep longing or ache for home; homesickness
🗣️ hyme-vay
🏡 the kind of missing that wraps around your chest like an old familiar blanket
Herzschmerz (German)
📖 the ache of a broken heart
🗣️ hertz-shmertz
💔 when love lingers longer than it should
Hiraeth (Welsh)
📖 a homesickness for a home you can’t return to or never had
🗣️ hee-rah-eth
🌫️ longing that lives in the spaces memory forgot
Hikikomori (Japanese)
📖 a person who withdraws from social life, often staying isolated indoors
🗣️ hee-kee-ko-moh-ree
🚪 when your world shrinks to a room, and silence feels safe
Hinna (Swedish)
📖 to have enough time to do something; to manage
🗣️ hin-na
⏳ when you hurry, then realize you do actually have time, sweet relief in the rush
Hitoritabi (Japanese)
📖 traveling alone, often for self-reflection or healing
🗣️ hee-toh-ree-tah-bee
🚶♀️ a quiet escape where every step feels like a conversation with yourself
Hüzün (Turkish)
📖 a deep, wistful melancholy, tinged with nostalgia and beauty
🗣️ hoo-zoon
🪞 the kind of sadness that lingers softly, like a memory that doesn’t hurt but never quite fades
Hyo (Korean)
📖 filial love, deep respect, and devotion to parents and elders
🗣️ hyo
🌿 love that kneels gently at the feet of those who raised you
Hyppytyynytyydytys (Finnish)
📖 the pleasure of sitting on a bouncy cushion
🗣️ hup-poo-tyu-nyu-tyu-du-tys
🎈 joy, but with a spring in its seat
Ibtida (Urdu/Arabic)
📖 the beginning, a poetic or soulful start to something new
🗣️ ib-ti-daa
🌅 that quiet thrill of turning the first page, taking the first step or simply saying yes to a new chapter
Ikigai (Japanese)
📖 your reason for being, what gets you up in the morning
🗣️ ee-kee-guy
🌅 purpose, gently steeped in meaning
Iktsuarpok (Inuit)
📖 the feeling of anticipation when waiting for someone to arrive
🗣️ eek-soo-ahr-pok
👀 the way you keep peeking outside, hoping they’re finally here
Ilunga (Tshiluba, Congo)
📖 a person who is ready to forgive abuse the first time, tolerate it the second, but never the third
🗣️ ee-loon-gah
🧱 love has limits, and some walls build themselves
Issho ni (Japanese)
📖 being together; doing something with someone
🗣️ ee-sho nee
🤝 because some moments only make sense when shared
Jaksaa (Finnish)
📖 to have the energy, strength, or will to do something
🗣️ yahk-sah
🔋 the quiet cheer when you surprise yourself by showing up again
Jazba (Urdu)
📖 intense passion or emotion that drives action
🗣️ jaz-bah
🔥 the fire in your gut that doesn’t ask for permission, it just moves you
Jamais vu (French)
📖 the eerie experience of feeling unfamiliar with something you’ve actually encountered before
🗣️ zhah-meh voo
🌀 like seeing your own handwriting and thinking, did I really write that?
Jayus (Indonesian)
📖 a joke so unfunny it’s funny
🗣️ jah-yooce
😅 you’re not laughing at the joke, you’re laughing because your soul gave up
Jijivisha (Hindi)
📖 the strong, eternal desire to live and thrive
🗣️ jee-jee-vee-sha
🔥 when your heart keeps choosing tomorrow, no matter how tired today feels
Jobbig (Swedish)
📖 something or someone annoying or difficult
🗣️ yob-big
😖 when life’s just being… well, a pain in the proverbials
Jugaad (Hindi)
📖 a clever, resourceful workaround using limited resources
🗣️ joo-gaad
🛠️ when you turn a problem into a solution with sheer desi ingenuity
Kaamos (Finnish)
📖 the dark, polar night without sunlight
🗣️ kah-moss
🌌 a cold silence that stretches longer than it should
Kaapshljmurslis (Latvian)
📖 tangled, messy hair after sleeping
🗣️ kahp-shluh-moors-lees
🌀 a bedhead so wild, it tells its own bedtime story
Kaizen (Japanese)
📖 continuous improvement through small changes
🗣️ kai-zen
🧩 progress built on quiet, unglamorous little wins
Kabelsalat (German)
📖 a tangled mess of wires or cords
🗣️ kah-bell-zah-laht
🔌 the modern-day spaghetti nobody wants on their plate
Karelu (Tulu)
📖 the mark left on the skin by wearing something tight
🗣️ kah-reh-loo
🌬️ proof that something touched you, even if it’s gone
Kawaakari (Japanese)
📖 the gleam of light reflecting off a river at dusk
🗣️ kah-wah-kah-ree
