Merriam-Webster Asked People to Name the Best Words That Can’t Be Translated into English
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary has around 470,000 words in it, and there’s STILL not a word for everything. So this was a fun idea . . .
On Tuesday, their official Twitter account asked people from other countries to name their favorite word we DON’T have a word for in English. Here are a few of the best ones . . .
1. Sobremesa. (so-breh-MEH-sah) Spanish for “that chill time around the table” after dinner, when you’re just chatting and hanging out.
2. Tsundoku. (soon-DOE-koo) A Japanese word for when you buy a lot of books and let them pile up, but don’t actually read them.
3. Kilig. (key-LEEG) It’s a word used in the Philippines. It means the rush or joy you feel after seeing or experiencing something romantic. (The language is Tagalog . . . pronounced tuh-GAH-lug.)
4. Gigil. (GIH-gill) Another word used in the Philippines. It means something is overwhelmingly cute . . . so cute, you might feel the urge to squeeze or eat it.
5. Uitwaaien. (OUT-vine) A Dutch word for walking or exercising on a windy day, especially to relax or help center yourself.
6. Vorfreude. (for-FROY-duh) A German word that’s sort of like “pre-joy.” It’s when you’re thinking about something in the future, and it makes you really happy.
7. Kabelsalat. (KAH-bul-zuhl-aht) Another German word that literally means “cable salad.” It’s when you’ve got a bunch of wires twisted up and have to untangle them.
8. Bàofùxìng áoyè. (bau-FOO-sing au-yeh) It means “revenge bedtime procrastination” in Chinese. It’s when you stay up late because you didn’t get enough time to yourself all day.
9. Kalsarikännit. (KAHL-suh-rih-cah-nit) A Finnish word that means “pants-drunk,” or drinking at home in your underwear with no plans to go out.
10. Kuchisabishii. (koo-shee-shah-BEE-shee) A Japanese word that literally means “lonely mouth.” It’s when you’re not hungry, but you eat because you’re bored.
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