Vergüenza ajena

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

Language: Spanish

Literally: someone else's shame

Category: Emotion

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.

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…

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