13 Emotions You Can Feel, But Can’t Explain

Today, we are going to talk about a very interesting topic, about emotions you can’t explain, but you feel them.

In recent years, you might have seen friends or influencers using the hashtag #Hyggelife. They’re probably pictured cuddle up reading a good book, sitting with a cozy blanket, or laughing with friends. Hygge does not have a direct English translation, it is a Scandinavian word.

Hygge encapsulates a moment or a mood in which you feel especially cozy, charming, or warm. Why don’t we have an English word for Hygge? Well, it turns out that we don’t have an English word for a lot of emotions and feelings. Feelings are hard enough to express in words that we know, but sometimes language makes it a little harder.

In this article, I’m going to introduce to you some words that describe emotions that you may have felt before but haven’t been able to correctly identify. While some of these words come out from different languages, others come from the dictionary of obscure sorrows. You might find yourself using these words to describe feelings that you didn’t even know you had.

The 13 Emotions You Can Feel, But Can’t Explain

1. Saudade

Unfortunately, a lot of these words describe negative rather than positive emotions. Saudade is one of these words, it’s Portuguese and describes a nostalgic longing for a person or a place that happens to be far away. You’re more likely to experience Saudade if you know that you will never see this person or this place again.

2. Fernweh

Fernweh is a similar feeling of longing, what makes this German word so unique is that it describes a longing or nostalgia for a place that you’ve never been. Many people experience this sensation after canceling travel plans for 2020.

3. Gezellig.

Gezellig is more comforting although it’s slightly different than hugging. It is a Dutch word that describes the coziness and warmth within a group of people. HHygge is often experienced alone but may come about from a cozy blanket or a cup of cocoa, Gezellig is more than that. ” Feelings Book”

It’s a feeling that you are loved belong, and get along well with other people and the atmosphere in a room.

4. Kuebiko

This is the first word on this list that comes from the dictionary of obscure sorrows. Author John Koenig uses this word to describe a state of exhaustion that comes from observing acts of senseless violence. Again this is another word perfect for 2020.

Now, here’s a fun fact about the word Kuebiko, it is also the name of the Shinto kami or holy power in the old Japanese religion. Kuebiko is a scarecrow that cannot move but has awareness of what is going on around the world.

5. Razbliuto

So let’s go back to more tender feelings. Razbliuto is a Russian word that describes the feeling you get for someone that you once loved. It’s not a negative feeling per se, it’s more of a tender and accepting that you miss someone who’s no longer in your life.

6. Fisselig

Have you ever been so annoyed with someone that you lose all focus and concentration, congratulations, you have felt Fisselig. This is a German word that correctly encapsulates how many people feel while working in customer service or retail.

7. Gigil

When you see a baby or a puppy, you may experience Gigil. This is actually a Filipino word for the feeling you get when you want to squeeze something that’s just way too cute.

8. Schadenfreude

Let’s say you see a cute puppy and a person that you don’t like, you observe the cute puppy running away from that person that you don’t like and that person getting upset because of this, you feel a sense of joy in the fact that the puppy disappointed the person that you don’t like.

This is the feeling of Schadenfreude. It’s a German word that has encapsulated this feeling so well, it’s made its way into broadway musicals and American pop culture. It basically means feeling pleasure in someone else’s pain.

9. Adronitis

So here’s another word from the dictionary of obscure sorrows. Adronitis is a feeling of frustration towards the amount of time it takes to get to know someone. Simultaneously, it’s the wish that you could dive into a person’s innermost thoughts first rather than sticking to the small talk. I’m sure that a lot of you have experienced this at one point.

If you’ve ever longed for the idea of stargazing with a stranger and exchanging your deepest secrets, you’ve experienced Adronitis.

10. Greng-Jai

Sometimes these words do not have direct English translations because they’re not an essential emotion with American or western culture, and I think I’m far enough long to mention that I’m probably mispronouncing most of these words. However, I have spent quite a bit of time looking into how to correctly pronounce them.

Many would agree that Greng-Jai is one of these words, Greng-Jai is a tie word that describes the feeling of not wanting to impose, it is not just being considerate. You could also describe it as anxiety behind ruffling someone’s feathers or hurting anyone’s feelings.

Author Andrew Biggs says that: “ Thais are very proud of their feeling of Greng-Jai. It is inherent to the Thaipsyche. And because there’s no exact English translation, they have got it into their heads that foreigners, namely Europeans, don’t possess this feeling of Greng-Jai ”.

11. Iktsuappok

When linguists discuss the diversity of language, they often bring up this fascinating tidbit. Inuits have 50 different words to describe snow. They also have one word to describe the feeling of anticipation when you know someone is writing at your door. You know the feeling you keep looking out the window or checking your ring app to see if they have arrived, this is Iktsuappok.

12. Litost.

It’s not that much of a fun emotion. Litost is a check word that describes the moment you witness your own misery, and you start to feel shame, agony, or torture, this is a pointed shame. Many describe it as wanting to take revenge against the source of your own sadness.

13. Chrysalism.

The last word on our list comes from the dictionary of obscure sorrows, we’ll end things on a cozier note. Chrysalism is the calm feeling that you may experience from being inside during a thunderstorm. If you enjoy a rainy day with a cup of tea, maybe watching Netflix, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about.

Those were the top 13 emotions you can’t explain. Please, don’t forget to share this topic with friends.