It literally translates as cat tongue! It’s made from the two words 猫 ( neko – cat) and 舌 ( shita – tongue). Here’s a cute one! A nekojita is a person who is sensitive to hot foods and drinks. I think people do this the world over, even if other languages don’t have such a concise word for it! Nekojita (猫舌) Irusu is when somebody you don’t want to speak to rings your doorbell, and you pretend nobody’s at home. Related post: 1 6+ Essential Japanese Words for Spring Irusu (居留守) We appreciate the flowers even more because we know they will fall soon. Cherry blossom are very special to the Japanese, but the flowers bloom for only two weeks in the springtime. The best example of mono no aware in Japanese culture is hanami, the ritual of appreciating the cherry blossoms each year. When we view something exceptionally beautiful, we might feel sad because we know it won’t stay so beautiful forever – but appreciation only heightens the pleasure we take in the beautiful thing in that moment.
The ‘sadness’ in question comes from an awareness of the transience of things, as taught by Zen Buddhism. It comes from the words 物 ( mono – thing) and 哀れ ( aware – poignancy or pathos). Mono no aware can be translated as ‘the sadness of things’. This practise accepts the break as part of the object’s unique history. Rather than rejecting a broken item, you can find a way to make it even more beautiful. A pot with a uneven edges is more beautiful than a perfectly smooth one, because it reminds us that life is not perfect.Ī Japanese craftsman will intentionally add in a small flaw after completing his perfect work in honour of this concept.Īnother cool Japanese word, kintsugi (金継ぎ), also known as kintsukuroi (金繕い), is the practise of mending broken pottery with gold or silver to fill the cracks. This is a central concept in Japanese aesthetics, which comes from Buddhist teachings on the transient nature of life. Wabi-sabi means imperfect or incomplete beauty. It’s also a clever pun, because tsunde oku means ‘pile up and leave’.
It uses the words 積む ( tsumu – to pile up) and 読 ( doku – to read). Anyone who just loves books but doesn’t have time to read them as fast as they buy them will understand this one. Tsundoku is the practise of acquiring books and letting them pile up, unread. Kuidaore has come to be associated with the Dōtonbori district in Osaka, famed for its many restaurants and nightlife spots. The word implies a kind of extravagant love of good food and drink – so much love that you will happily spend all your money on it! It comes from the words 食い ( kui – eating) and 倒れる ( daoreru – to go bankrupt, be ruined).
Kuidaore means something like ‘to eat yourself bankrupt’. You can enjoy some komorebi while taking your shinrinyoku! Kuidaore (食い倒れ) This is a beautiful word to describe a beautiful moment. Komorebi is an aesthetic Japanese word meaning ‘the sunlight filtered through leaves on trees’. Can’t you feel yourself relaxing as you soak up all the lovely green light? Scientists have actually found that walking in the forest has many health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and stress hormones. It seems the Japanese are one step ahead with their shinrinyoku practise! Komorebi (木漏れ日) It refers to taking a walk in the forest for its restorative and therapeutic benefits. Shinrinyoku literally translates as ‘forest bath’. Many of these words reflect Buddhist concepts which are unknown to most Westerners, but are central ideas in Japanese society.īy learning these unique Japanese words, you are one step closer to understanding the Japanese soul. The interesting thing about these Japanese words with deep meaning is that they reveal a lot about the Japanese character. Of course, most of these ‘untranslatable words’ can be translated literally – after all, we did our best to provide translations in this article! But the concepts are unique, and so they require some explanation for English speakers. We’ve collected 12 of our favourite beautiful Japanese words with no exact English equivalent. These words often represent concepts which are so unique to that culture, there is simply no equivalent in any other language. Many languages have beautiful and unique words which cannot be translated precisely. “If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world.”ĭo you agree with this quote? I know I do.
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