a dictionary
that goes beyond
translation

Discover our community-powered dictionary that explores languages from around the world through the eyes of native speakers.

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language + context

Not everything is said with just a translation. Created by linguists, Untranslatable is a dictionary that uses crowdsourcing and sociolinguistic principles to gain a better understanding of language.

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used only by teenagers
has no literal translation
used in specific region
has a funny literal translation
has several meanings
mostly used ironically
used very infrequently
reference to a famous tv commercial
not to be used in front of grandma
In a Nutshell

what makes us unique


Untranslatable is an online dictionary that allows you to add words and phrases in any language or dialect. Here is what makes us unique.

Untranslatable

context

Find out not just what something means, but who uses it, where, and how often, along with an example and translation.

Untranslatable

verification

Each entry includes a link to an example, is seen by a moderator and can be verified by other users.

Untranslatable

inclusivity

We love informal language, regional dialects, minority languages and other forms of language that are often overlooked.

For example

fayen

A casual greeting. Its origin may come from "fine" in English.

"Fayen mani, quoi de neuf"

"Hey bro, what's up"

Explore more

a growing collection

From local slang to national idioms - find entries from all over the world.

People
1257+
Countries
98*
Languages
102*
Minority Languages
16*

Want to make sure your language or country is represented?

Untranslatable - About

Digital documentation for
local dialects new slang your community informal language minority languages

By allowing entries in all languages and dialects, we hope to help preserve and promote linguistic diversity, especially for linguistic varieties that are otherwise often underdocumented or overlooked.

Is it only for words without translation?

Not at all! The name of this project refers not to the translatability of the words, but rather the additional context you are able to provide. Stuff that doesn't strictly fall under translation, but still helps provide context about how, where and how often words are used.

What's recommended?*

There is more to language than just words. Explore music, movies, food, books and more recommended by native speakers.

Get started

Here are some of the things you can do.