Afraid in Different Languages
Discover 'Afraid' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'afraid' holds a significant place in our emotional vocabulary, signifying fear or anxiety. It's a universal emotion, and yet, the way we express it can vary greatly across different languages and cultures. Understanding the translation of 'afraid' in various languages can provide a fascinating glimpse into how different cultures perceive and express this fundamental human emotion.
For instance, in Spanish, the word for 'afraid' is 'asustado/a', which stems from the verb 'asustar' meaning 'to frighten'. In German, 'afraid' translates to 'angst', a word that has been adopted in English to describe an intense, deep-seated fear or anxiety.
Moreover, the word 'afraid' carries historical significance too. In Old English, 'afyrht' was used to express fear, a term that evolved into 'afrayed' in Middle English before finally becoming 'afraid'. This evolution mirrors the changing ways in which societies have grappled with and expressed fear.
Join us as we delve into the translations of 'afraid' in a variety of languages, offering a unique journey through language and culture.
Afraid
Afraid in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bang | ||
| The word "bang" is cognate with the Dutch and German "bang" meaning "anxiety" and the Swedish "bäng" meaning "afraid". | |||
| Amharic | ፈራ | ||
| *ፈራ* 'afraid' shares a root with *ፈር* 'fear' and *ፈረ* 'to be startled, to flee' and may be related to *ፈረ* 'to thresh, to winnow,' suggesting a sense of agitation. | |||
| Hausa | tsoro | ||
| The word tsoro in Hausa is related to the word 'tsoro' which means 'a feeling of fear or anxiety'. | |||
| Igbo | egwu | ||
| Egwu can refer to an Igbo traditional dance or masquerade in some contexts, or a sense of awe or wonder in others. | |||
| Malagasy | raiki-tahotra | ||
| The Malagasy word "raiki-tahotra" can also refer to someone feeling shy | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mantha | ||
| The word "mantha" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also mean "hesitation" or "doubt". | |||
| Shona | kutya | ||
| In some dialects of Shona, "kutya" is also a noun meaning "fear", a usage that is not found in Standard Shona. | |||
| Somali | cabsi | ||
| "Cabsi" is also an archaic Somali word for "shame" or "fear of making mistakes". | |||
| Sesotho | tshoha | ||
| The Sesotho word "tshoha" is also an antonym of "keba" which means "to defy". | |||
| Swahili | hofu | ||
| The Swahili word "hofu" is a loanword from Arabic, where it means "fear" or "terror." | |||
| Xhosa | uyoyika | ||
| The term 'uyoyika' is also used to denote a sense of fear or apprehension, or to express a feeling of caution or wariness. | |||
| Yoruba | bẹru | ||
| The word "bẹru" also means "prohibit" and is related to "bìrì", meaning "sacred place". | |||
| Zulu | wesabe | ||
| The word "wesabe" could also refer to fear due to a lack of knowledge or experience, or to a state of bewilderment or confusion. | |||
| Bambara | siranya | ||
| Ewe | vɔvɔm | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubwoba | ||
| Lingala | kobanga | ||
| Luganda | okutya | ||
| Sepedi | tšhogile | ||
| Twi (Akan) | suro | ||
Afraid in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | خائف | ||
| The word "خائف" in Arabic also means "apprehensive" or "uneasy". | |||
| Hebrew | חוֹשֵׁשׁ | ||
| The word "חוֹשֵׁשׁ" (khoshesh) in Hebrew can also mean "to sense" or "to perceive". | |||
| Pashto | ویره | ||
| In Pashto, the word "ويره" also means "fear" or "terror." | |||
| Arabic | خائف | ||
| The word "خائف" in Arabic also means "apprehensive" or "uneasy". | |||
Afraid in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i frikësuar | ||
| The word "i frikësuar" comes from the Proto-Albanian word *frik, meaning "to fear". | |||
| Basque | beldur | ||
| One of the ancient meanings of `beldur` was `shadow`, but this meaning disappeared with time. | |||
| Catalan | té por | ||
| "Por" means fear in Catalan and it is derived from the Latin "pavor" which means "terror". | |||
| Croatian | bojati se | ||
