English Says 'Love' for Everything, Gets Emotional Gym Membership
KEY POINTS
- ā¢Axios highlights how many languages have specific words for forms of love English lumps under one 'love.'
- ā¢Duolingo linguist Ben Kramer comments on culturally unique feelings like Japanese 'koi no yokan' and Arabic 'ya'aburnee.'
- ā¢Languages like Welsh, German, and French offer nuanced terms including longing for unreachable love and tender nicknames.
As Valentine's Day creeps closer, Axios reminds us that English is emotionally lazy with one 'L' word handling everything from puppy love to existential soulmate connections. Duolingo linguist Ben Kramer praises languages like Japanese, who split 'premonition of love' (koi no yokan) from 'love at first sight' (hitomebore)ābecause apparently they once confused blue and green, so why not feelings? Arabic goes full drama queen with 'ya'aburnee,' a love so intense itās basically 'please outlive me or Iāll die,' which puts all those English heart emojis to shame. Meanwhile, Welsh fans cry over 'hiraeth,' a longing for unreachable things, and German is proudly in love with 'departure pain' (abschiedsschmerz). Also, beloved French terms like 'mon petit chou' remind us that calling someone 'my little cabbage' beats 'honey' any day. So yes, English might want to up its feelings game before V-Day strikes.
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English is that clingy friend who says 'love' for everything, ignoring other languages flexing with 'you bury me' and 'premonition of love.' Apparently, weāre emotionally stuck in one sitcom episode while Arabic is writing soap operas.
Only English would handle feelings with one word, like trying to build IKEA furniture with a spoon instead of the Allen key every single time.
Japanese differentiating 'love at first sight' and 'premonition of love' is the emotional equivalent of owning separate mugs for coffee and existential dread.
Source: Axios | Published: 2/12/2026 | Author: Carly Mallenbaum
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