This post showed up on my Facebook timeline today, and I loved it:
http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/say-what-11-untranslatable-words-from-other-cultures-infographic
Incidentally, the Swedish word on that list is one I'd never heard before. But this inspired me to make a list of my favorite Swedish words that you can't translate. All of these words are words that Mr. E and I use all the time at home, where we speak English. They are awesome words.
Orka (OR-CAH, like the whale)- v., you just don't have the energy to do something. Example: "I know I should go to the gym but I'm too tired. I don't orka." (Correct Swedish usage: Jag orkar inte)
Jobbig (YOBE-igg) - adj., annoying, difficult, a PITA, irritating, troublesome. A general word that can mean one or all of those things. A person, task, or situation can be jobbig. Example: "She is so jobbig, I just can't deal with her" or "I hate having to call the cable company and get put on hold for half an hour, it's so jobbig."
Mysig (MEES-igg) - adj., a state of being cozy, warm, and comfortable. In contrast to English, a place, as well as a person, can be/feel mysig. "Example: Ohh, it's so mysig in here with all these blankets and candles." It can also be used as a verb, mysa, which is the act of being mysig, usually involving a couch, a blanket, and a significant other.
Hinna (HINN-AH) - v., To have the time for, or to be on time for. It's a good word, and to say the same thing in English you have to use a lot more words. Example: "Sorry I didn't finish the dishes, I just didn't hinna" or "You better leave now or you won't hinna."
Lagom (log-ohm) - I'm not even sure what part of speech this is. It's just a term. It means not too much, not too little, but juuuust right, as Goldilocks would say. Example: "How much much cake do you want? I dunno, lagom" (Obviously, the answer to "how much cake do you want" is not "lagom", it's "a lot", but it was just an example.)
Fan (Fahn) - this is just a curse word that's fun to say. I'd say it's the equivalent of "shit" in English. Cursing in another language is really fun because it doesn't really feel like cursing.
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On another note, here are a few Swedish words that crack me up to this day (pronounced phonetically unless otherwise indicated):
Kock - cook
Sex - six (it also means sex)
Slut (sloot) - end
Fart - speed
Infart - Entrance (like to a parking lot)
Utfart - Exit (like from a parking lot)
....are you laughing yet?
Farthinder (fart hinder) - speedbump
The signs are the best:
Kitt (shit) - caulk
Facket (focket) - union
Aaaaand my favorite of all time:
Byggnadsfacket (big nads focket) - construction workers' union. Gets.me.every.time.
Bonus: kackerlacka (cocker locka)- cockroach (just fun to say!)
http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/say-what-11-untranslatable-words-from-other-cultures-infographic
Incidentally, the Swedish word on that list is one I'd never heard before. But this inspired me to make a list of my favorite Swedish words that you can't translate. All of these words are words that Mr. E and I use all the time at home, where we speak English. They are awesome words.
Orka (OR-CAH, like the whale)- v., you just don't have the energy to do something. Example: "I know I should go to the gym but I'm too tired. I don't orka." (Correct Swedish usage: Jag orkar inte)
Jobbig (YOBE-igg) - adj., annoying, difficult, a PITA, irritating, troublesome. A general word that can mean one or all of those things. A person, task, or situation can be jobbig. Example: "She is so jobbig, I just can't deal with her" or "I hate having to call the cable company and get put on hold for half an hour, it's so jobbig."
Mysig (MEES-igg) - adj., a state of being cozy, warm, and comfortable. In contrast to English, a place, as well as a person, can be/feel mysig. "Example: Ohh, it's so mysig in here with all these blankets and candles." It can also be used as a verb, mysa, which is the act of being mysig, usually involving a couch, a blanket, and a significant other.
Hinna (HINN-AH) - v., To have the time for, or to be on time for. It's a good word, and to say the same thing in English you have to use a lot more words. Example: "Sorry I didn't finish the dishes, I just didn't hinna" or "You better leave now or you won't hinna."
Lagom (log-ohm) - I'm not even sure what part of speech this is. It's just a term. It means not too much, not too little, but juuuust right, as Goldilocks would say. Example: "How much much cake do you want? I dunno, lagom" (Obviously, the answer to "how much cake do you want" is not "lagom", it's "a lot", but it was just an example.)
Fan (Fahn) - this is just a curse word that's fun to say. I'd say it's the equivalent of "shit" in English. Cursing in another language is really fun because it doesn't really feel like cursing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On another note, here are a few Swedish words that crack me up to this day (pronounced phonetically unless otherwise indicated):
Kock - cook
Sex - six (it also means sex)
Slut (sloot) - end
Fart - speed
Infart - Entrance (like to a parking lot)
Utfart - Exit (like from a parking lot)
....are you laughing yet?
Farthinder (fart hinder) - speedbump
The signs are the best:
Kitt (shit) - caulk
Facket (focket) - union
Aaaaand my favorite of all time:
Byggnadsfacket (big nads focket) - construction workers' union. Gets.me.every.time.
Bonus: kackerlacka (cocker locka)- cockroach (just fun to say!)
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