🌙 that quiet shimmer where twilight meets water and everything slows down for a moment
Kenshō (Japanese)
📖 a sudden insight or awakening into one’s true nature, the first glimpse of enlightenment
🗣️ ken-sho
💡 like catching a flash of truth in the mirror before it fades into ordinary again
Kilknanaście (Polish)
📖 a vague number between eleven and nineteen
🗣️ keel-kah-nash-chye
🔢 for when you know it’s teenage… but math is optional
Kilig (Tagalog)
📖 the feeling of butterflies in your stomach when something romantic happens
🗣️ kee-lig
💓 when your heart giggles and your cheeks agree
Kintsugi (Japanese)
📖 the art of repairing broken pottery with gold
🗣️ kin-tsoo-gee
🌟 because broken things deserve to shine too
Koi No Yokan (Japanese)
📖 the sense you’ll fall in love with someone the moment you meet
🗣️ koy noh yoh-kahn
✨ that instant knowing before love has a name
Kolay gelsin (Turkish)
📖 a wish for ease and smoothness in whatever someone is working on
🗣️ koh-lai gel-sin
🤝 a little kindness wrapped in words like saying, hope it goes well without waiting for them to ask
Komorebi (Japanese)
📖 sunlight filtering through trees
🗣️ koh-moh-reh-bee
🍃 a quiet light that dances without making a sound
Kombinować (Polish)
📖 to creatively problem-solve, often bending the rules
🗣️ kom-bee-noh-vatch
🧠 when thinking out of the box means breaking it too
Kopfkino (German)
📖 literally “head cinema”; the act of playing out entire scenes or scenarios in your mind
🗣️ kopf-kee-noh
🎞️ when your imagination starts screening a private movie, no ticket required
Kos (Norwegian)
📖 a cozy, heartwarming sense of togetherness, whether you’re gathered by candlelight, sharing hot cocoa, or simply enjoying each other’s company
🗣️ koos
🕯️ that instant glow when the cold outside and the warmth within feel perfectly balanced
Winter has its own language, and I’ve gathered some of my favourites in Beautiful Winter Words.
Kummerspeck (German)
📖 weight gained from emotional eating
🗣️ koo-mer-shpeck
🍰 the edible side effect of a broken heart
Krishnokoli (Bengali)
📖 a girl with dusky skin, like Krishna’s hue, often evoking earthy beauty
🗣️ krish-no-ko-lee
🌾 she’s the poetry of monsoon skies and wild jasmine
Kutitap (Tagalog)
📖 the twinkle of lights or stars
🗣️ koo-tee-tap
🌠 like fireflies winking just for you
Lagom (Swedish)
📖 just the right amount, not too little, not too much
🗣️ lah-gohm
⚖️ life in balance, Swedish-style
Layogenic (Taglish)
📖 someone who looks good from far away, but not up close
🗣️ lay-yoh-jen-ik
🎭 Instagram vs. reality in a single word
La douleur exquise (French)
📖 the heart-wrenching pain of wanting someone you can’t have
🗣️ lah doo-leuhr ex-keez
💔 loving in silence, hurting in private
Lebensmüde (German)
📖 being weary of life; existential exhaustion
🗣️ lay-bens-moo-deh
🌫️ when your soul wants a pause, not an end
Lehitkalev (Hebrew)
📖 to experience something so deeply it hurts, often used for emotional overwhelm
🗣️ leh-hit-kah-lev
💔 when beauty or sorrow hits too hard and your heart forgets how to stay still
Leiliviskaja (Finnish)
📖 someone who dances lightly through life, like tossing petals
🗣️ lay-lee-vees-kah-yah
🌸 grace with a hint of giggle
L’esprit de l’escalier (French)
📖 the clever reply you think of too late
🗣️ leh-spree duh less-kal-yay
🌀 comebacks delivered… on the staircase down
L’appel du vide (French)
📖 the sudden urge to jump from a high place or do something reckless
🗣️ lah-pell doo veed
🌪️ not a wish to fall, just a whisper from the edge
Le Pays de Cocagne
📖 a mythical land of luxury and ease
🗣️ luh pay dee koh-kahn-yuh
🍇 where rivers run wine and naps are scheduled
Licnobio (Italian)
📖 someone who prefers to live alone, away from society
🗣️ leek-noh-bee-oh
🌾 solitude, not loneliness, peace with a door lock
Lieko (Slovak)
📖 a branch that bends gently without breaking
🗣️ lee-eh-koh
🌿 the quiet strength of the flexible
Litost (Czech)
📖 a state of deep emotional pain and helpless longing
🗣️ lee-tost
💧 a heartbreak too raw to translate
Livsnjutare (Swedish)
📖 someone who truly enjoys life in a deep, conscious, and often sensual way
