QuickWrite of the Day #41: Untranslatable Words

"Writing can be used as a vehicle to express ourselves as we negotiate the journey through our lives” (Gallagher, 2011: p. 24)

QuickWrite of the Day:

‘Meraki’ is a beautiful, untranslatable Greek word that means ‘actions from the heart’ or a labour of love. It means to do something with complete passion and devotion. When I think about this word, I’m reminded of my grandmother lovingly stooping to tend to her tomato plants and to touch the yellow cucumber flowers, or my grandfather slowly peeling an apple with his knife and popping sweet pieces of fruit into his mouth, cherishing each bite. I wish there was an  equivalent word in English that could sum all of these impressions up, but there isn’t! 

Do you know a word in another language that can’t be translated into a single English word? If you don’t speak another language, think about a word from the place that you’re from (eg: an Australian slang word) which makes sense to those who are familiar with it but not to anyone else. What pictures spring to mind when you think of this word? What —or who—does it remind you of? How might you describe it to someone who doesn’t know much about it? What’s it like? Write and draw about it!

For inspiration, check out the examples of ‘untranslatable words’ from other languages in the carousel below, from the book Lost in Translation by Ella Frances Sanders.