Abuse in Different Languages
Discover 'Abuse' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'abuse' carries a significant weight, as it refers to the harmful or improper use of something, often involving mistreatment or harm to people or things. Its cultural importance is evident in the way it is used across various societies to describe harmful behaviors and attitudes. Understanding its translation in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures approach and address this important issue.
For instance, in Spanish, 'abuse' translates to 'abuso', while in French, it is 'abus'. In German, the word for 'abuse' is 'Missbrauch', and in Japanese, it is '虐待 (gyakutai)'. These translations not only help in cross-cultural communication but also highlight the global prevalence of harmful behaviors and the need for awareness and action.
In this article, we explore the translations of 'abuse' in 10 major languages, shedding light on the cultural nuances and significance of this important word. By understanding these translations, we can foster a greater appreciation for the diversity of human experiences and work towards creating a safer, more respectful world for all.
Abuse
Abuse in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | misbruik | ||
| The Afrikaans word "misbruik" originally meant "incorrect use" and still retains this meaning in certain contexts. | |||
| Amharic | አላግባብ መጠቀም | ||
| The word "abuse" comes from the Latin word "abuti", which means "to use incorrectly". | |||
| Hausa | zagi | ||
| "Zagi" is also used in Hausa as a name given to the child born after twins. | |||
| Igbo | mmegbu | ||
| "Mmegbu" can also mean "mistreatment" or "maltreatment" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | fanararaotana | ||
| The word 'fanararaotana' is derived from the root word 'fanara', meaning 'to harm' or 'to mistreat'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuzunza | ||
| The root -kunza- in the word kuzunza means 'hurt' and the prefix ku- also indicates the infinitive | |||
| Shona | kushungurudzwa | ||
| The word 'kushungurudzwa' derives ultimately from the Proto-Bantu *kungu, meaning 'to be in a state of distress or discomfort' | |||
| Somali | xadgudub | ||
| In Somali, 'xadgudub' can also mean 'mistreatment' or 'violation'. | |||
| Sesotho | tlhekefetso | ||
| The noun 'tlhekefetso' derives from the verb 'tlekefetsa' meaning to harm, corrupt, or defile. | |||
| Swahili | unyanyasaji | ||
| "Unyanyasaji" in Swahili can also refer to "oppression" or "injustice." | |||
| Xhosa | ukuxhatshazwa | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ukuxhatshazwa' may originally come from the verb 'ukuxhathaza' meaning 'to torment', 'to molest', 'to ill-treat', or 'to vex'. | |||
| Yoruba | ilokulo | ||
| In Yoruba, the word 'ilokulo' is derived from 'oloko' (enemy) and means 'behavior of an enemy'. | |||
| Zulu | ukuhlukumeza | ||
| The Zulu verb 'ukuhlukumeza' comes from the noun 'ihlazo', which means 'shame'. | |||
| Bambara | ka tɔɲɔn | ||
| Ewe | wᴐ funyafunya | ||
| Kinyarwanda | guhohoterwa | ||
| Lingala | komonisa mpasi | ||
| Luganda | okuvuma | ||
| Sepedi | tlaiša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | teetee | ||
Abuse in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | إساءة | ||
| The Arabic word "إساءة" can also refer to "wrongdoing", "offence", or "harm". | |||
| Hebrew | התעללות | ||
| The Hebrew word 'התעללות' can also refer to 'excessive use' or 'misuse', as in the case of 'substance abuse' or 'child abuse'. | |||
| Pashto | ناوړه ګټه اخیستنه | ||
| Arabic | إساءة | ||
| The Arabic word "إساءة" can also refer to "wrongdoing", "offence", or "harm". | |||
Abuse in Western European Languages
| Albanian | abuzimi | ||
| The word "abuzimi" is derived from the Latin word "abusus", meaning "improper use". | |||
| Basque | gehiegikeria | ||
| The word "gehiegikeria" is derived from the Basque word "gehiegi," meaning "excessive" or "too much." | |||
| Catalan | abús | ||
| In Catalan, "abús" also means "excess" and has roots in the Latin "abusus," meaning "misuse or improper use." | |||
