Does your child know the meaning of these 5 untranslatable words?
We bring you five words in five languages, spoken in various parts of the world, how they are pronounced, and what they mean. Teach your child these five words today.
Besides teaching your child your mother tongue and English, of course, here are five words in five different languages that you can introduce him or her to, from the book Wonder Words: Untranslatable Words From Around the World, written and illustrated by Rituparna Sarkar.
Culcaccino (noun)
Pronounced as: Kula-chi-no
Meaning: The word in Italian means the mark left by a cold glass on table or any surface. In Italian, “culo” means bottom.
Fernweh (abstract noun)
Pronouced as: Fair-n-weh
Meaning: This German word is used to describe the feeling of longing for a place that is unfamiliar yet exciting. In German, “fern” means far and “weh” means sore or sick.
Ghodar-dim (abstract noun)
Pronounced as: Gho-rar-deem
Meaning: This Bengali word is a sarcastic term for “nothing” or false hope and something that will never be the reality. Ghoda, in Bengali, means horse while “dim” means egg, referring to a horse’s egg which doesn’t exist.
Hyo (abstract noun)
Pronounced as: Hee-yo
Meaning: This Korean word signifies the sense of duty children have towards their parents. Respect for elders is an integral part of the Korean culture, whereby children are sometimes even expected to make sacrifices for their parents.
Komorebi (noun)
Pronounced as: Ko-mo-ray-bee
Meaning: This Japanese word is meant to describe the picturesque play of sunlight and leaves on a sunny day. The light and shadow form beautiful patterns.
Tokka (noun)
Pronouced as: Talk-uh
Meaning: In Finnish, this word is the collective noun for a large herd of reindeer. The number of reindeer in Finland is said to be roughly equal to the number of people living there.
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