10 Untranslationable Japanese Words You Need to Know

In each language, you will find words and phrases that cannot be translated directly. One of the most interesting parts of language research is that when you discover unique descriptors and idioms that have emerged from very specific cultural phenomena, it does not exist in this case.

The Japanese are no different – borrowing from ancient history, modern trends, lang languages ​​and related daily habits to conceive specific words you don’t even know.

Towards

(adjective): Want to eat boring things

Towards Translated as “lonely mouth”. This concept comes from the feeling of wanting to eat – not because you’re hungry, but because you’re bored or just want to chew something. Kuchisabishii does not exist in the context of natural human responses, rather than a guilty self-destructive impulse.

Think about automatically grabbing some popcorn in the cinema. You may not eat from hunger, but you can still enjoy snacks while watching a movie. Or, when you open the refrigerator or pantry, just to see what you have to do, you have nothing to do. Sometimes, when our minds are blank, food is just the comfort we need.

Tsundoku

(noun): A bunch of books that are generated by excessive purchases

This is a great example of a very specific non-translational word. Tsundoku is a Portmanteau describing a large unread person literature. This word organize Can be used as a verb to indicate “reading”, and TSUN Originated from Tsumbuthe word “stacked”.

Book collectors can certainly be associated with the feeling of an ever-expanding “reading” list, resulting in an exponentially growing book stack. Just make sure the books are actually catching dust through the queue instead of on the bookshelf.

Anmarillo

(noun): A curl-cold cat

Anmarillo is a creative combination of ammonia – cephalopods from the shells of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods – Nean – Japanese onomatopoeia for cats’ “meow”. Kittens are named after these prehistoric fossils because their tightly curled sleeping posture matches the amino group.

Although shell creatures have long been extinct, you can still find them encapsulated in marble Nihombashi Mitsukoshi There are several ammonia on the department store, walls and stairs. Information plaques mark fossils, making it easy to find specimens in marble buildings in department stores.

Komorebi

(noun): Light through the leaves

Direct translation, Komorebi It means “the sun escapes the trees.” Komorebi describes the ethereality that shines peacefully among the leaves of the waving trees.

This is filtered light that can gently spotlight in the surroundings. Komorebi is a simple proof of nature’s tender beauty.

Betsubara

(noun): The second stomach is reserved for candy

Betsubara Consisting of words Betsu (alone) and The only one (Stomach). When a stomach is filled with food, you can always use a “independent stomach” to accommodate desserts. In English, the closest translation is “There is always room for dessert.”

While usually retaining a separate stomach can be used for sweets, the term can also be used for the rise of other post-meal foods. It is conceivable that a fresh aroma can complete a satisfying meal and still have appetite Octopus Palace or Karachi Swirling on the street.

irusu

(verb): Pretend not to go home

Introverts have certainly executed irusu I don’t know that there is a word for their behavior. Irusu described someone actively pretending to be out of the house when the lawyer is at the door. A person may use their invisibility Ninja To be convincingly “unusable”, skills that can make the toes kick out the door or be completely silent.

Whether your Japanese aren’t enough to have a conversation or you don’t want to be interrupted at all, Irusu can help you avoid opening the doors of strangers.

Shinrinyoku

(noun): Forest bathing

Shirinyoku Use natural tranquility of nature as a form of therapeutic therapy. The word appeared around the 1980s and is a form of exercise for physical and mental health through “bathing” of green plants. Escape from the quiet forest, you can appear in your own mind, accompanied only by soft birds and rustling branches, providing a kind of “ecological protest” for stress and burnout.

About 60 kinds of forests in Japan have been officially certified as forest treatment attractions Forest Therapy Association. Hiking or cycling through these gorgeous landscapes is a reminder and instill balance in your own life. Take some time to breathe and meditate.

paint

(noun): A state of happiness after a sauna or hot spring

paint Describes the joy of Onsen after immersion Or sit in the sauna.

Scientifically, the “Totonou” state can be achieved through high heat, cold water and circulation of exposure to fresh air. Research shows that this repetitive cycle helps people relax and find psychological clarity.

In 2011, Katsuki Tanaka published a book called Sadotransformed into the “Sauna Road”. The novel experiences the author’s growing sauna addiction as he struggles to win Totonou State. SadoThe 2016 comics and the 2021 TV series have also developed into a comic.

Batankyu

(noun): Onomatopoeia is so tired

Japanese makes good use of onomatopoeia of various needs. Batankyu Combining two: Young A sound of “dragging” when throwing yourself onto the bed, then Kyu Evokes the rest of the moment you fall asleep immediately.

Executing a batankyu shows extreme fatigue, as if you are running on the last 1% power of the human battery. Is it better to end a long day by letting gravity drop to a fluffy bedspread?

Nurumayu

(noun): complacent

Literally speaking Nurumayu It means “frosty water”. Not too cold, not too hot. Philosophically, Nurumayu is used to describe a person who becomes too comfortable – complacent in relatively favorable situations.

This is manifested by people who don’t risk falling into worse states. They become so comfortable with their position that they are stuck and submerged in a warm environment.

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