What are some Mandarin words that have no english equivalent?

淡定

Not a single word, but a phrase which is wonderfully poetic in Mandarin Chinese, but whose literal English translation is utterly stripped of its beauty. In Zhang Yimou's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_(2002_film), Broken Sword and Flying Snow, masters at swordplay and lovers, made a solemn vow to each other:   人不離人, 劍不離劍. (ren2 bu1 li2 ren2, jian2 bu1 li2 jian2) No easy way to translate its poetic meaning, but the literal translation roughly approximates: "just as we will never forsake each other, so our swords will also never be apart" (and yes, the English translation is a severe butchering of the original eloquence of the Chinese phrase).

There are a lot of food-related terms that, because of etymology and the inherent differences between Chinese and Western cuisines, do not have an precise equivalent in English.   香 xiang tone 1 : this is usually translated as fragrant, which is fitting when the word is used to describe scents or flowers, but when it's used to describe food, it introduces a dimension beyond taste. Foods that are xiang are rich in smell and has substance in flavor.   鲜 xian tone 1 :  this is used to describe dishes with a fresh and vibrant flavor, but not necessarily in the form of a zesty salad. Abstractly, it contains the connotation of a dish being "lively".   馋 chan tone 2 : "this means you are easily tempted by food and always want to eat. However, it doesn’t mean you are hungry or an over-eater. Rather, you see food as a form of entertainment rather than just necessity, but you are not quite a refined foodie. We often use this word to describe kids and teenage girls since they always want to eat or snack in order to entertain themselves." (Source: http://jennyzhu.com/2011/10/26/10-wonderful-chinese-words-without-english-equivalent/)   麻辣 mala tones 2, 4 : is a type of spicy that originates from Szechuan province. It is numbing, oily, and hot, all at once, and mala sauce is made from Szechuanese peppercorns.   Now I'm hungry.

舒服 shufu. One of the Chinese word I like the most. It means at the same time comfortable (like a sofa), pleasant (like a moment) or almost anything that actually feels good.

装逼。 This is an Internet word. The first character means "pretend to be", and the second means "vagina region". However, the whole word doesn't mean "pretend to be the vagina region"-----nobody wants to pretend to be like that. Actually, it means pretend to be noble/upper class/knowledgeable... It's not easy to explain this word in a few words. I can give you some examples. AAA bought a latest iPhone as soon as it was put to market, and then showed off his new iPhone to everybody. You can say AAA is very 装逼。 Another example. Background: In China, Starbucks is expensive and commonly recognised as an enjoyable lifestyle especially for the white collar workers . If someone posts an photo saying he is enjoying the coffee in Starbucks, delibrately showing his Macbook Pro on the table, you can say he is very 装逼。

"Lao wai" is a good one (老外); it's a sort of respectful diminutive for foreigner. I remember asking what it was the first time I heard someone use it. She said, "It's you!"

可怜 kelian Which is most often translated as pathetic or pitiful, but there's often a sense of cuteness or affection or loving sympathy attached to it.

There doesn't seem to be any word equivalent for "體貼/体贴", which means the thoughtfulness/ consideration/ attentiveness you have for your love ones. One might choose to be thoughtful to anybody but that is not the same as "體貼/体贴." Another one is 撒嬌/ 撒娇, which means being affectionate in a whinny way. This word applies to couples or a child to his/her parent(s) or caretaker.