Alive in different languages

Alive in Different Languages

Discover 'Alive' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'alive' holds a profound significance in our lives, denoting the very essence of existence and vitality. Its cultural importance is evident in various art forms, literature, and philosophical discourses across the world. Understanding the translation of 'alive' in different languages can provide us with unique perspectives on how diverse cultures perceive and express the concept of life.

For instance, the Spanish translation of 'alive' is 'vivo,' which also means 'lively' or 'full of life.' In French, 'alive' translates to 'vivant,' reflecting the language's romantic and passionate nature. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'alive' is translated as 'ikiteiru,' which combines the characters for 'life' and 'to continue' or 'to persist.'

Delving into the translations of 'alive' in various languages can be an enlightening journey, shedding light on the fascinating nuances and subtleties of different cultures and languages. Keep reading to discover more translations of 'alive' and deepen your appreciation for the richness and diversity of human language and culture.

Alive


Alive in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanslewendig
The Afrikaans word "lewendig" can also mean "lively" or "active".
Amharicሕያው
The Amharic word "ሕያው" is also used to describe something that is in motion or active or that is still in use, for example "ሕያው ውሃ" (running water).
Hausamai rai
The Hausa word "mai rai" can also refer to a living being or a soul.
Igbodị ndụ
The Igbo word
Malagasyvelona
The word "VELONA" in Malagasy shares its origin with the Indonesian word "BELUM" (which means "not yet"), suggesting a common Austro-Indic root.
Nyanja (Chichewa)wamoyo
The Nyanja word "wamoyo" has been described in English to mean "vitality in every aspect: physically, intellectually, and spiritually".
Shonamupenyu
The Shona word "mupenyu" also means "the living world" and shares a root with the word "upenyu" which means "life".
Somalinool
"Nool" can mean both "alive" and "active" in Somali.
Sesothophela
The word 'phela' also means 'to sprout' or 'to germinate'.
Swahilihai
The Swahili word "hai" has been theorized to derive from the Proto-Bantu "*aji" meaning "fresh" or "new."
Xhosauyaphila
"Uyaphila" also refers to someone who is doing well, healthy and prosperous.
Yorubalaaye
In some contexts, "laaye" signifies "reviving" or "remaining" rather than "existing."
Zuluuyaphila
The Zulu word "uyaphila" can also mean "to be well" or "to be in good health".
Bambarabɛ balo la
Ewele agbe
Kinyarwandamuzima
Lingalakozala na bomoi
Lugandamulamu
Sepediphela
Twi (Akan)te ase

Alive in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicعلى قيد الحياة
"على قيد الحياة" is a phrase that literally translates to "on the condition of life". The word "قيد" here means "condition" or "bond".
Hebrewבחיים
The word "בחיים" (alive) in Hebrew can also mean "in life" or "in the world of the living."
Pashtoژوندي
The Pashto word "ژوندي" can also refer to a "soul" or a "spirit".
Arabicعلى قيد الحياة
"على قيد الحياة" is a phrase that literally translates to "on the condition of life". The word "قيد" here means "condition" or "bond".

Alive in Western European Languages

Albaniani gjallë
The word "i gjallë" in Albanian is derived from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- "to shine, be bright".
Basquebizirik
The Basque word "bizirik" is derived from the Proto-Basque root "*bizi" meaning "life" or "existence."
Catalanviu
The Catalan word "viu" also means "lively" or "spirited".
Croatianživ
The Croatian word "živ" also means "lively", "spirited", or "energetic" and derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "gʰei(ə)w- "to be alive or well-being".
Danishi live
The Danish word "i live" is a homophone of the English phrase "I live" and means "among" or "within".
Dutchlevend
The word "levend" in Dutch, besides its literal translation of "alive", can also be used as a noun referring to a young male person.
Englishalive
Etymology: Middle English alyve, from Old English on life, from Proto-Germanic *alibaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁el- "live, strong."
Frenchvivant
The word "vivant" also means "lively" or "full of life" in French.
Frisianlibben
The word "libben" is the Frisian equivalent of "leben" (German) and "leven" (Dutch), all derived from the Proto-Germanic word "libjan".
Galicianvivo
In Galician, "vivo" also means "lively" or "sprightly".
Germanam leben
The word "am Leben" originally meant "with body", from "an dem Libe" (Middle High German "lip")
Icelandiclifandi
The Icelandic word "lifandi" is cognate with the English word "life" and ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷʰei̯- ("to live").
Irishbeo
The Irish word "beo" also signifies motion or animation and is cognate with the Latin word "vivere" (to live).
Italianvivo
"Vivo" comes from the Latin "vīvus" and is also used to indicate "bright", "lively" and "energetic".
Luxembourgishlieweg
The word "lieweg" in Luxembourgish, which means "alive," also shares a common root with the German word "leben," sharing a similar meaning.
Malteseħaj
The word "ħaj" in Maltese derives from the Arabic word "hay" meaning "life" or "living", and is also occasionally used to mean "fresh" or "green".
Norwegiani live
The Norwegian word "i live" can also mean "to live" or "to be alive".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)vivo
In addition to its meaning of "alive" in Portuguese, "vivo" also refers to "intense" and "lively" experiences, as well as the "center" point of a game of cards.
Scots Gaelicbeò
The Gaelic word "beò" also means "living", "active", or "animate".
Spanishviva
The word "viva" in Spanish shares the same root as the Latin word "vivere" and the English word "vivify", both meaning "to make alive".
Swedishvid liv
"Vid liv" also means "at sea" in Swedish, reflecting the importance of seafaring in the country's history and culture.
Welshyn fyw
The word "yn fyw" in Welsh has multiple etymologies and alternate meanings, including "to live" and "to be alive".

