12 Untranslatable English Words You Should Learn

The English language is vast and, to a considerable extent, all-encompassing. Hence, many languages take their words for English and modify them to suit the context or leave them the same. This is one thing that makes English stand as a universal language. Often, we can translate English words directly into any other language, i.e., there is always a word that means the same in English as in another language. But this doesn’t always hold water, as there are exceptions, especially in English, and one that will be our focus here is the untranslatable English words.

We can’t deny how essential language translations are, especially if we consider every language having its own unique semantics. The place of English as a universal language is that we can always go back to find expressions related to what is being communicated. As an English learner, whether you are learning a foreign language, you need to understand the untranslatable words and how they are used to polish up your English speaking skills or translate them.

In this blog, we will look at some common and uncommon untranslatable English words, what they mean, and how they are used in English.

What are English words that can’t be translated?

Untranslatable words only find their direct meaning within the English language. They have no equivalent in other languages. They come as a single word in English, but not when you try to translate them into French, Spanish, or any other language. In translating untranslatable words, there is a need to use a sentence or phrase before the message can be passed across. Sometimes, other languages must use a closely related word that is not precise in meaning.

But why do we need these English words that don’t translate? The simple answer is in expression. Even though there is no direct translation of these words in other languages, their impact is felt when appropriately used in English. What are these words? How do they impact grammar, and what do they mean? You can find out about it all here, so keep reading.

12 English words without translation

As previously stated, untranslatable words are words that don’t have a direct meaning in other languages. They can’t be expressed as straightforwardly as they appear or used in English. When these English words that cannot be translated undergo translation, the meaning does not change; that’s the beautiful part. Most of the time, the only difference between the words from one language to the next is simply how they are spoken and the expressions used.

What are these words? Without any further ado, here are some English words that cannot be translated.

Serendipity

Meaning: The dictionary meaning of serendipity is good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries. A more wholesome and accepted meaning of the word reads “finding beauty or good things in the most unexpected places or where you pay the slightest attention.” Serendipity can be found in any situation, whether in work, romantic relationships, movies, or literature. Whenever you think of the unexpected good that could happen, serendipity should come to mind.

Origin: The origin of the word comes from a Persian fairytale, The Three Princes of Serendip, coined by Horace Walpole in 1754. In the fairytale, the three princes/heroes always discover things they are not in search of by accident.

Cultural significance: Serendipity gives English speakers an expression of somewhat surreal situations where we find good things without looking. To put it relatively simply, serendipity is a crucial disposition of humans in the process of discovery.

Saudade

Meaning: Saudade is a sad state of intense longing for something or someone that isn’t present. This feeling is often portrayed in literature and music, giving the readers and listeners a melancholic longing.

This feeling is expressed chiefly for a lost or absent love. The reminiscing of experiences, places, and feelings delivers a dopamine rush.

Origin: The origin of saudade is not precisely clear. Some say the word originated during the Great Portuguese Discoveries. Back then, it was used to express the sadness felt when loved ones departed on journeys to unknown places, suffered shipwrecks, died in battle, or left and never returned.

Cultural significance: Saudade expresses deep loneliness and sometimes happiness, making translating it into a single word difficult.

Facepalm

Meaning: This word is quite expressive and literal. It is the physical gesture where we put our hand to our face, covering the forehead and the eyes. This is done in an expression of disappointment, dismay, embarrassment, and sometimes frustration.

Origin: The earliest use of facepalm can be traced to the 1990s when it was first used as a slang to express embarrassment or dismay in a person or situation.

Cultural significance: Facepalm is as expressive as the word. It is one word that you could act out without even saying it, and the meaning is already communicated.

Petrichor

Meaning: Petrichor is a pleasant earthy odor linked to rainfall. The smell is more pungent when it rains after warmth and dryness. Describing this in one word in any other language isn’t exactly possible.

Origin: The word petrichor originates from the Greek words “petra,” which means stone, and “ichor,” which means the golden fluid that flows in the immortal’s veins, instead of blood from Greek mythology.

Cultural significance: For a long time, the scent that the earth gives when it rains has found its way into artistic expressions, not just science, from writers, painters, and poets using petrichor to nudge their audience into nostalgia and an ethereal feeling.

Wanderlust

Meaning: This is a person’s ever-present urge or desire to travel. The extent of the trip doesn’t matter as you could want to travel to the next state or country. This feeling is what is termed as wanderlust.

Origin: Wanderlust comes from two German words—wandern, which means “to hike,” and lust, meaning “desire.” So it means enjoyment or desire for walking; now, we keep it as a desire to travel.

Cultural Significance: Though wanderlust was originally German, English has now adopted it into their vocabulary. Its use was first documented in English in 1902 as an observation of the German inclination to wander around in search of union with nature.

Limerence

Meaning: Limerence can be likened to a crush. It is an intense romantic longing or affection for a person without these feelings necessarily being reciprocated. Limerence may very well be one-sided with the other person not sharing the same feelings of affection or even being aware of their existence.

