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The language of love: 10 words that express what English can’t

Love can leave us feeling lost for words, but sometimes it’s the limitations of our mother tongues that let us down

With more than 7,000 languages spoken across the globe, there’s a word out there for almost anything when it comes to expressing our feelings. Here are 10 untranslatable words for when ‘I love you’ just won’t cut it:

 

1. ‘Mamihlapinatapei’, Chile

 

2. ‘Gigil’, Philippines

 

3. ‘Ya’aburnee’, Lebanon

 

4. ‘Forelsket’, Norway

 

5. ‘Iktsuarpok’, Greenland

 

6. ‘Viraag’, India

 

7. ‘Cafuné’, Brazil

 

8. ‘Oodal’, Sri Lanka

 

9. ‘Cwtch’, Wales

 

10. ‘Flechazo’, Spain

 

This article was first published here

 

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