🗣️ leevs-nyoo-tah-reh
🍷 the kind of soul who savors a sunset like a fine wine and makes life feel delicious
Loskop (Afrikaans)
📖 someone who’s scatterbrained or forgetful
🗣️ lohs-kop
🧠 head in the clouds, again
Luftmensch (Yiddish)
📖 someone with impractical dreams and little grounding
🗣️ looft-mensh
🎈 dreamer first, realist never
Madrugada (Spanish)
📖 the early hours before dawn
🗣️ mah-droo-gah-dah
🌌 the hush before sunrise, when night still lingers
Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan, Tierra del Fuego)
📖 a shared look between two people, both hoping the other will initiate
🗣️ ma-mee-hla-pee-na-ta-pie
👀 the silent “you go first” in love and everything else
Manja (Malay)
📖 behaving in an endearingly clingy, spoiled, or pampered way
🗣️ mahn-jah
🐾 like a kitten demanding cuddles on command
Marasim (Urdu)
📖 relations, ties, or bonds—often of a formal or emotional nature
🗣️ ma-ra-sim
🎐 the invisible threads that still pull at your heart, long after the story ends
Mencolek (Indonesian)
📖 the act of tapping someone lightly on the opposite shoulder to trick them
🗣️ men-cho-lek
😏 childhood mischief packed into one quick flick
Meraki (Greek)
📖 pouring your soul, creativity, or love into whatever you do
🗣️ meh-rah-kee
🎨 heart-in-everything energy
Merak (Serbian)
📖 the feeling of bliss from simple pleasures
🗣️ meh-rahk
🍵 quiet joy in a warm cup, cool breeze, or deep breath
Meriggiare (Italian)
📖 to rest at midday, usually in the shade
🗣️ meh-ree-jah-ray
🌞 the art of not moving when the sun’s bossy
Metanoia (Greek)
📖 the journey of changing one’s mind, heart, or way of life
🗣️ meh-tah-noy-ah
🔁 inner rerouting, soul’s version of a U-turn
Mít kliku (Czech)
📖 to be lucky or have unexpected good fortune
🗣️ meet klee-koo
🍀 stumbled into luck like it was looking for you
Mono no aware (Japanese)
📖 the bittersweet beauty of passing things
🗣️ moh-no no ah-wah-ray
🍂 beauty that aches because it doesn’t last
Mokita (Kivila, Papua New Guinea)
📖 a truth everyone knows but agrees not to talk about
🗣️ moh-kee-tah
🔇 the elephant everyone’s hugging silently
Moksh (Sanskrit)
📖 liberation from the cycle of birth and death; spiritual freedom
🗣️ mok-sh
🕊️ when the soul exhales, weightless, unbound, finally home
Mokhlesim (Persian)
📖 a sincere way of saying “I’m yours” or “I’m devoted to you”
🗣️ mokh-le-sim
🪶 not just loyalty, a quiet promise that you’re not alone
Mudita (Sanskrit)
📖 the deep joy felt in celebrating someone else’s happiness or success
🗣️ moo-dee-tah
💫 when your heart smiles because theirs is beaming too
Murr-ma (Indigenous Australian, Murrawarri)
📖 the sound of wind through the trees
🗣️ murr-mah
🌬️ nature whispering in leafy language
Mysa (Swedish)
📖 to be cozy, content, and enjoying the moment
🗣️ mee-sah
🕯️ candlelight, socks, and zero urgency
Nakakapagpabagabag (Tagalog)
📖 something that causes deep unease, restlessness, or anxiety
🗣️ na-ka-ka-pag-pa-ba-ga-bag
😵💫 the kind of word that feels like a tongue-twister and a heart-twister at once
Namaste (Hindi)
📖 a respectful greeting meaning ‘I bow to you’
🗣️ nah-mah-stay
🤝 when respect meets soul, in a single gesture
Natsukashii (Japanese)
📖 a gentle, nostalgic feeling triggered by a memory, sweet, wistful, and warmly familiar
🗣️ naht-soo-kah-shee
🌸 like hearing an old song that suddenly brings back a summer you thought you’d forgotten
Naz (Urdu/Persian)
📖 a tender kind of pride in being cherished; the sweet confidence of knowing you are loved
🗣️ naaz
💫 that quiet grace some people carry when they know they’re someone’s favorite human
Nefelibata (Portuguese)
📖 someone who lives in the clouds of their own imagination
🗣️ neh-feh-lee-bah-tah
☁️ head in the clouds, feet… who knows where
Nepakartojama (Lithuanian)
📖 something that cannot be repeated
🗣️ neh-pah-kar-toh-yah-mah
🕰️ once, and only once, and that’s what made it magic
Nervio (Spanish)
📖 an intense creative drive or emotional energy that fuels expression, especially in art or performance
🗣️ nair-vee-oh
