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Untranslatable Universals (I)

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Have you ever had a feeling that you just couldn’t put to words? It’s hard to describe something when you can’t even name it, isn’t it? Well, chances are that somewhere, some language has the exact word you need. In the series Untranslatable Universals we delve into words from many a different language that don’t exist in others, yet convey universal human emotions. Let’s begin!

 

Expat Gone Foreign, language comics, linguistics, untranslatable words for universal emotions, Tagalog

kilig (n.) Tagalog – Rush of exhilaration caused by a romantic happenstance, such as making eye contact or talking to one’s crush.

 

Expat Gone Foreign, language comics, linguistics, untranslatable words for universal emotions, German

Schwellenangst (n.) German – Fear of embarking something new or crossing a threshold.

 

Expat Gone Foreign, language comics, linguistics, untranslatable words for universal emotions, Greek

ελευθερομανία [eleutheromania] (n.) Greek – Intense desire for or obsession with freedom.

 

Expat Gone Foreign, language comics, linguistics, untranslatable words for universal emotions, Japanese

物の哀れ [mono no aware] (n.) Japanese – Bittersweet feeling for appreciation towards beautiful things pared with a deep wistfulness for their ephemeral nature. ‘Mono no aware’ literally means ‘pathos of things’, a sensitivity and sorrow towards the ephemeral.

 

Expat Gone Foreign, language comics, linguistics, untranslatable words for universal emotions, Italian

abbiocco (n.) Italian – Drowsy sensation following a large or hearty meal that often leads to falling asleep.

 

That’s it for now. Do you know more untranslatable universals? Let me know in the comments!

Virelangues · French Tongue Twisters

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This week, French gets its turn with an illustrated collection of tongue twisters or virelangues.

Tongue twisters are somewhat humorous phrases that rely on alliteration 1, rapid alternation between similar but distinct phonemes 2, and other phonetic devices that make them fairly difficult to articulate, even for native speakers.

Due to their phonetic complexity, tongue twisters are a fun way to train your ear and pronunciation in foreign languages. They can help you differentiate minimal pairs, train muscle placement and develop clearer speech patterns.

Thanks to my friend François, you can listen to the pronunciation of each virelangue. Just click on the audio track below each illustration. Allons-y!

Expat Gone Foreign, language comics, French tongue twisters, virelangues, Zungenbrecher, trabalenguas

 

Expat Gone Foreign, language comics, French tongue twisters, virelangues, Zungenbrecher, trabalenguas

 

Expat Gone Foreign, language comics, French tongue twisters, virelangues, Zungenbrecher, trabalenguas

 

Expat Gone Foreign, language comics, French tongue twisters, virelangues, Zungenbrecher, trabalenguas

 

Expat Gone Foreign, language comics, French tongue twisters, virelangues, Zungenbrecher, trabalenguas

 

Expat Gone Foreign, language comics, French tongue twisters, virelangues, Zungenbrecher, trabalenguas

 

Expat Gone Foreign, language comics, French tongue twisters, virelangues, Zungenbrecher, trabalenguas

 

C’est fini! Do you have a favorite virelangue, or maybe one that is impossible to pronounce? Do you know more tongue twisters? Leave me a comment!

Multilingual Christmas Wishes

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Christmas is coming and I’ve spent the weekend designing this year’s Christmas cards for my family. Before delving into the creative process,  I asked myself “What is Christmas for me?”

1. Family
2. Delicious food
3. More yummy food
4. Sunny weather
5. Did I mention the food?

And here is the result!

Expat Gone Foreign, tXc, language comics, travel comics, fun cards

I also wanted to wish everyone a “merry Christmas” in their native language, because “If you talk to [a man] in his language, that goes to his heart”. But who has the time to customize every card? The solution is sending multilingual Christmas wishes! Not only do they promote language fun, but they also provide two minutes of coloring relaxation.

Expat Gone Foreign, tXc, language comics, travel comics, fun cards

And the best part is… these Christmas cards are now available in the Expat Gone Foreign’s Store, ta-dah! Here are the links:

Multilingual Merry Christmas (card)
Christmas is coming! (card)
Christmas is coming! (postcard)
¡Llega la navidad! (postcard)

Surprise your family and friends with multilingual wishes! :D

Do you have questions, suggestions or wishes? Send me an email at expatgoneforeign@gmail.com : )