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Interesting Facts In Easy English: "Serendipity" Is Difficult To Translate

Discussion Question: What word in your language is difficult to trasnslate into English, and why?

  What first came to my mind when thinking about this question was the Portuguese word "saudade". Without a shadow of  doubt that word is the hardest word to translate into English. It is always mentioned when touching topics related to difficult words to translate into another language, mainly English.

  You know, "saudade" is a word that depicts the feeling of missing  somebody or someone that you truly love or like. I think it's a word  related to a close, long-lasting relationship that you have with someone or something. You feel "saudade" because that person or thing you love a lot,  you can't have them near to you now. By the way, I believe that feeling is being softened by the new communication medias like online chats and face-to-face conversation programs like Skype and others.

  As example, I could quote as a situation that the "saudade" meaning fits, the case which a boyfriend or girlfriend that you have a relationship for a long time,  for some reason has to travel for a far away place for never to return to you. It's a typically ocasion that you feel "saudade", a deep feeeling of missing.

 Another Portuguese word that can be listed in the most diffcult words to translate into English is "cafuné". Cafuné is a word that represents the affectionately act of  running your fingers on somebody's hair. It's a concept that is linked to an affection moment between two persons. You do a "cafuné" on somebody you love or have a strong sense of fondness.

  Cafuné is in general seen among lovers or close parents like sons and his mothers or daughters and her mothers, mostly among females. You do a "cafuné" on somebody because you are sentimentally involved with that person.

  Maybe the fact these words only exist in the Portuguese language show an uniqueness of its thinking way to express particular social, cultural happenings.

  So, I think these are the most remembered and difficult words in Portuguese for translating into English that I found. Possibly, It must have other ones that I can haven't featured this opportunity, but, for sure, these are the most emblematic examples that  have to show for you.