When learning Spanish, one of the most interesting and challenging aspects is understanding how certain words or phrases don’t translate directly between languages.

English and Spanish have different cultural contexts, idiomatic expressions, and grammatical structures, which can make it tricky to find equivalent translations.

Some words simply don’t have an exact match in Spanish, while others have nuanced meanings that require a deeper understanding.

At Spanish Language School, we’ve compiled a list of the 20 most difficult words to translate into Spanish and provided tips on how to understand them.

If you’ve ever been stuck trying to translate a word that just doesn’t make sense, keep reading—this article will help!

1. Hygge (Danish)

• Meaning: A feeling of coziness, contentment, and well-being, often associated with the winter months.
• Spanish Translation: There isn’t a direct translation in Spanish, but “confort” or “calidez” can come close.
• How to understand it: Hygge is a cultural concept that reflects a sense of warmth, comfort, and togetherness. In Spanish, you might describe a similar feeling as “estar cómodo/a” or “disfrutar del momento” (enjoying the moment).

2. Serendipity

• Meaning: The occurrence of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
• Spanish Translation: “Serendipia” is the closest translation.
• How to understand it: While the word exists in Spanish, it’s not as commonly used. You can describe the idea with phrases like “un golpe de suerte” (a stroke of luck) or “algo afortunado que ocurre por casualidad” (something fortunate that happens by chance).

3. Wanderlust

• Meaning: A strong desire to travel and explore the world.
• Spanish Translation: “Inquietud viajera” or “pasión por los viajes”.
• How to understand it: This word is often borrowed into Spanish directly, but the essence of “wanderlust” can be described in Spanish as a deep passion for discovering new places, experiences, and cultures.

4. Déjà Vu

• Meaning: The feeling that you have experienced something before, even if it’s happening for the first time.
• Spanish Translation: “Déjà vu” (same as in English).
• How to understand it: This French term is used in Spanish too, but if you want to explain it, you could say “la sensación de haber vivido algo previamente” (the sensation of having lived something before).

5. Grit

• Meaning: Courage, resolve, and strength of character.
• Spanish Translation: “Valentía” or “agallas”.
• How to understand it: “Grit” refers to a kind of mental toughness and perseverance in tough situations. “Valentía” is courage, and “agallas” refers to having guts or bravery.

6. To Have a Crush

• Meaning: To have romantic feelings for someone, typically someone you don’t know very well.
• Spanish Translation: “Estar enamorado/a de alguien” or “tener un flechazo”.
• How to understand it: In Spanish, you could say “tener un flechazo” (literally, “to have been struck by Cupid’s arrow”) to convey the idea of a sudden romantic attraction.

7. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

• Meaning: Anxiety over the possibility of missing out on an exciting event or opportunity.
• Spanish Translation: “Miedo a perderse algo” or “miedo a quedar fuera”.
• How to understand it: While FOMO has been borrowed into Spanish, you can also express this feeling with phrases like “temor a perderse una oportunidad” (fear of missing out on an opportunity).

8. Cringe

• Meaning: To experience embarrassment or discomfort, often in response to awkward or embarrassing situations.
• Spanish Translation: “Sentir vergüenza ajena” or “ponerse incómodo/a”.
• How to understand it: In Spanish, “vergüenza ajena” means feeling secondhand embarrassment when someone else does something awkward.

9. Binge-Watching

• Meaning: Watching multiple episodes of a TV series in a single sitting.
• Spanish Translation: “Maratón de series” or “ver de un tirón”.
• How to understand it: Spanish speakers often use phrases like “ver toda una temporada de golpe” (watching an entire season in one go) or simply say “maratón” to describe the activity.

10. Overwhelm

• Meaning: To be emotionally or mentally overloaded, or to have too much to handle.
• Spanish Translation: “Abrumado/a” or “sobrecargado/a”.
• How to understand it: This is a feeling of being buried under too much responsibility or emotion. In Spanish, you might say “me siento abrumado” (I feel overwhelmed).

11. Empathy

• Meaning: The ability to understand and share the feelings of others.
• Spanish Translation: “Empatía”.
• How to understand it: In both English and Spanish, “empatía” refers to the capacity to recognize and emotionally respond to others’ feelings. It’s a core part of human connection.

12. Shenanigans

• Meaning: Secretive or mischievous activities, often playful or deceptive.
• Spanish Translation: “Travesuras” or “payasadas”.
• How to understand it: While “shenanigans” isn’t a common term in Spanish, “travesuras” conveys a similar idea, typically used for playful, mischievous actions, often by children.

13. Pet Peeve

• Meaning: A specific thing that particularly annoys or irritates you.
• Spanish Translation: “Cosa que me molesta” or “manía”.
• How to understand it: The closest translation is often “cosa que me molesta”, but “manía” can also refer to a minor obsession or irritation.

14. Whistleblower

• Meaning: Someone who exposes wrongdoing or illegal activities within an organization.
• Spanish Translation: “Delator” or “informante”.
• How to understand it: In Spanish, “delator” or “informante” refers to someone revealing misconduct, although it can carry a slightly negative connotation depending on context.

15. Hangry

• Meaning: The feeling of being irritable due to hunger.
• Spanish Translation: “Hambre de mal humor” or “estar de mal humor por hambre”.
• How to understand it: This slang term doesn’t exist in Spanish, but you can describe it as “tener hambre y estar de mal humor” (to be hungry and in a bad mood).