⚡ it’s that electric spark behind passionate words, wild brushstrokes, or an unforgettable performance—it’s not nerves, it’s soul on fire
Nekama (Japanese Slang)
📖 a man who pretends to be a woman online
🗣️ neh-kah-mah
🎭 when your avatar tells a different story
Nunchi (Korean)
📖 the subtle art of gauging others’ emotions and reacting accordingly
🗣️ noon-chee
👁️🗨️ reading the room without a single word spoken
Odnoliub (Russian)
📖 someone who loves only one person in their entire life
🗣️ od-no-lyoob
💘 the heart that never wanders, even once
Ogooglebar (Swedish)
📖 something or someone that cannot be found through a Google search
🗣️ oh-goo-guhl-bar
🔍 a rare gem in a world that thinks everything is just one search awayfthal
Orka (Swedish)
📖 to have the energy or strength to do something
🗣️ or-kah
🔋 when your energy bar finally hits green again
Orsuli (Georgian)
📖 literally meaning “two-souled,” it’s the word used for a pregnant woman once the baby starts to kick
🗣️ or-soo-lee
🤰 carrying another heartbeat within your own; when life moves inside you and you feel it say hello for the first time
Ohrwurm (German)
📖 a song stuck in your head
🗣️ or-voorm
🎶 the tune that moved in rent-free and won’t leave
Oppholdsvær (Norwegian)
📖 dry weather during a period of rain
🗣️ op-polds-vair
🌦️ like the sky hit pause just for you
Papakata (Maori)
📖 a temporary shelter or tent
🗣️ pah-pah-kah-tah
⛺ when home is wherever your heart finds shade
Pana Po’o (Hawaiian)
📖 the act of scratching your head while trying to remember something
🗣️ pah-nah poh-oh
🤔 when your fingers search your scalp for answers
Parea (Greek)
📖 a group of close friends who gather purely for joy
🗣️ pah-ray-ah
🍷 the kind of people who make even silence feel festive
Pasan Zapra (Malay)
📖 a brief time taken to eat
🗣️ pee-san zah-prah
⏳ when a meal is more about the pause than the plate
Pelinti (Buli — Ghana)
📖 to move hot food around in your mouth
🗣️ peh-lin-tee
🔥 when your hunger outruns your caution
Pena ajena (Spanish)
📖 the embarrassment you feel for someone else
🗣️ peh-nah ah-heh-nah
😳 secondhand cringe that hits harder than your own
Philotimo (Greek)
📖 a deep sense of honor, duty, generosity, and doing what’s right even when no one’s watching
🗣️ fee-lo-TEE-mo
🔥 it’s the inner fire that makes you go the extra mile, just because your soul wouldn’t let you do any less
Piliriqatigiinniq (Inuktitut)
📖 the concept of working together for a common good, in harmony and with shared purpose
🗣️ pee-lee-ree-ga-tee-gin-nik
🤝 a beautiful reminder that true strength lies in unity, not ego
Poronkusema (Finnish)
📖 the distance a reindeer can travel before needing to pee
🗣️ poh-ron-koo-seh-mah
🦌 nature’s odd but oddly precise GPS
Pochemuchka (Russian)
📖 a person who asks too many questions
🗣️ poh-cheh-mooch-kah
❓ the curious cat that didn’t care about consequences
Prozvonit (Czech)
📖 to call someone and hang up before they answer, so they call back
🗣️ proz-vo-neet
📞 the art of the ‘missed call’ nudge
Pushpanjali (Sanskrit)
📖 an offering of flowers made with devotion, often in prayer or ritual
🗣️ push-pun-ja-lee
🌸 when flowers become more than petals, a gesture of love, surrender, and reverence
Querencia (Spanish)
📖 a place where you feel safe and your most authentic self
🗣️ keh-ren-see-ah
🏡 your soul’s favorite hideaway
Raconteur (French)
📖 a person who tells stories in an amusing or skillful way
🗣️ ra-kon-tur
🎙️ the kind of person who turns even a grocery run into an unforgettable tale
Radioukacz (Polish)
📖 underground radio operator during WWII
🗣️ rah-dyo-kahtch
📻 the brave whisperers behind enemy lines
Rame (Balinese)
📖 something that’s both chaotic and joyful at the same time
🗣️ rah-mey
🎭 the kind of beautiful mess where noise and emotion tangle into something oddly comforting
Rasa (Sanskrit)
📖 the essence or flavor of a feeling, art, or experience
🗣️ ruh-suh
🎨 when something moves you so deeply, it lingers like a taste you can’t describe
Rasāsvāda (Sanskrit)
📖 the taste of bliss in the absence of thought; aesthetic pleasure from pure experience
🗣️ ruh-saa-svaa-duh
🎴 when beauty pauses the mind and all that remains is the feeling itself
