Doch

There exists no english equivalent for doch, it has multiple functions, the most known one being an expression that emphatically negates a previous sentiment.

“Does not!”
“Does too!!”

Which created one of the most long lived german memes.

“It should not be that way, but it was.”

But doch can do so much more.

German: Tja

Can mean nesrly anything from schadenfreude to deep empathy

Kindergarten

Dreich - there is no direct English equivalent. It’s weather that’s wet and cold and dark and grey and unchanging. It can also mean depressing and tedious for obvious reasons.

Sisu. Its a mix of courage, determination, resilience, keeping your nerve, doing a scary or difficult thing even though you know that odds of succeeding are low. Its also done quietly, no complaining or boasting about it. You can mutter some curse words quietly to yourself.

Closest English word for it might be “guts” or “grit”. But those don’t really explain it completely.

Finnish.

German: Konjunktiv I and II. Most people first learning German will hear the Konjunktiv II in its usage similar to a subjunctive in english (“Wenn das so wäre” - “If it were that way”), but it does so much more. You can switch full sentences to the Konjunktiv II, but that immediately implies that you doubt the statement being presented. For instance, if you say “er hätte es vergessen”, you’re essentially saying “he allegedly forgot it, but I really doubt it”, just by using the Konjunktiv II.

Then, there’s the Konjunktiv I, which is similar, but instead of voicing your disapproval, you’re staying completely neutral. Taking the example from before, it would be “er habe es vergessen”, with which you’re saying, “he allegedly forgot it, and I neither support nor disavow that statement” - again, all only with a change of verb form. It’s wonderful when you’re relaying something someone else said without adding your own evaluation.

お疲れ様 (good job+“you look tired”+“I an acknowledging this and presenting recognition of your effort”)

Keigo modifiers. ご覧 vs 見る. They both mean “look”. One is, somehow, more polite.

Kansai dialect. しばいたろか (“wanna get smacked?” but it’s playful) or まいど (“thanks” but also “nice to see you again” and “hello” but only in specific contexts between specific people. Mess it up and you’ll probably hear the other Kansai term previously described.)

The Hungarian adjective “ügyes”. It’s used to describe someone when they do something ably/skillfully/cleverly. (Doesn’t necessarily imply a learned ability, can be innate.) It usually implies an activity involving manual dexterity, but can also be used for mental problem-solving.

When used as an exclamation, it basically means “Well done!”

Kinda a reversal, but I’m curious if other languages have a word as versatile as English’s “fuck”. Like obviously other languages have words for the verb of making sex, but is it common for it to also be a noun, adjective, or adverb to the point where you could have it as every other word and it still be grammatically correct?

It always felt weird to me that English has no distinct phrase to express non-romantic affection.

English speakers use “I love you”, but in Italian (and many other languages) you’d make a distinction between a romantic partner and a friend/relative/whatever.

Ti amo = I love you, said for example to your partner, signifies a deep emotional bond, not something you usually say lightly.

Ti voglio bene = I love you, but less charges, more in a “I feel good about you” way

झूठा खाना/पानी (Jhootha khana/pani)

Food/water that is cosumed by someone else and hence is unsuitable for eating/drinking. Especially for religious or devotional rituals.

In the similar vein, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prasada

I recently came across a word that I couldn’t find a translation for. In Swedish, the word “skallgång” refers to the act of walking in a line formation in a search party.

I’m having real trouble thinking of any in Estonian that truly don’t have a good translation, there’s only one I can think of on the spot like this.

Midagi läbi ussimunni ajama - Literally translated: to drive* something through a worm’s dick. Commonly used in car repairs and other similar contexts: Some space is super narrow and you need to put something it through exactly at the correct angle. Can be used with “goes through” as well (käib läbi ussimunni), but even then it’s generally still describing some sort of activity, not someone literally walking through a tight spot. I can’t think of an English expression that’s truly equivalent, though I could just be missing something.

* ajama itself means to drive as in “drive insane” or “steer a herd of cattle”, not “drive a car”. But also “sitta ajama” = “to bullshit”.

Chez

It’s a preposition meaning “at the home/house/place” but can also be use figuratively. Really super cool.

Similar thread long ago, there was a word Somewhere in northern Europe that meant something like “aimlessly hitting your penis on things”. .