When you are learning a new language, one of the most wonderful things is finding words that have no English translation. It opens up a whole new world of ideas that you might have never thought of before.

It is a well known fact that you can’t learn a language without also picking up on its culture. But most people think this just means you will learn how to say the names of Japanese foods and traditions. It is so much more than that. When you start to run into words that have no English equivalent, it is a peek into the way the Japanese think and feel about certain concepts. These are the keys to really understanding Japanese.

But how many of these words are really used in everyday conversation? When I ask people about words that are untranslatable they usually give me 木漏れ日 (こもれび) ”the light that streams through the trees.” Or words that are similar. These are obviously not used in everyday life in Japan.

So yesterday I decided to keep track of all the words that I heard, said, or read that have no English equivalent. I was surprised to learn that there are more than I thought.

When I was waiting for a friend and she was late, I said:

さすがジュリア。
Just like Julia.
Literally: "as expected, + Julia."

さすが means “as one would expect.” Typically, it is used to compliment someone that has done something impressive. You do something great, and then I say さすが, "as expected of you."

But it can also have a somewhat sarcastic meaning of “just like her/him.” So when my friend was late it was natural for me to say さすが.

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When a coworker and I were complaining about our boss, she said:

お互い頑張りましょう！
おたがい　がんばりましょう！
Let’s each do our best!
Literally: "mutually + let's do our best."

お互い (おたがい) actually means “reciprocal” or “mutual.” But it also has a connotation of “togetherness.” It means there is a feeling of equality.

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After a meeting in my office a teacher came back into the room because he'd forgotten his umbrella:

忘れ物！
わすれもの！
I forgot something!
Literally: "forgotten thing!"

忘れ物 literally means “forgotten thing.” It is a single word that encompasses the whole idea of forgetting an object.

This is something you are bound to hear a lot when you are in Japan.

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When a coworker gave me an お土産 (おみやげ) "souvenir” cake from her trip, I said this when I ate it:

懐かしい味！
なつかしいあじ！
Tastes nostalgic!
Literally: "nostalgic + flavor!"

懐かしい is usually translated as “nostalgic,” but the word doesn’t quite fit. Although “nostalgic” is a somewhat fancy word in English, packed with feeling, 懐かしい isn't necessarily as strong. In Japanese 懐かしい is used as a light feeling of remembering something pleasant. When I was eating the cake, it tasted like something my grandma used to make.

On a side note, if you look up the words "souvenir" and お土産 in Google Images, you'll find that the meaning of these two words is actually a bit different as well. This is mainly because an お土産 (おみやげ) is often food.

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A teacher that I work with had a student print out all her work, just to have her later send it to him by e-mail. She said:

もったいない。
What a waste.

もったいない is an expression that can mean “wasteful, profane, impious, too good, or not worthy.” Most of the time it is used when something is going to waste. This includes objects as well as abstract concepts like a person’s potential.

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When I asked a friend how her date was, she replied:

微妙だった。
びみょう　だった。
Not so great...
Literally: "delicate / doubtful + was."

微妙 (びみょう) has so many meanings in Japanese.

One meaning is “subtle,” like in the phrase 微妙な違い (びみょうなちがい) "a subtle difference.”

It can also mean “a little bad,” “a little iffy,” or “sucks a little.”

It doesn’t have a clear negative meaning, but it is on the negative side. In other words, it wasn’t the best date of her life.

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Of course, Japanese has many more words that don’t have a direct English translation, but these are some of the common ones I run into. Keep your eyes and ears open; you never know when you will run into one of these words, and how it will help you understand Japanese just that much more.

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This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor: