We’ve all been there—tongue-tied in the middle of conversation, unable to find the exact word or phrase to describe what you saw or explain what you felt. Sure, you can trip over yourself and try to use clunky English words, but even then, it’s still not enough. For such a complex language (punctuation, words that look like they’re supposed to rhyme, odd plural forms of nouns—think “goose” to “geese”), English is seriously restrictive when it comes to expression. Sometimes you need to summarize how you’re feeling in one succinct word—you don’t have the time to utilize thousands of words to explain one thing.
If you would just expand your language bubble a bit, you’ll discover that there are tons of words in different languages that adequately explain the exact sentiment you’re feeling or the perfect adjective for what you’re viewing. Lucky you, you need not go any further than this article to learn about these 25 new words.
Please do not ask me how to pronounce these words.
1. Age-otori (Japanese): (adjective) to look worse after a haircut.
You all know the feeling. You walk into the salon with the intention of cutting those dead ends off and fix your dead hair only to leave the salon to cry for two hours alone in your car. So much for looking better post-salon.
2. Backpfeifengesicht (German): (noun) a face badly in need of a fist.
He or she just keeps talking and talking and talking while going nowhere. You have a headache and this guy or girl keeps running her mouth and bolstering his or her ego for no purpose whatsoever. You know what this person has? A backpfeifengesicht.
3. Gigil (Filipino): (noun) the urge to pinch or squeeze something that is unbearably cute.
Whether that be a dog, baby, etc., we’ve all been there. You’ve overwhelmed with gigil and you’re having a very difficult time trying to hold it together.
4. L’esprit de l’escalier (French): the act of thinking of a clever comeback when it is too late to deliver it.
You’ve been defeated in verbal battle. Five days later, you shoot up out of bed with the perfect comeback but the person is long gone. Damn.
5. Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan): (noun) a look between two people that suggests an unspoken, shared desire.
This is a case of “I hope you’re far braver than I am” in the awkward eye-contact battleground. Unfortunately, neither of you are brave to speak to each other and nooooow you’re both experiencing mamihlapinatapai.
6. Pena ajena (Mexican Spanish): the embarrassment you feel watching someone else’s humiliation.
When getting excessively itchy and fidgety isn’t something you would like to declare to those around you, you can claim that you’re feeling pena ajena instead. Now you sound intelligent, fluent in a foreign language and cooler than the general populace.
7. Pochemuchka (Russian): (noun) a person who asks a lot of questions.
Sitting in your 8a.m. is bad enough to begin with. But then you get mister bright-and-bubbly-sunshine-comes-out-of-my-a*s who is barraging your professor, who equally looks unimpressed, with unnecessary questions. Instead of calling him “a*shole,” try the far-kinder Russian word: pochemuchka.
8. Shemomedjamo (Georgian): (verb) to eat past the point of being full just because the food tastes good.
The perfect word for when you’re at Chipotle and gorging yourself on chips and guacamole way past the normal realms of human consumption.
9. Iktsuarpok (Inuit): (verb) to go outside to check if an expected visitor has arrived, over and over again.
Most of my friends are late to anything we plan, causing me to run up and down stairs and out the door to see if they’re in my driveway. They rarely are.
10. Pilkunnussija (Finnish): (noun) a person who believes it is their destiny to stamp out all spelling and punctuation mistakes at the cost of popularity, self-esteem and mental well-being.
Because “grammar nazi” is an offensive word, use pilkunnussija instead. Besides, “grammar nazi” absolutely does not convey the “destiny” the pilkunnussija must fulfill.
11. Shlimazl (Yiddish): (noun) somebody who has nothing but bad luck.
We all know a person who keeps being hit by wave upon wave of bad luck. You might even be that person. Sorry you’re such a shlimazl.
12. Sgiomlaireachd (Scottish Gaelic): (noun) when people interrupt you at meal time.
No, this is not a made up word and no, I did not bash my head on the keyboard for this entry.
All you want to do is sit down with your food and enjoy it in peace and quiet when some fool interrupts you during meal time. Unfortunately, you’ve become a victim of sgiomlaireachd.
13. Pelinti (Buli, Ghana): (verb) to move hot food around in your mouth.
You know when you’ve been craving pizza for seemingly years and all you want to do is stick that hot slice in your mouth, ignoring all warnings against doing so? You’re going to be engaging in some pelinti because you’re an impatient, hungry idiot. At least it’s a tasty pain.
14. Mencolek (Indonesian): (verb) tapping someone lightly on the opposite shoulder from behind to fool them.
Finally, a proper name for this timeless prank!
15. Zhaghzhagh (Persian): (noun) the chattering of teeth from cold or rage.
Saying zhaghzhagh is way more fun than saying “chattering.” What happens when you’re standing out in the cold and full of rage because you’re cold? Do you use the same word?
16. Seigneur-terraces (French): coffee shop dwellers who sit at tables for a long time but spend little money.
A word for all of those people crowding the tables at Starbucks with an empty, tall-sized plastic cup still in their hands for hours. You’re done drinking—get the f*ck up so I can sit down.
17. Pana po’o (Hawaiian): (verb) to scratch your head in order to help you remember something you’ve forgotten.
Because the mere “scratching” of your head doesn’t convey the exact reason why you’re scratching your head. The English verb does not convey the confusion found in pana po’o, and, quite frankly, pana po’o is more rhythmic and fun to say
18. Kaelling (Danish): (noun) a woman who stands around cursing at her children.
I used to work at a supermarket as a cashier and we had kaellings come in all the time. I’m not sure what kind of parenting style they were going for, but I’m sure it was the wrong one.
19. Boketto (Japanese): (verb) to gaze vacantly into the distance.
Now you have a word for when you’re in the middle of an idiotic conversation and pretending you’re in The Office.
20. Cavoli riscaldati (Italian): to attempt to revive an unworkable relationship—literal translation: “reheated cabbage.”
Some things are better left dead. If it didn’t work the first time—it’s likely to not work the second time around.
21. Rhwe (Tsonga): (verb) to sleep, not in a bed, while drunk and naked.
Did you mean, college?
22. Torschlusspanik (German): (noun) the fear of diminishing opportunities as one ages.
At age 20, I undergo torschlusspanik on a regular basis.
23. Wabi-sabi (Japanese): (noun) a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting the natural cycle of growth and decay.
When you’re feeling torschlusspanik, I guess it calls for a change of perspective via wabi-sabi.
24. Saudade (Portuguese): (noun) the feeling of longing for someone or something that you love which is lost.
There is not a human being on this Earth who hasn’t experienced saudade.
25. Yoko meshi (Japanese): (noun) the stress experienced when trying to speak a foreign language.
Remember the particular dread you felt in the pit of your stomach when your foreign language teacher or professor would call on you to speak in class? In that moment, you felt extreme yoko meshi. It didn’t stop there–you’re likely to experience yoko meshi again when using these new, foreign words and phrases.
[Lead image via]
