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Terminology World Travel

17 Eye-Opening Foreign Travel Words That Describe Wanderlust

  • December 23, 2022
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Last Modified: December 23, 2022
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Untranslatable Foreign Words Journey Traveler

Have you ever been to a place so beautiful, amazing, or surreal that there were no adequate words in your language to describe it? Or maybe you’ve been to a place where everything is just so different from home that it’s hard to find the right way to talk about it.

Blake Miner

Blake is a social scientist, entrepreneur and full-time traveler who writes about the psychology of personal freedom, exploration, and location independent business. He's the founder of Flâneur Life, an internet home for free range humans.
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Do you ever feel like you need a new word to describe your travel experience? Something that really captures the feeling of being in a new place, seeing amazing things and living life on the go? Well, you’re in luck. Because foreign languages have all sorts of great words for describing travel. Here are 17 of our favorites that help describe feelings you experience on the road in a way English just can’t.

These thought-provoking foreign words each explain a concept that isn’t as simply or easily expressed in English.

Bon voyage!

Travel Words From Foreign Languages

1. Flânerie

foreign-travel-words-flânerie

Definition: Aimless strolling or sauntering without a set plan or defined destination; walking at a leisurely pace, simply observing as you’re being taken along. 

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: French

2. Fernweh

foreign-travel-words-fernweh

Definition: A longing or craving for distant, far-off places; “homesick” for places you’ve never been to. Literally: farsickness. 

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: German

3. Alpas

foreign-travel-words-alpas

 Definition: To become free or untied; to break loose.

Part of Speech: Verb

Origin: Tagalog

4. Novaturient

foreign-travel-words-novaturient

Definition: Desiring to alter your life; a feeling that pushes you to want to travel. 

Part of Speech: Adjective

Origin: Latin

5. Metanoia

foreign-travel-words-metanoia

Definition: The journey of transforming your mind, heart, self, or way of life.

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: Greek

6. Yugen

foreign-travel-words-yugen

Definition: A deep, profound awareness of the universe; an unfathomable realization that triggers an emotional response.

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: Japanese

7. Peripatetic

foreign-travel-words-peripatetic

Definition: A person who spends his time walking or traveling from place to place.

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: Greek

8. Saudade

foreign-travel-words-saudade

Definition: A deep, nostalgic, melancholic yearning for something or someone absent; accompanied by the realization that what you’re longing for will never be experienced again.

Part of Speech: Noun 

Origin: Portuguese

9. Lebenskünstler

foreign-travel-words-lebenskünstler

Definition: A “life artist” who is able to deal with any arising problems in a very artful, almost magical manner. Literally: someone who has mastered Lebenskunst (the art of life).

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: German

10. Hygge

foreign-travel-words-hygge

Definition: A quality of coziness and comfort accompanied by feelings of well-being, relaxation, contentment and presence; often likened to the feeling of drinking a warm cup of cocoa on a snowy day.

Parts of Speech: Noun, adjective

Origin: Danish

11. Resfeber

foreign-travel-words-resfeber

Definition: The restless feeling before starting out on a journey; a mix of anxiety, excitement and anticipation.

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: Swedish

12. Shinrin-yoku

foreign-travel-words-shinrin-yoku

Definition: The practice of going into the woods seeking out a mentally soothing experience; taking in the forest atmosphere with your senses. Literally: “forest bathing.” 

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: Japanese

13. Nefelibata

foreign-travel-words-nefelibata

Definition: Someone who doesn’t conform to the conventions of society, literature, or art; an unconventional, unorthodox person who lives in the clouds of their own imagination or dreams. Literally: “cloud walker.”

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: Portuguese

14. Toska

foreign-travel-words-toska

Definition: A vague sense of unease, sadness, melancholy, nostalgia or yearning; a type of spiritual anguish.

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: Russian

15. Dérive

foreign-travel-words-dérive

Definition: Drifting; a spontaneous, unplanned journey in which the traveler relinquishes control and is guided solely by the landscape and architecture.

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: French

16. Rasāsvāda

foreign-travel-words-rasāsvāda

Definition: The sensation of bliss in the absence of all thought.

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: Sanskrit

17. Trouvaille

foreign-travel-words-trouvaille

Definition: A chance encounter with something wonderful; a valuable discovery; a lucky find.

Part of Speech: Noun

Origin: French

A Final Word

We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief foray into the strange, wonderful world of foreign travel words. What’s your favorite? Leave us a comment below! And don’t forget to share with your friends – they may find some of these words useful on their next trip abroad (or even just in their day-to-day lives).

Filed Under: 
Terminology, World Travel
  • The best way to learn a new language to travel - Love and Road says:
    April 6, 2022 at 1:30 pm

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  • Flâneur Quotes: A Collection of Words Related to Flâneurs and Flânerie says:
    February 4, 2020 at 1:19 am

    […] 17 Eye-Opening Travel Words From Foreign Languages (For the Journey) […]

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    January 30, 2020 at 12:25 am

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  • 9 Famous Thinkers from History Who Were Habitual Walkers says:
    August 30, 2019 at 3:58 pm

    […] and learn. Just like Socrates before him, Aristotle conducted his lectures to his students, the peripatetics, while walking the grounds of the Lyceum with his books in hand. The early Greek philosophers […]

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  • Soph says:
    August 30, 2019 at 7:57 am

    Aw I love these words! I know a little French and an even smaller amount of Spanish but putting these words from all different languages is such a good idea. Alpas is a great one!
    Soph – https://sophhearts.com x

    Reply
  • Kimmy Lamb says:
    August 29, 2019 at 4:58 pm

    I know the feeling of yugen well. It’s being moved to tears when you watch the sunrise from a mountain top, or suddenly realizing how very small you are when confronted with the vastness of the ocean.

    Reply
  • Corina at Chasing our Financial Freedom says:
    August 29, 2019 at 10:08 am

    Interesting list. I’m curious to also know how you discovered these words.

    Reply
  • Flânerie Definition: What Does it Actually Mean? » Flâneur Life says:
    August 27, 2019 at 5:17 pm

    […] This entire list of foreign travel words […]

    Reply
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