THE BEAUTY OF UNTRANSLATABLE WORDS is in their ability to capture the feelings and actions we don’t know how to put into words. Here, Anjana Iyer has illustrated 30 of them beautifully.

1

Pochemuchka (Russian)

2

Fernweh (German)

3

Aware (Japanese)

Intermission

4

Komorebi (Japanese)

5

Tingo (Pascuense)

6

Gökotta (Swedish)

7

Bakku-shan (Japanese)

Intermission

8

Backpfeifengesicht (German)

9

Tsundoku (Japanese)

10

Shlimazl (Yiddish)

11

Hanyauku (Rukwangali)

Intermission

12

Waldeinsamkeit (German)

13

Rire dans sa barbe (French)

14

Gattara (Italian)

15

Prozvonit (Czech)

16

Friolero (Spanish)

17

Iktsuarpok (Inuit)

18

Papakata (Cook Islands Maori)

19

Schilderwald (German)

20

Utepils (Norwegian)

21

Age-otori (Japanese)

22

Ilunga (Tshiluba)

23

Kyoikumama (Japanese)

24

Culaccino (Italian)

25

Mamihlapinatapei (Yagan)

26

Chai-Pani (Hindi)

27

Won (Korean)

28

Schadenfreude (German)

29

Wabi-Sabi (Japanese)

30

Tokka (Finnish)

Illustrations by Anjana Iyer.