THE BEAUTY OF UNTRANSLATABLE WORDS is in their ability to capture the feelings we don’t know how to put into words. And I’m so glad we don’t have English equivalents for these ones. If we did, illustrator Emma Block couldn’t have created these wonderful drawings.
Flechazo (Spanish)
An arrow shot—love at first sight. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Koi no yokan (Japanese)
When you meet someone and know you are destined to fall in love. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Mamihlapinatapei (Yaghan)
The shared look of desire between two people too shy to make the first move. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Iktsuarpok (Inuit)
The sense of anticipation as you wait for someone to visit. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Kilig (Tagalog)
The giddiness you feel when meeting your crush. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Firgun (Hebrew)
The simple, unselfish joy that something good has happened to someone else. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Manabamate (Rapa Nui)
Lack of appetite you suffer when falling in love. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Intermission
Viraha (Hindi)
The realisation of love through separation. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Retrouvailles (French)
The feeling of joy when you are reunited with a loved one after a long separation. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Forelsket (Danish)
The euphoria of falling in love. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Cheiro no cangote (Portugese)
To gently nuzzle your lover's neck with the tip of your nose. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Intermission
Oodal (Tamil)
The fake anger lovers display after a tiff. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Psithirisma (Greek)
The sound of wind whispering through the leaves. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Yuanfen (Chinese)
The force that brings us together. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Gezelligheid (Dutch)
The warmth of being with loved ones. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Hai shi shan meng (Chinese)
The promise of eternal love. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Hanyauku (Rukwangali)
To walk on tiptoes across the warm sand. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Odnoliub (Russian)
Someone that has only one love in their life. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Geborgenheit (German)
The feeling of safety that comes from being with loved ones. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Naz (Urdu)
The pride you feel from being loved. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Mo chuisle mo chroí (Gaelic)
The pulse of my heart. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Merak (Serbian)
A sense of oneness with the universe derived from the simplest of pleasures. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Onsra (Boro)
The bittersweet feeling that love won't last. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Dor (Romanian)
The sense of longing when separated from that which you love. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Cafuné (Portugese)
To run your fingers through a lover's hair. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Aay'han (Mandalorian)
A bittersweet moment of mourning and joy. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Cwtch (Welsh)
A hug—the safe place provided by a loved one. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Ya'Aburnee (Arabic)
You bury me—That to live on without a lover would be no life at all. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi
Zhi zi zhi shou, Yu zi xie lao (Chinese)
To hold hands and grow old together. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi