19 Emotions For Which English Has No Words

Co Design shows an info graphic for 19 Emotions For Which English Has No Words "‘My inspiration came from the experience of studying in the UK as a foreign student and having to have conversations with both friends who do not understand Chinese (my mother tongue) and those who do,’ Lin tells Co.Design. ‘So often our conversations will involve looking for a right word to say in either English or Chinese, and unable to find its equivalent in the other language.’

At the core of Lin’s graphic is Parrot’s Emotion Classification, which contains a seemingly nuanced look at over 100 emotions (in English). Not only does Parrot’s list include words like ‘cheerfulness,’ but it also maps their more specific permutations, like ‘bliss’ or ‘gladness.’ So, you know, it seems pretty good--that is, until you read the foreign alternatives that Lin has highlighted in red bubbles. How about the word ‘Gezelligheid,’ which is Dutch for ‘comfort and coziness of being at home, with friends, with loved ones or general togetherness’? Or maybe you’ll like ‘hygge,’ which is Danish for a similar idea but specific to events of food and drink."