Rashk-e-Qamar (Urdu)
📖 someone so radiant, even the moon would feel envy
🗣️ rashk-e-ka-mar
🌙 when beauty makes you pause, like the night sky holding its breath
Rakuyou (Japanese)
📖 the gentle falling of autumn leaves
🗣️ rah-koo-yoh
🍁 when the wind writes poems in red and gold, and trees quietly let go
Razljubit (Russian)
📖 to stop loving someone you once did
🗣️ raz-loo-beet
💔 the quiet end of something once loud
Ré nao (Mandarin Chinese)
📖 the vibrant, buzzing atmosphere of lively places
🗣️ reh-now
🎉 the sound and soul of joy in the air
Resfeber (Swedish)
📖 the restless mix of travel nerves and excitement
🗣️ res-feh-ber
🧳 that flutter in your stomach before you board
Retrouvailles (French)
📖 the joy of reuniting after a long time
🗣️ reh-troo-vai
🤗 when time disappears in a hug
Rêveuse (French)
📖 a dreamy, contemplative woman
🗣️ reh-vuhz
🌙 the kind of soul who stargazes in daylight
Revontulet (Finnish)
📖 the northern lights; literally “fox fires” from ancient myth
🗣️ reh-von-too-leht
🦊 when the sky turns into a canvas of wild, dancing light, and you swear it’s magic above your head
Rimjhim (Hindi)
📖 the soft, rhythmic sound of light rain falling
🗣️ rim-jhim
🌧️ when the sky hums a lullaby and the earth leans in to listen
Ruhaniyat (Urdu/Arabic)
📖 the spiritual essence or soulful presence that transcends the physical
🗣️ roo-haani-yat
🕊️ like a silent glow that lingers long after the prayer has ended
Ruhe (German)
📖 a deep, gentle sense of calm, stillness, or inner quiet
🗣️ roo-uh
🌾 the kind of peace that feels like soft silence after chaos, like your soul finally exhaled
Sadiq (Arabic)
📖 a true, loyal, and honest friend, someone who speaks with sincerity and stands by you
🗣️ sah-deeq
🤝 the kind of friend whose presence feels like steady ground in shifting times
Safarnama (Urdu/Persian)
📖 a travelogue; a written account or memoir of a journey
🗣️ sa-far-naa-mah
🧭 when the road becomes ink and every mile turns into memory on paper
Şafak (Turkish)
📖 the soft glow of dawn just before sunrise
🗣️ shah-fahk
🌅 that quiet moment when the night exhales and the sky begins to blush
Sakinah (Arabic)
📖 a serene, peaceful tranquility that settles in your heart
🗣️ sa-kee-nah
🕊️ that quiet warmth you feel simply by being near someone deeply beloved
Samar (Arabic)
📖 the conversations that stretch into the night
🗣️ sah-mar
🌌 when words linger longer than the stars
Sanjeevani (Hindi)
📖 a mythical life-restoring herb, now used to describe anything that revives hope or life
🗣️ sun-jeev-nee
🌿 sometimes, it’s not medicine, it’s a moment, a memory, or a word that brings you back to life
Saudade (Portuguese)
📖 a deep, nostalgic longing for someone or something lost
🗣️ sow-dah-jee
🌊 the kind of missing that stays quiet but never leaves
Schadenfreude (German)
📖 the pleasure of seeing someone else’s misfortune
🗣️ shah-den-froy-duh
😈 when karma hits and you don’t even pretend not to enjoy it
Schilderwald (German)
📖 a forest of road signs, too many to make sense of
🗣️ shil-der-vald
🚧 the traffic version of total confusion
Schnapsidee (German)
📖 a ridiculous idea you only come up with when drunk
🗣️ shnaps-ee-day
🥴 genius at midnight, nonsense by morning
Schwellenangst (German)
📖 fear of crossing a threshold into something new
🗣️ shvell-en-angst
🚪 standing at the door of change, frozen by ‘what ifs’
Serein (French)
📖 fine rain falling from a clear sky
🗣️ seh-rain
🌧️ when the sky cries softly behind your back
Sehnsucht (German)
📖 an intense yearning for something undefined
🗣️ zane-zookt
🫧 like longing, but with a passport and no destination
Seigneur des terrasses (French)
📖 a man who always appears seated at café terraces
🗣️ sen-yer day te-rahss
☕ king of people-watching with espresso in hand
Seijaku (Japanese)
📖 tranquility amid chaos; a serene stillness that holds power
🗣️ say-jah-koo
🍃 the kind of silence that doesn’t scream but anchors you, deep, calm, unshakable
Sgrìob (Scottish Gaelic)
📖 the sudden urge to visit someone you haven’t seen in a while
🗣️ skree-ub
