Eunoia

Words That Don't Translate

Eunoia was built in 24h by Steph. Search 700+ untranslatable words by 80+ languages and 60+ tags, or click refresh to see a new batch. Enjoy!


Word Definition Language Tags Audio
Arlésienne Used to describe people who are at the centre of a conversation/situation/problem but can’t be found anywhere French society interaction
Dapjeongneo Used when someone asks a question despite knowing the answer, expecting the listener to make a smart and studied guess Korean society interaction
Han Sorrow, regret, grief, resentment, "a dull ache of the soul", yet passive and not revenge seeking; waiting for the injustice to be righted Korean society persistence adverse
Ômä (өмә) Collective helping Bashkir society positive
Rabenmutter A bad mom ("raven mother") German family society adverse
Épater les bourgeois To shock the middle classes French society surprise extreme
Nito-onna A woman so dedicated to her career that she has no time to iron blouses, so dresses only in knitted tops. Japanese society work
Zeitgeist The "spirit of the time" is what's going on culturally, religiously, or intellectually during a certain period. German time society
Janteloven Jante’s law; a set of social codes or norms that emphasize the importance of collective success rather than individual Norwegian society positive interaction
Eomchina Contraction of the phrase "Mom's friend's son". Academically successful (and possibly wealthy) male student who is the target of envy among others Korean family society work
inssa Short word of insider = trendy people who catch up with the trends Korean society
Guān xì (關係) Cultivating relationships; reciprocal connections; networking; social karma. Chinese society friends
Gattara A woman catlover who feeds alley cats or spends time with domestic cats Italian life society
Hikikomori When a young person who is obsessed with TV, video games, and the internet, withdraws from society Japanese habits society
Qualunquismo Political apathy; people who really don’t care very much about politics and related issues in society Italian society
Gezelligheid Coziness, fun, the general togetherness that gives people a warm feeling. Dutch friends society positive
Greng-jai The feeling of not wanting to impose Thai feeling society
Riposo Rest, repose; a nap; cf. siesta. Italian event society
Hikikomori Reclusive adolescents or adults who withdraw from social life, often seeking extreme degrees of isolation and confinement Japanese society
Mambo Someone that still lives with their mother Swedish family persistence society
Nekama A man who pretends to be a woman on the internet Japanese society
Fremdschämen To be embarrassed by something somebody else did German society thinking adverse
Philotimo (φιλότιμο) The inner impulse to act well and in alignment with the moral virtues that represent one's own society and upbringing Greek society character family
Mumpsimus A traditional custom or notion adhered to although shown to be unreasonable. English society cultural
Sortable adj. Someone you can take out without fear of being embarrassed, usually used to refer to friends or family members. e.g. "Elle n'est pas sortable." French friends interaction society




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