| The word "bojati se" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bheg-", which meant "to shun". It also relates to English "bogus", which initially suggested a counterfeit | |||
| Danish | bange | ||
| The word "bange" is derived from the Old Norse word "bangi", meaning "pain" or "anguish". | |||
| Dutch | bang | ||
| "Bang" in Dutch also means a firework | |||
| English | afraid | ||
| The word 'afraid' is derived from the Old English word 'afrædan,' meaning 'to frighten' or 'to terrify'. | |||
| French | peur | ||
| In Old French, 'peur' meant 'disturbance' and came from the Latin word 'pavor' ('terror'). | |||
| Frisian | bang | ||
| Frisian 'bang' meaning 'afraid' is also used for 'a tight place' or 'a narrow escape'. | |||
| Galician | con medo | ||
| Con medo" is a Galician phrase that originally meant "with fear" but has evolved to mean simply "afraid". | |||
| German | angst | ||
| The term "Angst" in German is derived from the Old High German word "angust" meaning "narrow" or "tight," a reflection of the physical and emotional constriction often associated with the feeling of fear. | |||
| Icelandic | hræddur | ||
| The word 'hræddur' is also used to describe someone who is alert or wary. | |||
| Irish | eagla | ||
| The Irish word "eagla" is cognate with the Sanskrit word "bhayā-," and both words come from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰiH-, meaning "fear." | |||
| Italian | paura | ||
| The word "paura" in Italian is derived from the Latin word "pavor" meaning "terror" or "dread." | |||
| Luxembourgish | angscht | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Angscht" derives from the German word "Angst" and shares the same meaning of "fear" or "anxiety". | |||
| Maltese | jibżgħu | ||
| "Jibżgħu" in Maltese stems from the Arabic word "khaf", which also means fear. | |||
| Norwegian | redd | ||
| The word "redd" also means "afraid" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | receoso | ||
| "Receoso" also means "cautious" or "wary". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eagal | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word ‘eagal’ comes from the Old Irish word ‘egla’, meaning fear or awe. | |||
| Spanish | temeroso | ||
| Temeroso shares etymology with 'termite', both ultimately deriving from Latin 'termite(s)' (woodworm). | |||
| Swedish | rädd | ||
| The Swedish word "rädd" can also mean "careful" or "cautious." | |||
| Welsh | ofn | ||
| The Welsh word "ofn" is derived from the Old Welsh form "of" meaning "great fear; fear of the underworld." | |||
Afraid in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | баюся | ||
| The term 'баюся' ('baiusia') is a derivative of the Old Slavic word 'боятися' ('boiatisia'), meaning 'to fear or dread'. | |||
| Bosnian | plaši se | ||
| Plaši se is a verb originating from the Proto-Slavic plašiti, and is also synonymous with bojati se, strahovati and drhtati meaning to fear or be afraid. | |||
| Bulgarian | страх | ||
| The Bulgarian word "страх" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *straхъ, which means "terror", "horor", or "fear". | |||
| Czech | strach | ||
| "Strach" can also mean "ghost" in some Slavic languages and is related to the word "strasz" meaning "horror" in Polish. | |||
| Estonian | kardan | ||
| Kardan may also refer to a propeller shaft or Universal joint, as it originates from the name of their inventor, Girolamo Cardano. | |||
| Finnish | pelkää | ||
| Related to the word "pelko" (fear) and the verb "pelätä" (to fear). | |||
| Hungarian | félek | ||
| The word "félek" can also mean "I am afraid of" or "I am worried about". | |||
| Latvian | baidās | ||
| The word baidās comes from the verb "bait" (to fear, to be afraid), which is cognate with the Sanskrit verb "bhid" (to split, to cleave) and the Old High German verb "biʒan" (to tremble). | |||
| Lithuanian | išsigandęs | ||
| The word "išsigandęs" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰes-/, which also means "to fear" or "to be afraid". | |||
| Macedonian | се плаши | ||
| The word "се плаши" (afraid) in Macedonian is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "плашити" (to frighten). | |||
| Polish | przestraszony | ||
| Przestraszony in Polish literally means “struck by a bird”. | |||
