Tutear

Meaning: To switch to the informal tú with someone — a small, deliberate act of closing social distance.

Language: Spanish

Literally: to 'tú' someone

Category: Social

Origin: Spanish, from the pronoun tú; the moment of switching is itself an event worth naming.

More untranslatable words — Social

Sprezzatura — The art of making something difficult look wholly effortless, hiding every trace of the w…
Dietrologia — The conviction that the official account is never the real one — that some hidden motive…
Attaccabottoni — The person who corners you and holds you in an endless, tedious story you cannot politely…
Menefreghista — Someone who has made not caring into an entire stance — indifference as a way of life.
Dugnad — Unpaid work done together for the common good — neighbours painting the building, parents…
Takk for sist — A greeting that thanks someone for the previous occasion you met, acknowledging shared hi…

Puente — The day taken off to 'bridge' a midweek public holiday to the weekend, turning it into a…
Vergüenza ajena — The squirming embarrassment felt on behalf of another person, who may be entirely untroub…
Sobremesa — The unhurried conversation that lingers long after a meal, when no one wants to leave the…
Madrugada — The liminal hours between midnight and sunrise — that strange, quiet time when the night…
Duende — A mysterious quality in art or performance that moves you to your core — a dark, soulful,…
Querencia — A place where you feel safe, grounded, and most fully yourself — a sanctuary from which y…

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