Untranslatable wordEmotionSpanish

Vergüenza ajena

Meaning: The squirming embarrassment felt on behalf of another person, who may be entirely untroubled themselves.

Literally: Someone else's shame

Origin: Spanish; the same feeling German names Fremdschämen.

More untranslatable words — Emotion

  • Koselig Warmth, intimacy and ease at once — a room, a meal or an evening can be koselig, and so c…
  • Nadryv An uncontrolled outpouring of buried feeling, often strained past anything the person tru…
  • Saudade A deep, nostalgic yearning for someone or something absent — tinged with the bittersweet…
  • Hygge The warm contentment of simple, cozy pleasures shared with people you love — candles, bla…
  • Schadenfreude The guilty little pleasure of taking satisfaction in someone else's misfortune.
  • Fernweh An aching longing for far-off places you've never been — the opposite of homesickness.

More Spanish untranslatable words

  • 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…
  • Estrenar The specific pleasure of wearing, using, or showing off something brand new for the very…
  • Friolero A person who feels the cold far more than everyone else — always the first to reach for a…

Explore another collection: False Friends

Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.

  • Largo Actually means 'long'. For large, say grande.
  • Molestar Actually means 'to bother' or 'to annoy'. ¿Te molesta el ruido? = Does the noise bother y…
  • Simpático Actually means 'nice' or 'likeable'. For sympathetic, say comprensivo.

Browse all false friends →

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