Untranslatable Spanish words

Among the more than 93,000 words in the Spanish language, there are several that are unique and have no English translation. Therefore, it is not surprising that, if you are learning Spanish, you hear or read words that you don't know what they mean and that, in addition, have no English translation.

In this don Quijote article we are going to show you more than 20 Spanish words with no English translation. Get into the language and learn Spanish in Spain now, you can discover words that only exist in this language.

Spanish words with no English translation

Puente: you probably think that this Spanish word does have an English translation, bridge. However, puente also refers to a long weekend, with an additional non-working day joining the weekend. Therefore, a longer break of more than two days is formed.

• For example: “Este viernes es festivo, así que tendremos un puente de tres días” (This Friday is a holiday, so we will have a three-day long weekend).
• The meaning of puente would be “long weekend”.

Sobremesa: a very common practice in Spain is to make sobremesa. This term refers to the time spent chatting after a meal at the table where the meal was eaten.

• Example: “Nos quedamos en el restaurante de sobremesa hablando durante horas” (We stayed at the restaurant talking for hours)
• It could be translated as 'table talk' or 'after-dinner conversation'.

Consuegro/a: the relationship between the parents of a married couple, i.e., they are the in-laws of a person's child.

• “Mis consuegros vienen a cenar esta noche” (My in-laws are coming to dinner tonight).
• There is no exact term in English, but it can be described as “co-in-laws”.

Estrenar: means to use something for the first time, it could be clothes, shoes, kitchen utensils, a car...

• “Hoy voy a estrenar mis zapatos nuevos” (Today I am going to use my new shoes for the first time).
• It could be translated as “to use or wear for the first time”.

Anteayer: refers to the day before yesterday.

• “Anteayer fui al cine con mis primos” (The day before yesterday I went to the movies with my cousins).
• The English translation would be “the day before yesterday”. In this case, there is a translation, but not as a single concrete word.

Chapuza: means a job that is poorly done or improvised.

• “El arreglo que hizo en la puerta fue una chapuza” (The repair he did on the door was a botch job)
• It could be translated as “botched job” or “shoddy work”.

Entrecejo: the space between the eyebrows is so called.

• For example: “Frida Kahlo era conocida por su famoso entrecejo” (Frida Kahlo was known for her famous frown)
• It translates as “the space between the eyebrows”.

Tocayo: this term is used to refer to a person who has the same name as someone else.

• Él es mi tocayo, también se llama Luis (He is my namesake, his name is also Luis)
• The translation is “namesake”

Madrugar: it means getting up very early.

• Mañana tengo que madrugar para ir al trabajo (I must get up early tomorrow to go to work).
• A translation for this word in English would be “to wake up early”.

Merendar: means to eat something light in the afternoon.

• Example: Voy a merendar un bocadillo de jamón y queso (I'm going to have a lunch break and eat a ham and cheese sandwich).
• It could be translated as “to have an afternoon snack”.

Trasnochar: is the action of going to sleep very late or not sleeping all night.

• For example: Anoche trasnoché viendo películas (Last night I stayed up watching films).
• It would be translated as “to stay up late”.

Tutear: when you address someone informally instead of using the formal “usted”. It is an informal way of speaking to others, instead of using the usted in Spanish to address someone cordially.

• Puedes tutearme, no hace falta que me hables de usted (You can call me by my name, you don't have to use the formal form to talk with me).
• Translation: “to address someone informally”.

Friolero: a person who easily feels cold or is always very cold, regardless of the time of year or the place where they are.

• Example: No olvides tu bufanda y tus guantes para la nieve, que eres muy friolera (Don't forget your scarf and gloves for the snow, you are very sensitive to cold).
• It could be translated as “sensible to cold”.

Quincena: period of time of 15 days.

• Example: Mi empresa paga cada quincena (My company pays every fortnight)
• The most accurate translation would be “fortnight”.

Aturdir: means to be or to leave confused or bewildered.

• For example: El ruido me aturde y no puedo concentrarme (The noise makes me dizzy and I can't concentrate).
• Translation: 'to stun' or 'to bewilder'.

Enmadrarse: said of a child who becomes excessively attached to his mother or is very fond of her. It usually has a negative connotation.

• Este niño está muy enmadrado, no quiere separarse de su madre (This child is very attached to her mother, he doesn't want to be separated from her).
• It doesn't have an exact equivalent, but it could be “to be overly attached to one's mother”.

Mimoso/a: said of a person who likes to receive affection.

• Example: Es un niño muy mimoso, siempre quiere abrazos (He is a very cuddly child, he always wants hugs).
• It could say that a translation is “affectionate”.

Pavonearse: to show off something with excessive pride.

• Se pavonea de su coche nuevo (He is prancing around in his new car).
• A rough translation would be “to strut”.

Soler: means to do something habitually.

• Example: Suele ir al gimnasio por las mañanas (He usually goes to the gym in the mornings).
• Its closest translation would be “to usually do something”.

Picotear: is a very common word in Spain and means to eat small portions of different foods.

• No tengo hambre, pero picotearé algo (I'm not hungry, but I'll have a bite to eat).
• A very close translation is “to have a snack” or “to nibble”.

Manco: said of a person without a hand or with limited mobility in it.

• Es manco, pero juega muy bien al fútbol (He is one-armed, but he plays football very well).
• It could be translated as “one-armed”.

Tuerto: said of a person with vision in only one eye.

• Mi primo es tuerto del ojo derecho (My cousin is blind in his right eye).
• It translates as “one-eyed”.

Duende: a fantastic spirit, with the figure of an old man or a child in traditional stories, who lives in some houses and causes disorder and uproar in them.

• En mi cuento popular favorito de la infancia aparecía un duende mágico (In my favorite Spanish folk tale from my childhood there was a magical elf).
• It could be translated as “goblin” or “elf”.

Desvelado: said of a person who has not slept or has found it difficult to sleep.

• Me desvelé anoche y no conseguí dormir hasta las 4 de la mañana (I was up last night and couldn't sleep until 4 in the morning).
• The most accurate translation would be “sleep-deprived” or “wide awake”.

Morriña: means nostalgia or sadness caused by being far from home or one's homeland. It is a word with Galician origin.

• Desde que se mudó al extranjero, tiene morriña de su pueblo (Since he went to live abroad, he has missed his village).
• It could be translated as “homesickness”.

These are just a few Spanish words that have no translation in English, but there are probably many more. Do you know any? Tell us! It can also happen that you want to say a word in your language that has no translation in Spanish.

Languages are complex and each one has its peculiarities, but if you want to master Spanish like a native, don't hesitate to sign up for our intensive Spanish courses to continue practicing, improving and mastering the language and all its words, with or without English translation.