| Romanian | frică | ||
| The word "frică" is derived from the Latin "fricare", meaning "to rub" or "to rub against", and is related to the German "Furcht" and the English "fear". | |||
| Russian | боюсь | ||
| Слово «боюсь» происходит от древнеславянского «бояться» (опасаться, оберегать) и связано с «богом»: боялись нечистых духов, которых называли «боги», позже слово приобрело и другие значения. | |||
| Serbian | плаши се | ||
| The word "plaši se" in Serbian literally translates as "he scares himself". | |||
| Slovak | strach | ||
| The word "strach" is cognate with the Czech "strach", which has the same meaning, and the Polish "strach", which means "terror". | |||
| Slovenian | strah | ||
| The Slavic root *strax- in strah is also found in the words 'horror', 'anxiety' and 'fear'. | |||
| Ukrainian | бояться | ||
| "Бояться" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*bojati sę", from "*bojь" ("battle") and reflexes in multiple other Slavic languages. | |||
Afraid in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভীত | ||
| ভীত is derived from the same root as বিহ্বল (bewildered) and বিষাদ (grief), suggesting a sense of disorientation and distress associated with fear. | |||
| Gujarati | ભયભીત | ||
| The Gujarati word "ભયભીત" is derived from the Sanskrit word "भयभीत" (bhayabheeta), which means "full of fear". It can also refer to a state of anxiety or nervousness. | |||
| Hindi | डरा हुआ | ||
| The Hindi word 'डरा हुआ' originates from the Sanskrit word 'डर' meaning 'fear'. | |||
| Kannada | ಹೆದರುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು | ||
| Malayalam | ഭയപ്പെട്ടു | ||
| The word "ഭയപ്പെട്ടു" in Malayalam is closely related to the word "ഭയം" (fear), which ultimately derives from the Sanskrit root "bhi" meaning "to fear or to be afraid." | |||
| Marathi | भीती | ||
| The word भीती derives from Sanskrit 'bhiti' meaning fear or terror. | |||
| Nepali | डर | ||
| डर also means 'fear' or 'terror' and is related to the Sanskrit word 'dvi' meaning 'to hate' or 'to fear'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਡਰ | ||
| "ਡਰ" (afraid) stems from the Sanskrit word "drī", meaning "to split" or "to break", referring to the feeling of being shattered or divided within oneself in the face of fear. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බයයි | ||
| The word බයයි (bayyai) is derived from the Sanskrit word भय (bhaya), meaning "fear" or "dread". | |||
| Tamil | பயம் | ||
| The Tamil word 'பயம்' is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root 'pat', meaning 'to split or divide', indicating a state of internal fragmentation or fear. | |||
| Telugu | భయపడటం | ||
| The word "భయపడటం" can also refer to feeling intimidated, or being in awe or admiration of someone. | |||
| Urdu | خوف زدہ | ||
| The word "خوف زدہ" also means "astonished" or "amazed" but rarely used in this sense nowadays. | |||
Afraid in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 害怕 | ||
| The word "害怕" can also mean "to be cautious" or "to be on guard". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 害怕 | ||
| 害怕's etymology can be traced back to the Oracle script, where it originally meant 'a deer's heart' (鹿心). | |||
| Japanese | 恐れ | ||
| The word "恐れ" (osore) originally meant "awe" or "reverence" and was used to describe feelings towards deities or superiors. | |||
| Korean | 두려워 | ||
| " 두려워 " is derived from the word " 두르다 ", meaning " to wrap around ", and is originally associated with the feeling of being overwhelmed or cornered. | |||
| Mongolian | айж байна | ||
| The Mongolian word "айж байна" can also refer to being startled or apprehensive. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြောက်တယ် | ||
Afraid in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | takut | ||
| The Indonesian word "takut" is often used to describe physical fear, but can also be used to describe other aversions, such as fear of failure or dislike of a certain food. | |||
| Javanese | wedi | ||
| The Javanese word "wedi" also refers to an iron pot in which traditional Javanese snacks are steamed or roasted | |||
| Khmer | ខ្លាច | ||
| In Old Khmer, the word "ខ្លាច" originally meant "fear of ghosts or spirits". | |||
