Untranslatable: Words for the feelings we all know

By Mr. Justin Greeno

Some feelings arrive before the words do.

A particular kind of longing. The strange wistfulness of an old bookshop. The disorientation of being gloriously lost somewhere foreign. The warmth of a table nobody wants to leave. In English, we reach for these feelings and sometimes come up empty - not because they aren't real, but because our language never found a name for them.

Other languages did.

Untranslatable is a beautifully illustrated collection of 22 words from languages around the world for the feelings, moments, and experiences we all quietly carry. From the Japanese concept of Komorebi - the interplay of sunlight filtering through leaves - to the Portuguese Saudade, a melancholy longing for something beautiful that is gone, each word is paired with a stunning full-page image and a meditation on what it means to finally name something you have always felt.

Words included: Fernweh, Wabi-sabi, Anemoia, Yūgen, Sillage, D paysement, Komorebi, Mudita, Hiraeth, Kalsarik nnit, Sonder, Razbliuto, Mono no aware, Lagom, Nakama, Sehnsucht, Meraki, Vellichor, Ubuntu, Cafun , Forelsket, Sobremesa, Tarab, Jayus, Hygge, Iktsuarpok, Dadirri.

Finding the right word can make you feel less alone. It connects you to a wider humanity - to everyone across time and place who felt exactly what you felt, deeply enough to name it.

A perfect gift for readers, word lovers, travellers, and anyone who has ever had a feeling they could not explain.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H1Y1YVTD
• ISBN13: 9798195630874
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 76 Pages
• Weight: 0.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.0" x 8.0"