Origin: Limerence is a state of obsession or infatuation with someone coined by psychologist Dorothy Tennov in 1970. Its roots are Latin from the word “limerentia,” which means “to be lovesick.”

Cultural significance: Limerence does an excellent job of bringing together words like infatuation, fantasies, a sense of euphoria for the person, as well as emotional dependency, desire, and longing to be with them in a certain way. Instead of using many words to describe the affections felt, we can say Limerence.

Mellifluous

Meaning: The word mellifluous is associated with a person’s voice and how pleasing it is to the ears. Mellifluous is synonymous with melodic, sweet-toned, or soothing to the ears.

Origin: Mellifluous comes from the 15th-century Latin words “Mel,” which meant honey, and “Fluere,” which means “to flow.”

Cultural significance: The word’s literal meaning says “to flow as if with honey,” but now it refers to a person’s voice and how sweet it sounds. In the Middle English period, Mellifluous came into the limelight as an adjective around 1150-1500.

Sonder

Meaning: Sonder in French means to probe and has a related meaning in English. To sonder means to realize that every other person or a random passerby is living a life as real and as complex as your own.

Origin: The origin of Sonder is quite unclear. Some would say it is a German word, but it isn’t. The language actually inspires it. The origin of America as sonder was coined by the author and neologist John Koenig in 2012. It was first used in his project “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.”

Cultural significance: Sonder was born out of a project to create new words for emotions that currently have no words of expression. So, if you are ever thinking about the lives of random people, “sonder” is the emotion you feel.

Cheesy

Meaning: This is mostly used in a romantic setting when one party says something that is not good enough and lacks creativity, but it is still funny and, in a way, quite embarrassing. This can be observed in intimate relationships of any form. It could also mean cheap, unpleasant, and ignorant, depending on context.

Origin: The word “cheesy” comes from the 1800s university student slang in the United States. It meant the subject was an ignorant, stupid person. But over the years, cheesy has come to mean different things depending on the context.

Cultural significance: This word is quite contextual and can be used in many ways. For example, the original meaning of cheesy was something inferior or someone considered stupid. But cheesy becomes a way to describe overly romantic situations in the context of affection.

Jinx

Meaning: Jinx is associated with ill luck; you may have heard or read this in English literature. The definition of jinx is a person or thing that brings bad luck to those around it.

Origin: The origin of the jinx has roots in witchcraft. The word was coined in the 20th century in the United States as a variant of jynx, which means “a spell.” We say the jinx has roots in witchcraft because it was first called wryneck—a bird used in the practice.

Cultural significance: It is one of the most common ways to refer to ill fates and bad luck. It makes the expression concise and delivers the intended message without mincing words.

Awkward

Meaning: Awkward is a very popular English word that refers to a situation of great difficulty. It also infers a state of unease, inconvenience, and embarrassment.

Origin: The origin of awkward is very much English. It was coined in the late Middle English times and made to indicate the situations in the wrong way round, upside down with—Awk—backward, clumsy, and ward—the wrong way round.

Pimp

Meaning: This is a very common word in English, and it usually refers to a man who connects prostitutes to their clients and takes a larger part of the money they are paid. It also means a man that can easily attract any woman. A third meaning would refer to a man who dresses in a flashy manner. This, too, is usually to attract attention and advertise his services to link men to prostitutes.

Origin: The origin of the word is not clear. It is rumored to have come from the 16th-century French word “pimper.” But it first appeared in English in 1607 in a Thomas Middleton play called “Your Five Gallants.”

Cultural significance: Pimps procure prostitution services for interested clients. The cultural significance of this is simply the exploitation of women and children.

How to learn untranslatable words in English

Untranslatable words may seem unnecessary, but they are essential in the culture of every language. They are designed to be untranslatable as they only show the needed effect in the original language.

However, when there is a need to translate untranslatable words in English to other languages, there is a system to it. The major step is something called “Circumlocution.” This is the process of translating the untranslatable word by using a longer and more descriptive expression in the language you want to translate to. This focuses on the meaning and context of the expression in English. You can also make use of comparisons, examples, and analogies.

Want to be in trend and stay up to date with untranslatable words? With LiveXP, you have access to the best language tutors, features to track your progress, and even keep track of your lesson notes. The best way to learn to use these unique words is to practice them with a native English-speaking tutor in private lessons. On LiveXP, you are paired with tutors who share your interests to make the learning more seamless.

How can you learn English words that can’t be translated? Research and practice. Read more, subscribe to English-speaking channels on social media, and practice with native speakers to use untranslatable words in real life. You also have access to the Word Trainer feature to memorize new words from your smartphone. You will learn them with a spaced repetition algorithm to ensure the most effective memorization process.

Conclusion

English words with no translation are an exciting topic in the language. They may not be used daily, but when the need comes up, having these words in your arsenal is essential. Just as there are Words that only exist in English, this phenomenon also exists in every other language in the world. Are you learning a new language, and do you come across untranslatable words? The best tip is to take it slow and steady, research, and discover the meanings of the words.