| Croatian | zlostavljanje | ||
| Zlostavljanje means 'abuse' in Croatian, and comes from the word 'zlost', which means 'evil'. | |||
| Danish | misbrug | ||
| The word 'misbrug' can also refer to the misuse of substances, such as alcohol or drugs. | |||
| Dutch | misbruik | ||
| "Misbruik" in Dutch can also mean "incorrect use" or "disuse." | |||
| English | abuse | ||
| "Abuse" comes from the Latin term "abusus," meaning "overuse" or "misuse" | |||
| French | abuser de | ||
| In French, "abuser de" can also mean "to take advantage of" or "to exploit". | |||
| Frisian | misbrûk | ||
| The word "misbrûk" also refers to improper handling or misuse of property. | |||
| Galician | abuso | ||
| The Galician word "abuso" can also refer to a "cheat" or "deception". | |||
| German | missbrauch | ||
| Missbrauch in German can also refer to trespass or exploitation, implying a violation of rights or trust. | |||
| Icelandic | misnotkun | ||
| The Icelandic word "misnotkun" is derived from the Old Norse words "misnot" (misuse) and "kun" (skill). | |||
| Irish | mí-úsáid | ||
| The Irish word "mí-úsáid" literally translates to "misuse", suggesting a broader meaning than just physical or sexual abuse. | |||
| Italian | abuso | ||
| The Italian word "abuso" derives from the Latin "abusus", meaning "misuse" or "improper use". | |||
| Luxembourgish | mëssbrauch | ||
| The term "Mëssbrauch" in Luxembourgish also refers specifically to the misuse of alcohol or medication. | |||
| Maltese | abbuż | ||
| The Maltese word "abbuż" is ultimately derived from the Latin "abusus", meaning "misuse", and can refer to any type of mistreatment or exploitation. | |||
| Norwegian | misbruke | ||
| In Norwegian, "misbruk" (abuse) originally meant "to use incorrectly". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | abuso | ||
| In Portuguese, "abuso" also means "misuse", "excessive use", "overuse", or "bad use". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | droch dhìol | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "droch dhìol" not only means "abuse," but also "bad luck". | |||
| Spanish | abuso | ||
| The Spanish word `abuso` is derived from the Latin `abusus` which translates as `too much use`. | |||
| Swedish | missbruk | ||
| A Swedish term for “abuse” or “mistreatment”, missbruk comes from the prefix miss-, meaning “failing” or “going wrong,” and the root bruk, meaning “usage” or “employment”. | |||
| Welsh | cam-drin | ||
| The word "cam-drin" has a second meaning in Welsh, which is "to give or provide". | |||
Abuse in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | злоўжыванне | ||
| The word "злоўжыванне" in Belarusian can also mean "misuse" or "excessive use", highlighting the broader semantic range of the concept of abuse across different languages. | |||
| Bosnian | zlostavljanje | ||
| The term 'zlostavljanje' comes from the Slavic root 'zlo', which means 'evil', suggesting an act of causing harm or mistreatment. | |||
| Bulgarian | злоупотреба | ||
| The word "злоупотреба" can be translated to "abuse" or "misuse" in English, but it originally referred to "overconsumption of alcohol". | |||
| Czech | zneužívání | ||
| The word "zneužívání" can also mean "overuse" or "misuse" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | kuritarvitamine | ||
| The Estonian word "kuritarvitamine" has a literal translation of "over-use," suggesting that the concept of abuse is rooted in the misuse of something | |||
| Finnish | väärinkäyttö | ||
| The Finnish word "väärinkäyttö" is a compound of "väärin" (wrong) and "käyttö" (use), but it can also refer to misuse, mistreatment, or exploitation. | |||
| Hungarian | visszaélés | ||
| Visszaélés is a loanword from German, meaning ‘misuse, abuse’ or ‘illegal use’, and was first recorded in Hungarian in 1796. | |||
| Latvian | ļaunprātīga izmantošana | ||
| The word "ļaunprātīga izmantošana" in Latvian is derived from the Latin word "abusus" meaning "improper use". | |||
| Lithuanian | piktnaudžiavimas | ||