🚶♀️ when your feet remember someone your brain forgot
Shemomedjam (Georgian)
📖 to accidentally keep eating because it tastes so good
🗣️ sheh-moh-med-jam
🍽️ “I didn’t mean to finish the whole thing” energy
Shhouganai (Japanese)
📖 it cannot be helped
🗣️ shoh-gah-nai
🍃 surrendering to the uncontrollable with grace
Shinrabanshō (Japanese)
📖 all things in nature; the entire universe and everything it contains
🗣️ shin-rah-bahn-show
🌌 the way everything is connected, from falling leaves to distant stars
Shinrin-yoku (Japanese)
📖 forest bathing; immersing oneself in nature for relaxation and healing
🗣️ shin-rin yo-koo
🌲 breathing in the trees like they’ve got secrets only the still can hear
Shlimazl (Yiddish)
📖 a chronically unlucky person
🗣️ shlee-mah-zl
🪀 if it can go wrong, it already has to them
Shoshin (Japanese)
📖 a beginner’s mindset, full of openness and eagerness
🗣️ show-shin
🧠 when you know nothing and that’s your superpower
Sielunmaisema (Finnish)
📖 a landscape that perfectly mirrors your soul, your spiritual home in nature
🗣️ see-eh-loon-my-seh-mah
🌲 the view that feels like it remembers you, too
Sillage (French)
📖 the lingering scent someone leaves behind
🗣️ see-yazh
💐 a perfume trail that tugs at memory’s sleeve
Sirimiri (Spanish — Basque)
📖 a very light, fine drizzle
🗣️ see-ree-mee-ree
🌦️ like being kissed by a cloud too shy to pour
Sitzfleisch (German)
📖 the ability to sit through and finish something difficult
🗣️ sits-flysh
🪑 when sheer patience becomes a power move
Slampadato (Italian)
📖 someone addicted to tanning salons
🗣️ slam-pa-da-to
☀️ glows like toast, lives like summer
Smultronställe (Swedish)
📖 a hidden or cherished place that feels like your own personal paradise
🗣️ smool-tron-stel-leh
🍓 where your soul quietly smiles, even if no one else gets it
Sobremesa (Spanish)
📖 the time spent chatting at the table after a meal
🗣️ so-breh-meh-sah
🍷 where dessert is conversation and time forgets itself
Soare cu Dinti (Romanian)
📖 “the sun with teeth” — sun shining in bitter cold
🗣️ swah-ray koo deen-tsy
🧊 when the light lies and the wind bites
Sorridere (Italian)
📖 to smile
🗣️ sore-ree-day-ray
😊 a curve that brightens the room before words do
Soubrette (French)
📖 a lively, witty, and playful young woman, often used for a supporting female role in theatre or opera
🗣️ soo-bret
🎭 like the sparkle in a side character who secretly steals the show
Sprachgefühl (German)
📖 an intuitive feel for the natural flow and nuances of a language
🗣️ shprakh-guh-fühl
🧠 like having grammar in your bones without knowing the rules
Spregledati (Slovenian)
📖 to overlook someone intentionally
🗣️ spre-gleh-dah-tee
🫥 when your eyes skip them like a broken page
Sturmfrei (German)
📖 the exhilarating freedom of having the house to yourself
🗣️ shturm-fry
🎉 when the silence feels like a secret party with your soul
Sueños (Spanish)
📖 dreams: the visions, desires, or stories we live through while asleep or awake
🗣️ swey-nyos
💭 soft flickers of hope that visit us when the world is quiet
Suilk (Scottish Gaelic)
📖 the sulky, sullen mood after being scolded or upset
🗣️ soo-ilk
🌫️ when your silence sulks louder than words
Sujin (Korean)
📖 a name that also means ‘precious pearl’ or ‘exquisite truth’
🗣️ soo-jeen
💎 when a word carries the shimmer of meaning and identity
Szerelem (Hungarian)
📖 the deep, passionate kind of love that consumes you completely
🗣️ seh-reh-lehm
❤️🔥 the kind of love that feels like fire and poetry in equal measure
Taarradhin (Arabic)
📖 a mutual compromise where no one loses
🗣️ tah-ah-rah-deen
🤝 when peace feels like a warm handshake between hearts
Tammpó (Filipino — Tagalog)
📖 the act of sulking after a slight, often childlike
🗣️ tam-poh
😤 when you turn away… but hope they come after you
Tatemae and Honne (Japanese)
📖 public façade vs. true feelings
🗣️ tah-teh-my & hon-neh
🎭 the dance between what you show and what you feel
Taima (Japanese)
📖 a pause or break
🗣️ tie-mah
⏸️ that gentle exhale between rush and reason
Tartle (Scottish)
📖 the hesitation before introducing someone when you forget their name
🗣️ tar-tuhl
