Learning a new language expands one’s perspective of the world. Some words don’t have direct translations
to other languages, though they carry a precise meaning in their culture.

Which words would you use to describe such pictures?

Hand over a kid’s head with affection

Cafuné

Portuguese

The act of tenderly running your fingers through someone’s hair in a loving way.



Pile of family photos

Saudade

Portuguese

Melancholic-nostalgic memories and longing for a place, a person or an experience that is far away or far in the past.
A mixture of nostalgic feelings - sadness, melancholy and a little joy.



Kid looking at the rainy window

Koekeloeren

Dutch

Looking at sowhere because of boredom, when you have nothing else to do.



Person asleep on top of the food

Abbiocco

Italian

It describes the drowsiness or ‘carb coma’ you feel following having eaten a big meal.

Someone writting an exam while with a small paper hidden on their hand

Kombinować

Polish

To act in order to gain something, it may require cheating or tricking someone. When someone manages to do something easier than it may have been.



Plate of food

PF (Prato Feito)

Portuguese

A Brazilian Portuguese expression and its literal translation would be "a ready-made dish". It is usually found in restaurants or bars, in a more affordable price. In general, a PF is made up of rice, beans, meat, French fries or salad, a very typical Brazilian dish. At lunchtime, it is common to hear Brazilians asking: "I'm hungry for real food! I want a PF"



Woman walking in a park

Uitwaaien

Dutch

To take a walk in windy weather, particularly into nature or a park, in order to refresh and clear one’s mind - usually after a busy day.



Scrapping the sauce on the plate with a bread slice

Farre la Scarpetta

Italian

To finish up the contents of your plate, especially the sauce, with a piece of bread.


People walking on a city center

Flâneur

French

Flâner is a verb meaning ‘to stroll’ but a flâneur is a person who enjoys wandering the streets and appreciating the beauty from the city and its surroundings.
The term comes from the 19th century to describe a man of a certain social class, who would spend his time exploring the streets of Paris.



Two women chatting while sitting at a restaurant table

Sobremesa

Natafelen

Spanish and Dutch

The time spent after the meal is finished but you continue sitting at the table chatting and enjoy each other’s company, usually with some drink like coffee.



Woman setting up a dinning table

Voorpret

Dutch

The joy and pleasure you feel ahead of the actual event. Such as setting up for a party and enjoying the anticipation.



Girls singing with a microphone

Yaourt

French

The need to sing along to a song even though you don’t know the lyrics.
Instead, you use nonsensical noises that vaguely resemble the lyrics of a song.


Woman taking care of cats at the street

Gattara

Italian

A woman devoted to caring for and feeding stray or domestic cats. A more extreme version of a cat lover.



Exemple of a Jitanjáfora Poem from Mariano Brull

Jitanjáfora

Spanish

A literary construction from invented words or expressions without a meaning. The emphasis lies on the sonority of the whole composition, giving an understanding to the text.



Man with yellow coat walking on the forest in autumn

Psithurism

Griechisch

Psithurism is the rustling sound of leaves in the wind. It comes from the Greek psithuros, meaning ‘whispering, slanderous.’


Sound of leaves falling the wind


Two PVC pipes being glued together

Gambiarra

Portuguese

Improvised methods/solutions to solve a problem, using a lot of imagination and the resources avaible. Keeping the functionality and not worrying with the aesthetics.






Reach out if you´d like to add another word or expression!