A quick Google search will tell you there are over one million words in English, and yet these foreign gems still haven't made the cut. Here are 15 foreign words that we wish existed as common English words.
**1. Prozvonit (**Czech)
To initiate a phone call and then quickly hang up, causing the other person to call back and saving the first caller money.
“My minutes are low. I will prozvonit him so he calls back and knows about the party.”
2. Tartle (Scots)
The awkward moment when you forget someone's name while introducing them.
“Completely tartled and forgot your name. My bad.”
3. Tingo (Pascuense language of Easter Island)
The act of borrowing items from a friend over time, until you accrue everything you want and there is nothing left in their house to borrow.
“I am going to tingo your entire wardrobe.”
4. Kummerspeck (German)
Weight gained from emotional overeating.
“I have some serious kummerspeck following getting fired last month.”
5. L'esprit de l'escalier (French)
A comeback thought of way too late to say it.
“My l'esprit de l'escalier kicked in right after that jerk walked away at the bar.”
6. Gigil (Filipino)
The urge to squeeze something that is ridiculously cute.
“I feel the gigil coming on everytime our office dog says hello at the door.”
- Jayus (Indonesian)
A joke told so poorly you can't help laughing.
“My jayus dad doesn't realize how unfunny his knock knock jokes are.”
- Dépaysement (French)
The feeling that emerges from being away from your home country.
“It's been two days in Japan and I'm already experiencing serious dépaysement.”
- Boketto (Japanese)
Staring blankly into space.
“I had moments of boketto in that meeting, which makes sense since it was four hours long.”
- Torschlusspanik (German)
The fear of diminishing opportunities as you age.
“Went on a terrible Tinder late night and had some serious torschlusspanik about babies.”
- Saudade (Portuguese)
The feeling of longing for someone or something you love that is lost.
“I have major saudade for a book of poems I wrote that has gone missing.”
- Zhaghzhagh (Persian)
The chattering of teeth from the cold or pure rage.
“He had zhaghzhagh entering the bar after a two mile trudge in the snow.”
- Backpfeifengesicht (German)
A face badly in needly of a fist.
“Get that backpfeifengesicht out of this room before someone gets hurt.”
- Kyoikumama (Japanese)
A mother who relentlessly pushes her children towards academic achievement.
“Tomorrow is back to school night for the kindergarten class I'm teaching and I sure hope the kyoikumamas stay home this year.”
- Ya'aburnee (Arabic)
Literally means “you bury me.” This expression is used to hope your loved one will outlive you because you can't imagine a world without them.
No sample sentence needed. Ya'aburnee says it all.
What are your favorite foreign words? Comment below and then check out Fluent City's upcoming classes in 10 languages to learn a few more!
Spanish
French
Italian
Arabic
Portuguese
German
Chinese
Japanese
Russian