😅 when your brain hits snooze right in front of everyone
Tauschung (German)
📖 a deception or illusion; something that misleads the senses or mind
🗣️ tow-shoong
🫧 the kind of truth that feels like fog — there, then gone
Thalassophile (Greek)
📖 a person who deeply loves and feels drawn to the sea
🗣️ tha-las-so-phile
🌊 salt in the veins, peace in the waves, and a heart that drifts with the tides
Tidsoptimist (Swedish)
📖 someone who’s always late because they think they have more time than they do
🗣️ tids-op-tee-mist
⏰ living proof that optimism and clocks don’t get along
Tima (Icelandic)
📖 to be willing or able to spare something (like time or money)
🗣️ tee-mah
💸 when giving feels heavier than holding on
Tingo (Pascuense – Easter Island)
📖 the act of borrowing things from a friend’s house, one by one, until nothing’s left
🗣️ teen-go
👀 that “I just need this one last thing” friend we all know
Torschlusspanik (German)
📖 the panic of diminishing opportunities as one ages
🗣️ tohr-shloos-pah-nik
⏳ when the door feels like it’s closing… fast
Toska (Russian)
📖 a deep ache of the soul, a vague restlessness, longing, or sadness
🗣️ toss-kah
🌫️ like homesickness for something you’ve never known
Treppenwitz (German)
📖 a witty comeback you think of too late, once you’ve already left
🗣️ trep-en-vits
🎭 when your brain’s punchline misses its cue
Tretår (Swedish)
📖 a third cup of coffee
🗣️ tret-or
☕ because two just don’t cut it some mornings
Trepverter (Yiddish)
📖 clever remarks you think of after the moment has passed
🗣️ trep-ver-ter
💡 when brilliance shows up fashionably late
Trouvaille (French)
📖 a lucky find or unexpected discovery
🗣️ troo-vah-yuh
🍀 stumbling upon something wonderful you weren’t even looking for
Tsundoku (Japanese)
📖 buying books and letting them pile up unread
🗣️ tsoon-doh-koo
📚 a library of good intentions and hopeful spines
Tsutisopeli (Georgian)
📖 literally “a minute-long village”; a poetic way to describe how brief and fleeting life is
🗣️ tsoo-tee-so-peh-lee
⏳ life as a tiny village you pass through, short, quiet, unforgettable
Tutear (Spanish)
📖 to address someone informally using “tú” instead of the formal “usted”
🗣️ too-teh-ar
🤝 when a language says, “we’re friends now”
Uff da (Scandinavian, by way of Minnesotan culture)
📖 an exclamation for being overwhelmed, tired, or exasperated
🗣️ oof-dah
😮💨 when life hands you a lot and you sigh in fluent Norwegian
Ubuntu (Nguni Bantu — Xhosa and Zulu)
📖 “I am because we are” — the belief in a universal bond of sharing and humanity
🗣️ oo-boon-too
🤝 when you feel whole only when others are, too
Uitbuiken (Dutch)
📖 to relax and do nothing after eating a big meal, usually while letting your stomach settle
🗣️ out-boy-ken
🛋️ that glorious moment when you unbutton your jeans, sink into the couch and let the food coma take over like a warm hug from within
Uitwaaien (Dutch)
📖 to walk in the wind to clear your mind
🗣️ out-vah-en
🍃 when your thoughts scatter with the breeze and you finally feel light
Unagi (Japanese)
📖 freshwater eel often served grilled in Japanese cuisine but also used humorously in pop culture to mean a state of total awareness
🗣️ oo-nah-gee
🍣 Ross from Friends would say it’s a kind of sushi and a sixth sense, both slippery in their own way
Utepils (Norwegian)
📖 drinking a beer outside on the first warm day of the year
🗣️ oo-teh-pils
☀️ when the sun, a sip, and good company taste like celebration
Ukiyo (Japanese)
📖 the floating world; living in the moment, detached from the burdens of life
🗣️ oo-kee-yo
🌸 like drifting through a cherry blossom breeze, savoring beauty without holding on too tight
Vade mecum (Latin)
📖 a handbook or constant companion; “go with me”
🗣️ vah-day may-koom
📚 when a book becomes a travel buddy and a friend
Vacilando (Spanish)
📖 traveling with the awareness that the journey matters more than the destination
🗣️ vah-thee-lahn-doh
🚶 when wandering becomes your way of arriving
Vede (Italian)
📖 a poetic verb for “you see”, often used to begin reflections or musings
🗣️ veh-deh
