Has it ever happened to you that, speaking another language, you have missed one or more words without translation ? It has been shown that the language we speak is a reflection of the society in which we live and that, depending on the language you speak, you think and express yourself in one way or another.
Since all languages have some words without translation , precisely because they have the need to express something that for other cultures can even border on the absurd, today we are going on a trip with a dictionary as an airplane and a pencil and paper as hand luggage.
FOREST BATHS IN JAPAN
Although it is something that has been brought to Europe recently, forest bathing emerged in Japan and is a practice that consists of wrap yourself in the natural atmosphere of the forests and feel how it is improve your health and happiness.
Perhaps because of the importance that nature has for them is that there is the word komorebi , What does it mean “the light that filters through the leaves of the trees”.
'Komorebi' means "the light that filters through the leaves of the trees".
FINLAND AND SANTA'S REINDEERS
In finland there are about 300,000 reindeer, one for every 20 people approximately, and are used for grazing or trading, a right that anyone who lives there has.
Although it is not the country with the most animals of this species (its neighbor, Norway, is), they do have a word for the distance a reindeer can travel without resting: poronkusema. Could one of Santa's elves have invented it?
FALL IN LOVE WITH THE PHILIPPINES AND ITS PEOPLE
If you think knights-errant are a thing of the past, drop by Philippines , where love is still shown with serenades from the window, poems, flowers and parties in which your crush introduces you to all of her family and friends.
Is it precisely because of the intensity with which they live love that they use the word kilig to describe the feeling of having butterflies in the stomach?
DECORATE THE BOOKSTORES OF JAPAN
Decorate? Don't they read them? Curiously, Japan is one of the countries where people read the least. in the world, with an average of just 4 hours per week and person (Unfortunately, in Spain we are not much better, for the record).
With everything and with that, imagine how that has permeated popular culture referring to the word tsundoku when you buy a book, you don't read it and leave it stacked along with other unread books.
Don't do a tsundoku!
EATING FOR ANXIETY IN GERMANY
Depression is an illness that, unfortunately, more and more people are familiar with. Specifically, in the case of Europe, there are almost 6% of people with depression, being Germany in the top 3, after Iceland and Luxembourg.
It may be that this word has an origin prior to these figures, perhaps not, but kummerspeck refers to the weight we gain when we swallow our emotions (and, in many cases, we seek comfort in food). Literally means "bacon of sorrow".
HORROR STORIES IN MALAYSIA
If you were scared on Halloween, you can't imagine what Malaysian children must be going through when they talk about Pontianak, the vampire of a woman pregnant that she was murdered and hides in the banana trees. So it's no wonder they have a word to describe the time it takes to eat a banana: step on zapra.
And hurry up, because If you won't start hearing the baby cries and her mother will eat your stomach (I already promised you a story to keep you awake…).
A CUP OF STEAMING COFFEE IN SWEDEN
As it could not be less, the Nordic countries are, of all Europe, the biggest coffee drinkers, which Italy or which Italy?
Swedes consume 8.2 kg of coffee per person per year and is so ingrained in their culture that they practice the fika, what is he coffee break and a must stop at many Swedish companies.
Since they drink so much, they have words to count the cups of coffee: tar it's a cup, patår they are two and tretar they are three. Who gives more?
The Swedes do not forgive filka.
LIVING IN SOCIETY IN AFRICA
Ubuntu: I find my worth in you and you in me. A word that perfectly defines human kindness and how the societies of the vast majority of African countries are organized. For them, practice this South African philosophy of counting on others is what makes them live in So close and familiar societies.
In fact, did you know that in many african tribes Doesn't the word "orphan" exist? They are all part of the same and great family, regardless of who gave you life.
Maybe tomorrow you wake up wanting to use some of these words without translation, or maybe it just made you laugh to think about their existence, what is certain is that you are going to study Tagalog, Swedish or Malay (or not), now you are much closer to people who do speak it.