English may boast one of the lengthiest vocabularies in the world, but there are still entire emotional universes Merriam-Webster can’t quite encapsulate. Thankfully, other cultures can. Our ability to understand these layered, sometimes conflicting feelings proves that beneath our differences, we share the same emotional language.

Here are some of the most beautifully specific emotions that have no English equivalent, grouped by the inner worlds they illuminate. Together, they show one thing: human feelings are far more connected than we might assume.

The many faces of love, longing, and heartache

Chappell Roan said it best: “love is a kaleidoscope.” One of tenderness, ache, inevitability, and memory. These words perfectly capture the emotional fine print of human connection.

Saudade (Portuguese) – A deep nostalgic longing for someone or something loved and lost. The love that lingers long after the moment is gone.

Tu’burni (Arabic) – “I hope I die before you,” said not morbidly but because life without the beloved would be unbearable.

Onsra (Boro, India) – Loving for what you know will be the last time.

Mágoa (Portuguese) – A heartbreak so profound that its traces remain visible in gestures and expressions.

Sielvartas (Lithuanian) – A seemingly endless grief or emotional turmoil, often tied to loss.

Toska (Russian) – Spiritual anguish with no clear cause, sometimes love-sickness, sometimes existential ache.

Koi No Yokan (Japanese) – The feeling that you’re destined to fall in love with someone. Not love at first sight, but the inevitability of it.

Forelsket (Norwegian) – The consuming, euphoric high of new love. Technically, we do have an English equivalent (puppy love).

Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan) – A shared look between two people, both hoping the other will initiate something they both want.

Gigil (Tagalog) – The irresistible urge to squeeze someone because........

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