The 13 Most Untranslatable Words – Voted by You!

Listen & Learn has had a long-standing obsession with those tricky foreign words that refuse to be translated. So, instead of the usual research one would do to find new ones, we decided to ask redditors for their opinions on the most difficult word in their native language to translate into English:
Photo by Tommie Hansen[/caption]
Photo by Austin Kirk[/caption]
Photo by Dennis Wong[/caption]
Photo by Ignacio Sanz[/caption]
photo by Saperaud[/caption]
Photo by Wolfgang Staudt[/caption]
photo by Jonathan Kos-Read[/caption]
photo by Christopher Cannon[/caption]
photo by Andrew Imanaka[/caption]
photo by Serge[/caption]
photo by NutellaStellaAmelia[/caption]
photo by theaucitron[/caption]
It would seem that Norway wins the award for the country with the trickiest untranslatable words! If you’d like to learn more about the language, send us an enquiry, or test your current Norwegian level!
Do you have any quirky words from your own language you’d like to see added to the list? Send them to us in the comments section below!
1. Lagom – Swedish
adjective - enough to satisfy you, but not too much. [caption id="attachment_2091" align="alignnone" width="1016"]
2 & 3. Gezellig & Beleg – Dutch
adjective – a friendly ambience; a cozy atmosphere noun – a bread topping [caption id="attachment_2092" align="alignnone" width="1016"]
4. Sijuiak – Bidayuh
adjective – the feeling that describes not feeling like eating anymore, even though you are not quite full yet [caption id="attachment_2093" align="alignnone" width="1016"]
5. Dépaysement - French
noun – a change of scenery adjective – the feeling that is accompanied with this change of scenery [caption id="attachment_2094" align="alignnone" width="1016"]
6. Lummert – Norwegian
adjective – the feeling that a storm is brewing [caption id="attachment_2095" align="alignnone" width="1016"]
7. Goesting - Flemish
adjective – a want, or need for something [caption id="attachment_2102" align="alignnone" width="1016"]
8. Attpåklatt - Norwegian
noun – a much younger sibling [caption id="attachment_2096" align="alignnone" width="1016"]
9. Jayus – Indonesian
noun – a poorly told joke that still manages to be funny, however, only because it’s so bad [caption id="attachment_2097" align="alignnone" width="1016"]
10. Schadenfreude – German
noun – a feeling of pleasure at another’s misfortune [caption id="attachment_2098" align="alignnone" width="1016"]
11. Yakamoz – Turkish
noun – the reflection of moonlight on the water [caption id="attachment_2099" align="alignnone" width="1016"]
12. L’tzantek – Hebrew
verb – the act of giving someone a ‘missed call’ in order for them to know to call you back [caption id="attachment_2100" align="alignnone" width="1016"]
13. Gjennomslagskraft – Norwegian
adjective – having the willpower or force to push through an obstacle, or get a message across [caption id="attachment_2101" align="alignnone" width="1016"]