One of my favorite things about teaching Portuguese is sharing words that just don’t exist in English.

You might hear people talk about “untranslatable” words. This doesn’t mean the words are impossible to explain.

It simply means that English requires a whole sentence to describe an emotion or idea that Portuguese captures in a single word.

Portuguese is a deeply emotional and expressive language.

Because of this, we have some incredibly beautiful words to describe feelings, relationships, and even daily problems.

The most famous example is saudade, but there are many others you should know if you want to sound like a native.

What are untranslatable words?

When you first start learning Portuguese, you usually learn direct translations. For example, gato means cat, and água means water.

But as you get more advanced, you’ll realize that culture shapes language. People in Portugal and Brazil have created specific words for situations that are highly valued in their cultures.

Let’s look at the most beautiful and useful untranslatable words in Portuguese!

Saudade (the feeling of longing)

You can’t talk about the Portuguese language without talking about saudade.

It’s arguably the most famous Portuguese word in the world. But what does it mean?

In English, you might say “I miss you.” But saudade is much deeper than just missing someone. It’s a profound feeling of melancholy, nostalgia, and longing for something or someone that’s far away-or maybe even gone forever.

You can feel saudade for a person, a place, a time in your life, or even a food!

Instead of saying “I miss you” as a verb, in Portuguese, we say that we “have” saudade.

(Note: You can use this word in the singular “saudade” or the plural “saudades”.)

Cafuné (a loving touch)

This is a word that comes from Brazilian Portuguese, and its origins trace back to the Indigenous Tupi-Guarani language.

Cafuné is the act of gently running your fingers through someone’s hair.

In English, you have to use a whole phrase to explain this action. In Brazil, we just use this beautiful little word. It shows deep affection, usually between romantic partners, parents and children, or even with a pet.

Desenrascar (figuring it out)

While cafuné is deeply Brazilian, desenrascar is a word that captures the spirit of European Portuguese.

To desenrascar means to creatively untangle yourself from a difficult situation. It’s the art of figuring things out, solving a problem at the last minute, or “MacGyvering” a quick fix.

If you ask a Portuguese person if they need help with a tough task, they might tell you they can desenrascar-se (figure it out themselves).

Apaixonar (falling in love)

In English, “falling in love” requires three different words. It sounds like an accident-something you physically fall into!

In Portuguese, we have a single verb for this beautiful process: apaixonar.

It literally means “to impassion” oneself.

Because of regional variations, you’ll see this verb used slightly differently depending on whether you’re in Portugal or Brazil, but the meaning’s exactly the same.

Desabafar (pouring your heart out)

Have you ever felt like your chest is heavy with stress, sadness, or frustration, and you just need to talk to a friend to let it all out?

In English, you might call this “venting” or “getting something off your chest.”

In Portuguese, we use the verb desabafar. It means to relieve yourself of an emotional burden by talking about it.

Time words: madrugada and anteontem

Not all untranslatable words are deeply emotional! Some are just incredibly practical words related to time that English is severely missing.

The first one is madrugada. This refers to the specific time of night between midnight and dawn. In English, you might say “the middle of the night” or “the early hours of the morning.” In Portuguese, it’s just madrugada.

The second word is anteontem. In English, if something happened the day prior to yesterday, you have to say “the day before yesterday.” That’s four words! In Portuguese, we just say anteontem.

A quick summary table

Here’s a quick reference guide so you can review these beautiful Portuguese words and practice using them in your conversations!

By using these words, you won’t just improve your vocabulary. It’ll bring you closer to thinking and feeling like a native Portuguese speaker.