Hiraeth vs Nostalgia: What’s the Difference?

The difference at a glance

Hiraeth is a deep, poetic longing for a home that may no longer exist. Nostalgia is a general longing for the past.

What does Hiraeth mean?

noun · /ˈhɪraɪθ/

A Welsh word for a deep longing for home, homeland, or a place that may be in the past or imagined; includes an element of grief for the lost or the unattainable.

Hiraeth in a sentence

She felt hiraeth standing in front of her childhood home — but it was already different.

Hiraeth is the feeling that home exists somewhere, even if you've never quite found it.

What does Nostalgia mean?

noun · /nɒˈstæl.dʒə/

A sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past — typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The ache of remembering what was good.

Nostalgia in a sentence

The smell of that bread produced an instant nostalgia — not for the bread itself but for the kitchen it came from.

Nostalgia is memory with the difficult parts removed — which is why the past always looks better than it was.

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