Do you need words from another language to describe your experiences?

It is estimated that there are 171,146 words in the English language. Yet, there are still some words from some languages that cannot be translated. Think back to a time when you experienced difficulty in finding the exact right word to describe a feeling or situation. I have had this feeling before as well and it made me curious about words that are common in some languages and cannot be translated into English. 

Love

First, in English we have one word for love. However, in Spanish there are multiple words, each meaning a different level of intensity. In Spanish, to say one loves food or actions, you use encantar. When you love friends or family you can say te quiero, and when you are seriously in love with a significant other, Spanish speakers say te amo, and if you feel even more deeply in love you can say te adoro. 

I have heard from many people and in the media that falling in love is an indescribable feeling. It may be an indescribable feeling, but in Norwegian there is a word for that overwhelming euphoric feeling you experience when you fall in love with someone, forelsket. Continuing on with these happy feelings relating to love, there is a word in Tagalo, kilig, that means the rush you experience right after something good happens, particularly in love and dating. In English we do have the phrase “love at first sight,” but in Japanese there is a word, Koi No Yokan that means the sudden knowledge upon meeting someone that the two of you are destined to fall in love. 

Loss 

There are words for feeling in love that we do not have in English, but there are also untranslatable words for heartbreak. The feeling of intense longing for a person or place you love, but is now lost is described by the word saude in Portuguese. Portuguese artists have songs about this word to try to convey the feeling. This word reminds us of missing someone deeply. It is like a combination of homesickness, nostalgia and longing, which is a definition for the Welsh word, hiraeth. The emotional pain of being separated from a loved one is described as razbliuto in Russian. The feeling of joy of seeing someone after a long time in French is retrouvailles. These are two deep, beautiful feelings that cannot be translated easily to English. 

Nature

When I look at nature, I often feel awe and do not know how to describe what I am seeing. Some languages have made words specific to only nature. For example, the Japanese word komorebi translates to the sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees. Another word that paints a beautiful picture and appreciation for nature is the Swedish word mangata, which means the road-like reflection of the moon in the water. Have you ever dropped something in murky water and had to look with your feet instead of your eyes? This obscure action may seem not common enough to have its own word, but the Australian language Wagiman has the word murrma. Have you ever been alone in nature and you felt solitude and connected to nature? The German word waldeinsamkeit means exactly that. 

Before you get disappointed in the English language. The English language has words that cannot be translated to other languages. For example, serendipity and flabbergasted. The words we use impact the way we understand ourselves, relate to others and see the world. Based on the languages you speak, you can see the world differently. For example, the Swedish, like in English, refer to time as a line. In Greek, they refer to full instead of long. This seems like a small difference in words, but it impacts the way people perceive time. Knowing that there are words in other languages that we do not have in English allows me to understand my emotions better. I have found that it helps me explain what I felt I experienced. It shows me that although there may not be a word for it in English, that feeling of homesickness and nostalgia, or the intricacies of nature are not something only I am feeling and seeing. It makes me feel more connected to others and understood. It also pushes me to be aware that I am seeing the world from one, sometimes two, languages and there are many other languages and perspectives to be aware of.