Words to Wonder By: 20 Translations of Awe, Longing, and Light

Sometimes, a single word can shift the way we see everything.

Especially words from languages other than English. They seem to express so much in just a single word, a handful of letters - words that hold entire galaxies inside them—moments, moods, and emotions we’ve felt but never quite had a name for. These words become anchors, tiny windows, or quiet mirrors. They remind us we’re not alone in how deeply we feel, how much we notice, or how hard we try to stay present in a world that rushes by and leaves us often feeling untethered and adrift.

Recently I came across the Japanese word Yutori, that someone shared in the comment of someone else’s Substack Note and I immediately fell in love! (Thanks to

Sandeep Kumar Verma

for sharing it! It inspired this article!). I’d never heard of it (as with most Japanese words, as I don’t know the language, besides maybe what is on a Japanese restaurant menu!). Yutori, apparently, is the art of creating spaciousness in your life—to breathe, to think, to simply be.

Isn’t that just lovely? It made me relax just reading the definition!

And it made me wonder… what other words might hold this kind of subtle magic?

I know there’s a lot out there - like one of my faves Sonder (which isn’t highlighted below) defined as: “the feeling one has on realizing that every other individual one sees has a life as full and real as one’s own, in which they are the central character and others, including oneself, have secondary or insignificant roles”. Sonder always gets me. It reminds me that everyone has their own stories.

So I thought I’d trawl the internet for a collection of soul-stirring words that say so much in such little space—some from other languages, some rare or underused in English, but all quietly infused with wonder. Which one (or ones) are your favourite? Let me know, and let them spark something in you.

Words from Other Languages That Breathe Wonder

1. Komorebi (Japanese)
The sunlight filtering through trees.
That dappled light dancing on the ground, it has a name. Nature’s stained-glass windows. A reminder that beauty is often quiet and hidden and we don’t really pay attention to it. Now I can say as I’m walking my dog, “I love the komorebi right now!”

2. Sobremesa (Spanish)
The time spent lingering at the table after a meal.
Not rushing off. Just sitting, savouring, laughing. It’s about presence and being together, digesting life. Does this even happen anymore? I hope so.

3. Fernweh (German)
The ache for distant places you’ve never been.
Not just wanderlust—but soul-deep yearning. A homesickness for elsewhere that your heart needs to fulfil. I wonder if this is what ancient humans felt when they didn’t know what was beyond the boundaries of where they lived?

4. Hiraeth (Welsh)
A nostalgic longing for a home that maybe never existed.
A tug at the heart for something lost or never fully found. Bittersweet but beautiful at the same time. I first came across this word years ago in a meditation on the Calm meditation app (the meditation is titled Hiraeth, if curious).

5. Ubuntu (Nguni Bantu languages)
“I am because we are.”
A whole worldview in five words. A reminder that connection is not optional—it makes us who we are. (I’ve mentioned this word before in previous writings (here and here).

6. Iktsuarpok (Inuit)
The restless anticipation of waiting for someone to arrive.
Peeking out the window. Listening for footsteps. The twitching of the curtain. The pacing, the excitement. Being Canadian, the Inuit are one of the indigenous peoples of my country so it was interesting to come across this word.

7. Wabi-sabi (Japanese)
The beauty of imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness.
Chipped mugs. Cracked hearts. Half-finished poems. Still beautiful. Kinda along the same lines as kintsugi (also Japanese) which is the art of mending broken things with gold. Again, wabi-sabi was a phrase I first came across, I think, using the Calm app. I really love words that bring home the idea of impermanence.

8. Meraki (Greek)
To do something with soul, love, or creativity.
When you pour a piece of yourself into what you’re making. A kind of invisible signature. It literally means ‘essence of yourself’. Like when you cook or bake with love. People can tell.

9. Tsundoku (Japanese)
Buying books and letting them pile up unread.
A hopeful kind of clutter. Proof you still believe in time, and stories, and that there’s a someday that you’ll maybe finish them. I am totally guilty of tsundoku! My TBR pile is quite large.

10. Saudade (Portuguese)
A profound, melancholic longing for someone or something beloved.
The ache that love leaves behind and the softness of remembering.

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✨ Underused English Words That Deserve the Spotlight

11. Susurrus
A soft murmuring sound, like rustling leaves, or a babbling brook.
The hush of the world when you finally slow down enough to hear it. A whisper from the world inviting you to listen more closely.

12. Petrichor
The earthy smell after rain hits dry ground.
A scent that says: something is ending, and beginning again. It’s such a unique scent, isn’t it?

13. Ephemeral
Lasting only a very short time.
Fireflies. Cherry blossoms. Childhood summers. The more fleeting, the more precious. When things are ephemeral it’s a call to cherish the fleeting, the present moment. I wrote about this here.

14. Apricity
The warmth of the sun in winter.
A small mercy. It’s the kind of comfort that sneaks up on you, a reminder that comfort can arrive even in the cold. This really spoke to me. The warmth of the sun in winter is such a magical feeling. That there’s still warmth to be found, even when it’s cold.

15. Numinous
Something that feels sacred or otherworldly. Having a strong religious or spiritual quality; evoking the presence of the divine.
This is not necessarily religious—just holy in the way a starry sky might be. Carl Jung talks about numinosity, and I’ve talked about it on one of my podcast episodes about coincidence.

16. Liminal
Occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold.
The magic of the in-between. I’ve written about it here and it’ll be in one of my upcoming Psychology Meets Wonder articles.

17. Vellichor
The strange wistfulness of used bookstores.
The haunting charm of old pages and other people’s stories. I can’t believe there’s an actual word for this! As a lover of books and old bookstores, I think this is my favourite word on this whole list, though they’re all amazing, aren’t they?

18. Solivagant
Wandering alone or a solitary wanderer.
The quiet power of exploring alone, following curiosity without a map. I wish I could be a solivagant, alas, I am not of that breed of people.

19. Clinamen
The unpredictable swerve of atoms that makes change possible (from Lucretius).
From Epicurean philosophy - a poetic way to describe the beauty of veering slightly off-course.

20. Serein
The fine, light rain that falls from a clear sky after sunset.
It’s wonder that arrives unexpectedly, softly. When you look up at the sky and wonder where on earth the rain is coming from?!

A Closing Invitation

What if you collected words the way some people collect seashells?

Words like these don’t just sound beautiful—they carry perspective. They reframe the mundane. They give shape to feelings we thought were too strange, too tender, or too subtle to explain. They’re ways back to ourselves.

This week, I invite you to adopt one of these wonder-words. Let it accompany you like a quiet companion. Let it re-colour a moment you might’ve otherwise rushed through.

Or better yet—what’s a word you carry close? One that holds wonder for you?

I’d love to hear it.

With wonder and words,
Caitlin 💫

References:

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Dictionary.com

Morethantokyo.com

itranslate.com

en.wiktionary.org

https://caryyogacollective.com/the-significance-of-meraki/

merriam-webster.com

If this letter found you at the right time, feel free to share it with someone else who might need a little wonder today.

Love words as much as I do?
If this collection stirred something in you, you might enjoy the Words of Wonder ebook — a beautifully crafted digital keepsake filled with 20 awe-inspiring words from around the world, thoughtful reflections, and quiet invitations to wonder.

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Every small contribution helps keep the wonder flowing.

With heartfelt thanks, always.
— Caitlin

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