Orka

Meaning: To have the energy or will for something. Jag orkar inte carries the whole of 'I can't face it'.

Language: Swedish

Literally: to have the energy

Category: Everyday

Origin: Swedish; in constant everyday use, and impossible to render as a single English verb.

More untranslatable words — Everyday

Hinna — To manage something inside the time available — not speed, but fitting the act in before…
Vabba — To stay home from work on paid leave to look after a sick child.
Blunda — To close your eyes on purpose — and, by extension, to knowingly refuse to see something.
Khalyava — Something good got for free and without effort — and, strictly, something you were never…
Zapoi — A bender running for days, in which a person drops out of ordinary life entirely.
Tsundoku — Buying books and letting them pile up unread — a habit, not a crime.

Fredagsmys — The Friday-night ritual of soft clothes, snacks and television with the people you live w…
Gökotta — Rising at first light for no reason but to go outside and hear the birds sing.
Mångata — The shimmering, road-like reflection the moon casts across water.
Resfeber — The mix of nervous excitement and anticipatory anxiety you feel before a journey — your h…
Lagom — Not too much, not too little — perfectly moderate, appropriate, and balanced. A cultural…
Fika — A ritual pause in the day — coffee, something sweet, good company — that is more about co…

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