If you know even a tiny bit of German, you’re probably aware that the language is full of uniquely specific words — often formed by combining simpler words into one. One particularly notable example is “treppenwitz.” According to DW.com, treppenwitz literally translates to “staircase joke.” But, specifically, treppenwitz refers to those bittersweet moments where you come up with the perfect comeback, joke, or pick up line hours after you actually needed it. In the moment, you were too anxious to say anything clever. It’s not until you were climbing the stairs on the way out that the ideal response popped into your head (hence “staircase joke”). In English, there’s the less-catchy (and more broad) notion of the “shower thought.”

There are plenty of other humorously specific unique German words. According to Babbel, “kopfkino” literally translates to “head cinema” and describes the act of vividly picturing a future scenario in your head (along with all the ways that scenario could go horribly wrong). Additionally, “schnapsidee” describes an idea so crazy that it “could have been, and perhaps was, fueled by an influential quantity of strong alcohol.” Finally, according to FluentU, “backpfeifengesicht” is a German word describing a particularly slappable face, like the one possessed by your annoying coworker.

Clearly, English speakers are missing out on the vividly specific compound nouns offered by the German language.

In English, “love” is a versatile word. You can love your mother, love your spouse, and love food. In each statement, “love” carries a different meaning. While some might prefer the simplicity of the English-language approach, other languages have decided to split the concept of “love” into many different words. One example is the Norwegian word “forelsket.” According to EF.edu, forelsket refers to “the euphoria experienced as you begin to fall in love.” The butterflies, the confusion, the passion — all are encompassed in the notion of forelsket. English speakers, on the other hand, have no one-word way to describe the emotions they felt after their first kiss.

As it turns out, many languages have better love-related vocabularies than English does. Per LifeHack.org, for example, the Portuguese verb “apaixonar” refers to “the act of falling in love” — a term that surprisingly lacks an English equivalent. Tagalog — a language spoken in the Philippines — gets even more precise. Per EF.edu, “kilig” (a Tagalog word) refers specifically to “the feeling of butterflies in your stomach, usually when something romantic takes place.” For a final emotional example, consider “iktsuarpok.” According to BK Connection, iktsuarpok is an Inuit word which refers to the feeling of anticipation as you wait for a loved one to arrive. Pace your room, check the window, step outside to see if they’re coming — all these actions are part of the feeling of iktsuarpok.

Naturally, one reason that many of us study foreign languages is to travel to other parts of the world. And, as it turns out, many languages have a rich vocabulary when it comes to the act of traveling. For example, the German word “wanderlust” — which describes a strong desire to travel the world — has been essentially adopted into English. According to FluentU, an even more specific German word is “fernweh,” which describes “the feeling of wanting to be somewhere else” and “a longing for a place that isn’t where you are right now.”

After months of home quarantine, fernweh is a particularly relatable emotion for most of us. But the French word “dépaysement” reminds us of the downsides that can come with traveling. According to EF.edu, dépaysement is “the feeling that comes from not being in one’s home country; being a foreigner.” It’s a decidedly complex emotion. While traveling can be exciting, it also requires the traveller to adjust to a new culture that can be radically different from what they’re familiar with. This alienating feeling is even more intense if you don’t speak the language of the country you’re visiting. Thus, EF.edu describes dépaysement as an intense homesickness, mixed with the feeling “that you don’t really belong.”

If you’ve ever had a powerful reaction to a work of art, but you’ve struggled to explain what it was that moved you so much, Spanish may be able to help you out. According to EF.edu, “duende” is a Spanish word meaning “a work of art’s mysterious power to deeply move a person.” Duende is the unique property of art that gives you goosebumps or brings you to tears. The term is often used in reference to the Spanish music and dance style of flamenco, but it also applies to the emotional power of art in general. Duende can bring about both physical and mental effects and is often tied to a heightened state of awareness. (On a mostly unrelated note, a “duende” is also a goblin-like creature in Hispanic folklore.)

Just as art can produce a powerful psychological reaction, so too can nature. Per EF.edu, “waldeinsamkeit” is a unique German word that describes “the feeling of solitude and connectedness to nature when being alone in the woods.” After so much time in front of a screen, waldeinsamkeit is a feeling everyone could benefit from.

A popular English word on the internet is “cringe.” A corporation tries too hard to be relatable to kids? Cringe. A friend shares a meme that no one finds funny? Cringe. Entire movies and TV shows — like Curb Your Enthusiasm — are based on the idea of “cringe comedy.”

But, often, cringey moments aren’t funny — they’re just sad. German has the perfect word for occasions like this. According to FluentU, “fremdschämen” (literally meaning “exterior shame”) is a German word referring to “the feeling of shame when seeing someone else in an uncomfortable or embarrassing situation.” You might feel fremdschämen when your friend tells an offensive joke to a crowd or when a musician you’ve never met completely bombs onstage. Life is full of moments of fremdschämen. It’s unfortunate that English lacks a word for this emotion.

According to Spanish Pod 101, the Spanish phrase “Vergüenza ajena” is much like the German “fremdschämen.” It refers to the moments “when you’re embarrassed by someone else’s actions.” And, while most bad jokes make us cringe, some are so bad that they actually make us laugh. Per Medium, Indonesians use the word “jayus” to describe humor like this — jokes “so lame and unfunny you can’t help but laugh.”

Let’s end our list on a world record. In 1994, “mamihlapinatapai” was listed in The Guinness Book of Records as the “most succinct word” in the world. As Baselang explains, mamihlapinatapai is a word from Yaghan — a language spoken by the native peoples of Tierra del Fuego in southern Argentina. It’s a fairly lengthy word, but, as Guinness explains, it has a much longer definition. Mamihlapinatapai is the act of two people “looking at each other hoping that either will offer to do something which both parties desire but are unwilling to do.”

Mamihlapinatapai could refer to a romantic moment — like two people shyly staring at each other hoping the other will initiate a kiss. Or, as Baselang points out, it could refer to something more negative — like a married couple silently hoping that the other person will volunteer to take out the trash.

Mamihlapinatapai packs a whole lot of meaning into its seven syllables. No English word reaches the same level of meaning-density. Still, hopefully this list didn’t trigger an inferiority complex in any English speakers. There are plenty of uniquely beautiful English words, too.