👀 like opening a thought with your eyes before your mouth
Vedriti (Slovenian)
📖 to find shelter from the rain
🗣️ veh-dree-tee
🌧️ the comfort of a dry spot when life’s pouring down
Verschlimmbessern (German)
📖 to accidentally make something worse while trying to improve it
🗣️ fer-shlim-bes-ern
🤦♀️ when “just one tiny fix” turns into “why did I even touch it”
Viraha (Sanskrit)
📖 the realization of love through separation
🗣️ vee-rah-hah
💘 when distance makes the heart echo louder
Vobba or Vabba (Swedish)
📖 to stay home from work to care for a sick child
🗣️ voh-bah
🍼 those snuggly, sneezy days of parenting on pause…in Sweden, February even earned a nickname, Vabruary, because that’s when everyone’s home nursing colds and cuddles
Voorpret (Dutch)
📖 the joy of anticipation before something fun happens
🗣️ fohr-pret
🎈 when the countdown feels better than the event
Vorfreude (German)
📖 the joyful, intense anticipation that comes before a pleasant event
🗣️ for-froy-duh
🎈 that delicious buzz in your chest when something wonderful is almost here
Wabi-sabi (Japanese)
📖 the beauty of imperfection, impermanence, and the natural world
🗣️ wah-bee sah-bee
🍂 when the cracks and wrinkles become the most beautiful parts
Waldeinsamkeit (German)
📖 the feeling of solitude and connectedness one experiences when alone in the woods
🗣️ vald-ine-zahm-kite
🌲 when silence hums and the trees feel like old friends
Wanderlust (German)
📖 a deep, irresistible desire to travel and explore the world
🗣️ vahn-der-loost
✈️ when your soul feels itchy until it steps on unfamiliar ground again
Weichei (German)
📖 literally “soft egg” — slang for someone overly sensitive or weak
🗣️ vy-sh-eye
🥚 when your feelings wear pajamas all day
Wei Wu Wei (Chinese)
📖 action through inaction; doing by not doing
🗣️ way woo way
🪨 when stillness is the strongest move you make
Weltschmerz (German)
📖 a deep sadness about the imperfection of the world
🗣️ velt-shmertz
🌍 when you feel too much for everything, all at once
Ya’aburnee (Arabic)
📖 “you bury me”, a declaration of deep love, wishing to die before the one you love
🗣️ yaa-boor-nee
💔 loving someone so much, the world without them feels unbearable
Yakamoz (Turkish)
📖 the shimmering, moonlit reflection on the water’s surface
🗣️ yah-kah-moz
🌙 when the sea wears the moon like a secret smile
Yoko meshi (Japanese)
📖 the stress of speaking a foreign language
🗣️ yo-koh meh-shee
😰 when every sentence feels like a small performance
Yötön yö (Finnish)
📖 the nightless night; when the sun never sets during summer in the far north
🗣️ yer-ton yer
☀️ time blurs, sleep forgets you, and everything feels gently suspended in golden light
Yr (Welsh)
📖 a drizzle so fine it hangs in the air like mist
🗣️ eer
🌫️ like walking through a sigh
Yūgen (Japanese)
📖 a profound, mysterious sense of beauty in the universe
🗣️ yoo-gen
🌌 when the world moves you… and you don’t know why
Zapoi (Russian)
📖 a drunken binge lasting several days
🗣️ zah-poy
🥴 when your escape plan turns into a foggy few days
Zalatwic (Polish)
📖 to achieve something quickly and cleverly through unofficial means
🗣️ zah-lah-tveech
🕵️♂️ when you know a guy who knows a guy — and it gets done
Zhaghzhagh (Persian)
📖 the chattering of teeth from cold or rage
🗣️ zhaag-zhaag
🥶 when your body tells your feelings before your mouth can
Zloradstvovat (Russian)
📖 to take joy in another’s misfortune — like schadenfreude, but darker
🗣️ zloh-rad-stvo-vat
😈 when your smirk sneaks out before your sympathy arrives
That’s my little garden of words for now, picked with love, pressed between pages, and shared from the softest corners of my language-loving heart.
If one of these finds a home in you, let me know. I’d love to know your favorite. Drop it in the comments like you’d drop a secret.
And if you ever forget where to find them, pin them, save them, whisper them into your tea, whatever works.
I’m slowly building a whole library — Japanese, French, Portuguese, and more — one beautiful word at a time. So come back. Often. The words are waiting.
Words Too Beautiful to Forget (So Maybe Pin Them?)
