There are lots of lovely foreign words which don’t have an English equivalent (I already wrote a post about this – my favourite is baggerspion, which is the desire to peek into a boarded-up building site). But it turns out that Japanese is particularly prolific when it comes to creating words to describe very specific feelings or activities. One of the better known ones is ‘suzushii men’, which is used to describe the cool side of the pillow when you turn it over.
Here are seven more lovely Japanese words with no English equivalent.
1. Tsundoku (積ん読)
The act of buying books then letting them pile up without reading them.
I’m so guilty of this – there are eight on my bedside table alone.
2. Irusu (居留守)
When you pretend to be out when someone’s at the door or calling you on the phone.
I do this every single day.
3. Wasuremono (忘れ物)
This refers to things you’ve forgotten or left behind, like when you stand up on a train and your phone falls off your lap and you don’t notice. Obviously we just say ‘lost stuff’ of ‘FFS’ in English, but wasuremono adds an extra sense of carelessness or absent-mindedness.
This is also me. Maybe I actually am Japanese…?
4. Shinrinyoku (森林浴)
Taking in the forest atmosphere. This one’s all about when you walk through woods and use all five senses to immerse yourself in nature. It’s supposed to be very relaxing and good for the soul.
This is another one I do every day, although picking up my dog’s poo while screaming his name and sprinting after him as he runs off after yet another squirrel isn’t particularly relaxing…
5. Mono no aware (物の哀れ)
A term for a sensitivity to the transience and impermanence of life and the world around us. This one’s deeply rooted in Japanese culture and aesthetics, particularly in literature, art and philosophy. It’s all about embracing the fragility and beauty of life, and finding meaning and depth in the transient nature of existence.
I can’t think of a silly joke to make about that one, so I won’t.
6. Komorebi (木漏れ日)
We’re back in the woods again. This word describes the dappled sunlight that dances and flickers on the ground beneath a canopy of branches and leaves. Lovely, right?
‘Leave it, Gus, LEAVE IT!’
7. Kuidaore (食い倒れ)
To eat oneself into bankruptcy. The concept of kuidaore isn’t just about stuffing your face – it’s also about enjoying food with abandon, even if it means you won’t have any money left for rent or bills, or anything else. Just your average trip to Tescos at the moment, then.
*This song apparently has a very rude meaning, which I’ll leave to your imagination**.
**Okay, I won’t. It’s supposedly about wanking.