15 Comments

gemütlich in German would probably be translated as 'cozy' but it means much more than that. The best analogue would be 'hygge' in Danish.

Expand full comment

That is so beautiful.

Expand full comment

Another German word would be Sehnsucht, usually translated as 'longing' or yearning' but as 'joy' by CS Lewis.

Expand full comment

I read about that one!

Expand full comment

Ps. Trying to think of a French word that would fit this category. Maybe éclat. We usually import whole phrases from French like à la mode, je ne sais quoi.

Expand full comment

I actually wrote something about it a while back, if you're interested: https://walrod.substack.com/p/kino-und-sensucht

Expand full comment

I certainly know those words. I will check out ASAP, thank you Robert!

Expand full comment

This is wonderful!!!

Expand full comment

Thank you for reading, dear Kristin!

Expand full comment

I love this ❤️ what a great idea for a post, and so inspiring!! Untranslatable words have always fascinated and inspired me ❤️

Expand full comment

Thank you so much for reading, Lola! Same with me. The world just opens up.

Expand full comment

Love this! What fun words and prompts. Thanks, Nadia!

Expand full comment

Thank you so much for reading, Kathy! The world of words is a riveting one, especially those that can't directly be translated.

Expand full comment

#10 Akihi - how perfectly perfect, there must be other versions - forgetting names the moment after they are mentioned... And I love the prompts, especially sobremesa, I must have a go at that one; and gökotta is almost a poem in itself. xo

Expand full comment

Hahaha. For sure! There's a word where you're trying to introduce someone to someone else but you forgot their name. It's tartle (Scottish). I know, sobremesa really heartened me. Words can say a lot about a culture and their way of life; it's enlightening and inspiring. Thank you for reading!

Expand full comment