| The word "piktnaudžiavimas" can also mean "misuse" or "exploitation" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | злоупотреба | ||
| "Злоупотреба" can also mean "excessive use" or "misuse" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | nadużycie | ||
| The word "nadużycie" in Polish can also refer to "misuse" or "exaggeration". | |||
| Romanian | abuz | ||
| The etymology of "abuz" in Romanian is unclear, but it may be connected to the Turkish word "abuz," meaning "exaggeration." | |||
| Russian | злоупотребление | ||
| In Russian, the word "злоупотребление" (abuse) also has the connotation of "taking advantage of a situation to one's benefit". | |||
| Serbian | злоупотреба | ||
| The Serbian word "злоупотреба" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *zloupotreba, meaning "misuse" or "overuse." | |||
| Slovak | zneužitie | ||
| "Zneužitie" (abuse) in Slovak traces back to the Proto-Slavic word "zъlъ" (evil), suggesting its historical association with negative conduct. | |||
| Slovenian | zlorabe | ||
| Zlòraba, which is the Slovenian word for "abuse", stems from "zloraabiti", which means to use amiss or incorrectly. | |||
| Ukrainian | зловживання | ||
| The word 'зловживання' in Ukrainian originates from the Proto-Slavic root '*zlo-' ('evil') and '-vzhivati' ('to use'), and can also refer to 'overuse' or 'misuse' of something. | |||
Abuse in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অপব্যবহার | ||
| The word "অপব্যবহার" in Bengali also means "misuse" or "incorrect usage". | |||
| Gujarati | ગા ળ | ||
| "ગાળ" could also refer to a type of vessel meant to separate impurities or as a verb meaning to pour out, filter or strain. | |||
| Hindi | गाली | ||
| The Hindi word "गाली" (abuse) has Sanskrit roots, where it means "to scold" or "to censure." | |||
| Kannada | ನಿಂದನೆ | ||
| The word "ನಿಂದನೆ" can also mean "reviling" or "cursing" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ദുരുപയോഗം | ||
| The word "ദുരുപയോഗം" has several meanings in Malayalam, including "bad use", "misuse", "misapplication", and "maltreatment". | |||
| Marathi | गैरवर्तन | ||
| The word "गैरवर्तन" ("abuse") in Marathi also means "misconduct" or "maltreatment" | |||
| Nepali | दुरुपयोग | ||
| "दुरुपयोग" (abuse) can also mean "to misuse" or "to spoil" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੁਰਵਿਵਹਾਰ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අපයෙදුම් | ||
| In Sinhala, 'අපයෙදුම්' literally means to 'use something wrongly or inappropriately'. | |||
| Tamil | துஷ்பிரயோகம் | ||
| Telugu | తిట్టు | ||
| "తిట్టు" also means the 'bank' or 'shore' of a river or lake. | |||
| Urdu | بدسلوکی | ||
| The Urdu word “بدسلوکی” is derived from the Persian word “بد” (bad) and “سلوک” (behavior), and can also refer to mistreatment or misconduct. | |||
Abuse in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 滥用 | ||
| "滥" 泛滥； "用" 使用、利用 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 濫用 | ||
| 「濫用」源自「濫」，指水勢過盛、氾濫；引申為使用過度、不當，即「濫用」之意。 | |||
| Japanese | 乱用 | ||
| The word "乱用" can also mean "misuse" or "wasteful use." | |||
| Korean | 남용 | ||
| 남용 is also used in Korean to refer to the excessive use of a resource or substance. | |||
| Mongolian | хүчирхийлэл | ||
| "Хүчирхийлэл" is derived from the verb "хүчих" (to force), hence "force" or "coercion". It also carries the connotation of "injury" or "damage". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အလွဲသုံးစားမှု | ||
Abuse in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | penyalahgunaan | ||
| The Indonesian word "penyalahgunaan" has the alternative meaning of "improper use" or "misappropriation" | |||
| Javanese | nyiksa | ||
| In Javanese, "nyiksa" can also mean "to treat someone with indifference". | |||
| Khmer | ការរំលោភបំពាន | ||
| Lao | ການລ່ວງລະເມີດ | ||
| Malay | penyalahgunaan | ||
| The word "penyalahgunaan" also means "misuse" or "improper use" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | การละเมิด | ||
| In Thai, "การละเมิด" can also refer to "violation of a law or rule." | |||