| Lao | ຢ້ານກົວ | ||
| The word ຢ້ານກົວ can also refer to a state where someone has no determination and cannot make any decision | |||
| Malay | takut | ||
| "Takut" can also mean "respect" or "awe" in certain contexts. | |||
| Thai | เกรงกลัว | ||
| The Thai word "เกรงกลัว" is closely related to the word "กราว" (graaw), which means "to fear". It is also related to the word "กลัว" (glaaw), which also means "to fear". | |||
| Vietnamese | sợ | ||
| Sợ is the Sino-Vietnamese word for 'fear', but can also refer to 'respect' or 'awe'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | takot | ||
Afraid in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qorxuram | ||
| The word "qorxuram" is derived from the Proto-Turkic root "*qorq- " meaning "to be afraid" and ultimately descends from the Proto-Altaic root "*xor- " with the same meaning. | |||
| Kazakh | қорқады | ||
| The word "қорқады" can also mean "to be scared" or "to be frightened". | |||
| Kyrgyz | корккон | ||
| In Kyrgyz, the word "корккон" (afraid) derives from the noun "корк" (fence), suggesting that being afraid is likened to being confined or restricted. | |||
| Tajik | метарсам | ||
| The word "metersem" may be derived from the Persian word "mitarsem" meaning "fearful" or "cautious". | |||
| Turkmen | gorkýar | ||
| Uzbek | qo'rqaman | ||
| Qo'rqaman is derived from the Persian word 'Khurdan' meaning "eating", a metaphor commonly used to describe the heart's reaction to fear. | |||
| Uyghur | قورقۇپ كەتتى | ||
Afraid in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | makaʻu | ||
| The word "makaʻu" also means "awe" or "reverence" in Hawaiian, reflecting the cultural understanding of fear as a sacred emotion. | |||
| Maori | mataku | ||
| The Maori word 'mataku' (fear) originally meant 'to feel the impact of the unseen' and was also used for the fear of the supernatural. | |||
| Samoan | fefe | ||
| The Samoan word "fefe" also means "respect" or "reverence". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | takot | ||
| The word "takot" in Tagalog (Filipino) is rooted in the Malay word "takut" and also means "fearful" or "apprehensive". | |||
Afraid in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | asxarayata | ||
| Guarani | kyhyjeha | ||
Afraid in International Languages
| Esperanto | timas | ||
| The word "timas" in Esperanto is based on the Spanish word "temer", which also means "to fear". | |||
| Latin | timere | ||
| In Latin, "timere" not only means "to fear" but also "to esteem" or "to revere". | |||
Afraid in Others Languages
| Greek | φοβισμένος | ||
| As a neuter singular participle, in the nominative and accusative, "φοβισμένος" can also mean "something feared". | |||
| Hmong | ntshai | ||
| The word 'ntshai' also means 'to fear' or 'to be wary'. | |||
| Kurdish | tirsane | ||
| "Tirsane" in Kurdish can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root *terh₂-, which also gave rise to the English "terror" and "trepidation." | |||
| Turkish | korkmuş | ||
| The word "korkmuş" can also refer to a person who has been startled or shocked. | |||
| Xhosa | uyoyika | ||
| The term 'uyoyika' is also used to denote a sense of fear or apprehension, or to express a feeling of caution or wariness. | |||
| Yiddish | דערשראָקן | ||
| The word ‘דערשראָקן’ (‘afraid’) also refers to a type of ghost in Hebrew folklore that torments people, especially pregnant women and children. | |||
| Zulu | wesabe | ||
| The word "wesabe" could also refer to fear due to a lack of knowledge or experience, or to a state of bewilderment or confusion. | |||
| Assamese | ভয় কৰা | ||
| Aymara | asxarayata | ||
| Bhojpuri | डर | ||
| Dhivehi | ބިރުގަނެފައި | ||
| Dogri | डरे दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | takot | ||
| Guarani | kyhyjeha | ||
| Ilocano | mabuteng | ||
| Krio | fred | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ترس | ||
| Maithili | भयभीत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hlau | ||
| Oromo | sodaachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭୟ | ||
| Quechua | manchakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | भीतः | ||
| Tatar | курка | ||
| Tigrinya | ምፍራሕ | ||
| Tsonga | chava | ||