29 untranslatable words that describe love perfectly

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 for Vashi.

1

Flechazo (Spanish)

An arrow shot—love at first sight. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

2

Koi no yokan (Japanese)

When you meet someone and know you are destined to fall in love. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

3

Mamihlapinatapei (Yaghan)

The shared look of desire between two people too shy to make the first move. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

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4

Iktsuarpok (Inuit)

The sense of anticipation as you wait for someone to visit. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

5

Kilig (Tagalog)

The giddiness you feel when meeting your crush. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

6

Firgun (Hebrew)

The simple, unselfish joy that something good has happened to someone else. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

7

Manabamate (Rapa Nui)

Lack of appetite you suffer when falling in love. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

8

Viraha (Hindi)

The realisation of love through separation. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

9

Retrouvailles (French)

The feeling of joy when you are reunited with a loved one after a long separation. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

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10

Forelsket (Danish)

The euphoria of falling in love. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

11

Cheiro no cangote (Portugese)

To gently nuzzle your lover's neck with the tip of your nose. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

12

Oodal (Tamil)

The fake anger lovers display after a tiff. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

13

Psithirisma (Greek)

The sound of wind whispering through the leaves. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

14

Yuanfen (Chinese)

The force that brings us together. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

15

Gezelligheid (Dutch)

The warmth of being with loved ones. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

16

Hai shi shan meng (Chinese)

The promise of eternal love. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

17

Hanyauku (Rukwangali)

To walk on tiptoes across the warm sand. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

18

Odnoliub (Russian)

Someone that has only one love in their life. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

19

Geborgenheit (German)

The feeling of safety that comes from being with loved ones. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

20

Naz (Urdu)

The pride you feel from being loved. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

21

Mo chuisle mo chroí (Gaelic)

The pulse of my heart. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

22

Merak (Serbian)

A sense of oneness with the universe derived from the simplest of pleasures. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

23

Onsra (Boro)

The bittersweet feeling that love won't last. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

24

Dor (Romanian)

The sense of longing when separated from that which you love. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

25

Cafuné (Portugese)

To run your fingers through a lover's hair. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

26

Aay'han (Mandalorian)

A bittersweet moment of mourning and joy. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

27

Cwtch (Welsh)

A hug—the safe place provided by a loved one. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

28

Ya'Aburnee (Arabic)

You bury me—That to live on without a lover would be no life at all. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

29

Zhi zi zhi shou, Yu zi xie lao (Chinese)

To hold hands and grow old together. Illustration: Emma Block / Vashi

h/t Mashable

To see more of Emma Block’s illustrations, visit her website. Learn more about Vashi’s series, More than just a word: Untranslatable words of love from around the world, here.