In shortReaders who land here meaning Saudade rather than Nostalgia are usually searching for phrases like “a sweet sadness, missing someone or something deeply”, “longing for something and being grateful it existed at the same time”, “homesick for a person, a place, or a time I can't get back”.
Saudade
“a sweet sadness, missing someone or something deeply”
“longing for something and being grateful it existed at the same time”
“homesick for a person, a place, or a time I can't get back”
“the ache of an absence I don't fully want to let go of”
Nostalgia
“a warm, wistful longing for the past”
“missing how things used to be”
“that bittersweet ache when an old song takes me back”
“remembering the past more fondly than it really was”
03
03 · Which came first
Which came first
In shortNostalgia. 1688 — Johannes Hofer coins 'nostalgia' as a diagnosis for homesick soldiers.
1688
Nostalgia. Johannes Hofer coins 'nostalgia' as a diagnosis for homesick soldiers.
1800s–
Saudade. Becomes the emotional heart of fado, Portugal's melancholic song.
04
04 · The mix-up
Where the confusion comes from
The mix-up“It's the same as nostalgia.”
What's true
Nostalgia is a light look back; saudade carries real ache and warmth at once.