Untranslatable wordNatureJapanese

Shinrin-yoku

Meaning: Immersing yourself in the atmosphere of a forest — soaking up its calm through all your senses — for health and peace of mind.

Literally: Forest bathing

Origin: Japanese 森林浴; coined by Japan's forestry ministry in 1982 and now backed by medical research.

More untranslatable words — Nature

  • Waldeinsamkeit The serene, faintly mystical feeling of being alone in the woods, at peace with nature.
  • Meriggiare To take a quiet midday rest in a cool, shaded spot, escaping the fierce afternoon sun.
  • Gökotta Rising at first light for no reason but to go outside and hear the birds sing.
  • Komorebi The dappled light that filters through leaves and scatters across the ground.
  • Wabi-sabi Finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and the worn or incomplete.
  • Mångata The shimmering, road-like reflection the moon casts across water.

More Japanese untranslatable words

  • Boketto Staring off into the distance with your mind pleasantly empty, thinking of nothing at all.
  • Tsundoku Buying books and letting them pile up unread — a habit, not a crime.
  • Mono no aware A bittersweet awareness of impermanence — the gentle sadness and appreciation that arise…
  • Ikigai The thing that makes you want to get out of bed — the intersection of what you love, what…
  • Ma The meaningful negative space between things — a deliberate pause in music, an empty room…
  • Natsukashii A warm, nostalgic rush triggered by something from the past — a smell, a song, a sight. N…

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