untranslatable

Everyday

Untranslatable describes a word or phrase that has no exact match in another language, so it cannot be translated easily without a long explanation or losing some meaning. tree →

In the lessons

In language lessons, French, Mandarin and Ukrainian classes and lessons on jokes and wordplay, pupils learn that some words, puns and jokes are untranslatable: the meaning can be explained, but the fun or feeling may be lost. Famous examples are Danish «hygge» (cosy togetherness) or Portuguese «saudade» (a sad longing). Phrases: untranslatable word, almost untranslatable, an untranslatable pun.

Examples

• Some jokes are untranslatable because they are based on puns. tree →
• «Hygge» is often called an untranslatable Danish word. tree →
• The poem's rhymes are almost untranslatable. tree →
• The teacher said the Ukrainian word was untranslatable, then explained it in a sentence. tree →
• Every language has a few untranslatable words. tree →
• The author's wordplay was untranslatable, so the translator added notes. tree →

Note

un- + translate + -able; drop the e of translate: translatable. Myth: «untranslatable» rarely means no meaning can be given; usually it means there is no single matching word, and a phrase is needed instead.