Vabba

Meaning: To stay home from work on paid leave to look after a sick child.

Language: Swedish

Literally: to take child-sick leave

Category: Everyday

Origin: Swedish, from the abbreviation VAB (vård av barn, 'care of child'); now carried in the Swedish Academy's wordlist.

More untranslatable words — Everyday

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.
Sobremesa — The unhurried conversation that lingers long after a meal, when no one wants to leave the…
Meraki — Pouring your soul, love, and creativity into whatever you do — cooking, art, anything.

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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