Fernweh
Meaning: An aching longing for far-off places you've never been — the opposite of homesickness.
Language: German
Literally: far-sickness
Category: Emotion
Origin: German Fern ('far') + Weh ('ache').
More untranslatable words — Emotion
- Gigil — The overwhelming urge to squeeze or pinch something unbearably cute.
- Iktsuarpok — The restless anticipation that makes you keep stepping outside to see if someone is final…
- Toska — A dull ache of the soul; a great longing with nothing in particular to long for.
- Dépaysement — The disorienting yet often pleasant feeling of being far from home, immersed in the unfam…
- Retrouvailles — The joy of reuniting with someone after a long time apart.
- Mono no aware — A bittersweet awareness of impermanence — the gentle sadness and appreciation that arise…
More German untranslatable words
- Weltschmerz — The weariness and sadness you feel when the world as it is falls painfully short of the w…
- Torschlusspanik — The anxious fear that time is running out — that the gates of opportunity, youth, or life…
- Kummerspeck — The weight you gain from emotional eating — the extra pounds that accumulate during heart…
- Fremdschämen — The vicarious embarrassment you feel for someone who is doing something cringeworthy — ev…
- Drachenfutter — A peace-offering gift brought home to a partner after staying out too late or doing somet…
- Verschlimmbessern — To make something worse in a well-intentioned attempt to improve it.
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