Japanese words we love with no one-word English equivalent!

Some interesting words that are can't be expressed in a single word in English. If you're learning Japanese, you might want to remember these to impress your sensei ;)

Nekojita 猫舌

lit. cat tongue; someone who is sensitive to hot food and drinks Does anyone know if cats really hate hot things?

Unkai 雲海

sea of clouds A popular activity in various mountain ranges of Japan is to head out early in the morning to see unkai.

Nemawashi 根回し

laying the groundwork An informal process to lay the foundations of a new plan by considering and talking to those concerned.

Kuidaore 食い倒れ

eating yourself into bankruptcy Meaning you love so food and drink so much that you are willing to spend all your money for it! Do you know anyone who fits the bill?

Tsundoku 積ん読

acquiring books till they pile up and you never get around to reading them All bibliophiles are guilty of this!

Wasuremono 忘れ物

something left behind unintentionally, lost or forgotten Surprisingly, you have don't have one word in English for saying you lost or forgot something.

Irusu 居留守

pretending to be out of the house We all have done this probably once in our lifetime: avoided opening the door for an annoying neighbor or salesman

Komorebi 木漏れ日

sunlight filtering through trees You must have taken shots of sunrays kissing the ground through a copse, now you have a word to #hashtag for these

Shinrinyoku 森林浴

lit. forest bathing Relaxing and soaking up the energy of a forest; a great way to reconnect with nature

Do you know more that you have trouble finding a "one-word" English equivalent?

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