This paper argues that in order to gain a more informed perspective on emotions andHIV/AIDS, crosslinguistic differences in emotion language need to be taken into account,particularly in a multilingual context. The paper reviews four published academic articles withthe aim of illustrating how more consideration of the crosslinguistic and multilingual aspectsof emotion language could have contributed to better theoretical understanding of HIV/AIDSand emotions as well as aiding the development of practical interventions in HIV/AIDScounselling and care. Finally, this paper argues that a lack of engagement with language andmultilingualism around HIV/AIDS and emotions will stifle the development of a theoreticalaccount of emotions as multi-semiotic and embodied, as well as the development of locallybased, community-driven practical interventions.