| Vietnamese | lạm dụng | ||
| The word "lạm dụng" in Vietnamese originated from the Chinese word "滥用", meaning "excessive use", and has alternate meanings such as "misuse" and "improper use". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pang-aabuso | ||
Abuse in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sui-istifadə | ||
| The word "sui-istifadə" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Arabic word "istifadə" meaning "use" and the Persian suffix "sui" meaning "bad". | |||
| Kazakh | теріс пайдалану | ||
| The word "теріс пайдалану" in Kazakh has an etymology that means to use something in the wrong or excessive way. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кыянаттык | ||
| The root "кыян" in "кыянаттык" also means "to betray" and is cognate with the Proto-Turkic root *qïyan "to cheat, deceive". | |||
| Tajik | сӯиистифода | ||
| This word may also refer to using something in a negative way | |||
| Turkmen | hyýanatçylykly peýdalanmak | ||
| Uzbek | suiiste'mol qilish | ||
| The word "suiiste'mol qilish" derives from Arabic, meaning "to misuse" or "to exploit". | |||
| Uyghur | خورلاش | ||
Abuse in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻomāinoino | ||
| The word "hoʻomāinoino" has also been used to convey the idea of "to vex" or "to annoy". | |||
| Maori | tūkino | ||
| Tūkino also means "to reject" or "send away." | |||
| Samoan | saua | ||
| "Saua" is derived from Proto-Polynesian *saŋoŋo-, with cognates across many Oceanic languages. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pang-aabuso | ||
| "Pang-aabuso" derives from the root "abuso" (to misuse), which itself can trace its origins to the Latin "abūsus" (wrong use). | |||
Abuse in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phiskasi | ||
| Guarani | meg̃uamboru | ||
Abuse in International Languages
| Esperanto | misuzo | ||
| The Esperanto word "misuzo" also means "misuse" or "wrong use of something". | |||
| Latin | abuse | ||
| The Latin verb "abuti" (to abuse) originally meant "to use up", or "to misuse", and was often used in a legal context, referring to the misuse of property or power. | |||
Abuse in Others Languages
| Greek | κατάχρηση | ||
| Κατά is a frequent compounding prefix meaning “down, against, away,” “intensely,” “thoroughly,” “completely,” “altogether,” “very,” “quite,” “just,” “as much as,” “proportionately,” and “according to”. | |||
| Hmong | tsim txom | ||
| "Tsim txom" is related to the root form "tsim" in Miao-Yao languages, having many meanings such as ‘use’, ‘handle’, ‘manage’, ‘to employ’, ‘to serve’, ‘respect’, ‘obey’, and ‘to love’. | |||
| Kurdish | nebaşkaranî | ||
| The word 'nebaşkaranî' is derived from the Kurdish root 'nebaşkar' (bad) and the Persian suffix '-anî', and it can also mean 'insult'. | |||
| Turkish | taciz | ||
| Turkish "taciz" is related to the Arabic word "ta'azi", meaning "condolence" or "compassion". | |||
| Xhosa | ukuxhatshazwa | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ukuxhatshazwa' may originally come from the verb 'ukuxhathaza' meaning 'to torment', 'to molest', 'to ill-treat', or 'to vex'. | |||
| Yiddish | זידלען | ||
| “זידלען” is not only a Yiddish word for “abuse,” but in Biblical Hebrew it means “to boil.” | |||
| Zulu | ukuhlukumeza | ||
| The Zulu verb 'ukuhlukumeza' comes from the noun 'ihlazo', which means 'shame'. | |||
| Assamese | অপব্যৱহাৰ | ||
| Aymara | phiskasi | ||
| Bhojpuri | गरियावल | ||
| Dhivehi | އަނިޔާ | ||
| Dogri | गाली | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pang-aabuso | ||
| Guarani | meg̃uamboru | ||
| Ilocano | salungasingen | ||
| Krio | trit bad | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مامەڵەی خراپ | ||
| Maithili | गारि देनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯩꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tiduhdah | ||
| Oromo | akka malee itti fayyadamuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅପବ୍ୟବହାର | | ||
| Quechua | kamiy | ||
| Sanskrit | निकृति | ||
| Tatar | җәберләү | ||
| Tigrinya | ፀረፈ | ||
| Tsonga | xanisa | ||