While how a language expresses emotions is largely culture-specific, some words express specific emotions that we all understand. And they don’t exist in English.
Gigil (Tagalog)
This word captures a visceral, present-moment reaction to something overwhelmingly adorable. It describes that intense, almost aggressive urge to squeeze, pinch, or bite something adorable. The chubby-cheeked baby, a fluffy puppy, or a cute slime toy (which is supposed to be squeezed, for sure), and that “aww…” feeling. It is the “cute aggression” in psychology, describing a temporarily crosses wires with physical tension.
Viraha (Sanskrit)
Have you ever felt more attracted to someone once you put distance between you? Literally meaning longing and separation, this word means the feelings get spiritually intensified because of the absence. Rather than viewing this state as purely negative or empty, classical philosophy sees it as a sacred, beautiful grief. The very intensity of the ache serves as the ultimate, undeniable proof of the depth of one’s love and devotion.
Iktsuarpok (Inuktitut)
Born in the Arctic, this word maps the restless, hopeful anticipation of waiting for someone to arrive. It is when you wait by the airport gate to meet your long-distance partner. The specific anxiety, excitement, and relentlessness. Perhaps you keep pacing, looking down the path, or checking the window to see if a figure is finally appearing on the horizon. It is an emotion defined entirely by quiet, active waiting.
Yuanfen (Mandarin)
If Iktsuarpok is the act of waiting, this concept provides the cosmic reassurance behind it. Sometimes the encounter is too magical, as if there is an invisible force that brings people together against all odds. It draws meaningful connections between individuals where a meeting was mathematically improbable but universally decreed, like fated affinity or destiny. Some translated to surredipity, but this word focuses on destiny rather than an accidentally turned auspicious ending.
Saudade (Portuguese/Galician)
One of the most famous untranslatable words in the world, this terms represents a deep, melancholic longing for an absent person, place, or time that you love. It is a love that remains long after the object of affection is gone, carrying a heavy, bittersweet knowledge that what you yearn for may never return. It turns memory into a permanent, hauntingly beautiful companion.
Schadenfreude (German)
Language even accounts for our less noble, more complicated impulses. This term maps a dark but universally recognizable corner of human nature: the secret, fleeting flash of pleasure, satisfaction, or amusement we experience when witnessing someone else’s minor misfortune. It captures the complex ways we relate to the world around us, even in our flaws.
*What is Daily Insight? An ongoing series of quick, bite-sized brain snacks. Every week, there are three research-based factual reports and three research-informed reflective notes.