Alive in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianжывы
Жывы also has the secondary meaning of 'green', and derives its sense of aliveness from the association with growing things, which are green.
Bosnianživ
The word "živ" in Bosnian shares its root with "živeti" (to live), "život" (life), and "živahan" (lively), all pertaining to life and its manifestations.
Bulgarianжив
The Bulgarian word "жив" is cognate with the Sanskrit "jīvá" and the Latin "vīvus", both meaning "alive".
Czechnaživu
The word "naživu" in Czech is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *živъ, which also means "life" or "soul".
Estonianelus
The word "elus" in Estonian has Indo-European roots and appears in other languages as "alive" in English and "lebendig" in German.
Finnishelossa
The word "elossa" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*elōsa".
Hungarianélő
The word "élő" in Hungarian has its roots in the Proto-Uralic verb "el-+" meaning "to live" and is related to the Finnish word "elää" meaning "to live".
Latviandzīvs
The word "dzīvs" has been used since at least the 1200s and derives from the Proto-Baltic "*gēwas"
Lithuaniangyvas
The word "gyvas" can also mean "green" or "lush", reflecting the close connection between life and vegetation in Lithuanian consciousness.
Macedonianжив
The word "жив" can also mean "real" or "genuine" in Macedonian.
Polishżywy
The word "żywy" in Polish can also mean "vivid" or "bright".
Romanianîn viaţă
The Romanian word "în viaţă" can also mean "during one's lifetime".
Russianв живых
The Russian word "в живых" directly translates to "among the living".
Serbianжив
The word 'жив' in Serbian is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰeiw- meaning "to live" and is also found in the Russian world 'живой' ('zhivoi').
Slovakživý
The Slovak word "živý" can also mean "vivid" or "lively".
Slovenianživ
The word 'živ' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *živъ, meaning 'life' or 'existence'.
Ukrainianживий
"Живий" in Ukrainian is cognate with "zhiv" in Proto-Slavic, which also meant "alive", but could also refer to "livestock".

Alive in South Asian Languages

Bengaliজীবিত
জীবিত (alive) comes from the Sanskrit word जीवित which also means 'living being' and 'life'
Gujaratiજીવંત
Hindiज़िंदा
The word "ज़िंदा" is derived from the Persian word "زند" (zende), meaning "life" or "alive".
Kannadaಜೀವಂತವಾಗಿ
"ಜೀವಂತವಾಗಿ" also means "in the act of living or existing", "subsisting", "in being" or "extant".
Malayalamജീവനോടെ
The word "ജീവനോടെ" ("alive") in Malayalam also means "with life" or "with soul".
Marathiजिवंत
"जिवंत" is a derivative of "जी" and "वंत" which mean "essence" and "possessing" respectively.
Nepaliजीवित
The word "जीवित" in Nepali originates from the Sanskrit word "jīvita" which means "life".
Punjabiਜਿੰਦਾ
In the Gurmukhi script, the first letter is pronounced similarly to the first letter of the English word "jolt".
Sinhala (Sinhalese)පණපිටින්
"පණපිටින්" means "in/with life", literally "back-of-life" indicating the back as the seat of vitality.
Tamilஉயிருடன்
Teluguసజీవంగా
The word comes from the Sanskrit root 'jiv', which means 'to live'.
Urduزندہ
The word "زندہ" can also mean "fresh" or "new" in Urdu.

Alive in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)
The word "活" (alive) in Chinese also means "to act" or "to move".
Chinese (Traditional)
The character "活" can also mean "to move" or "to work", and its original meaning was "water" or "liquid"
Japanese生きている
The word "生きている" can also mean "fresh" or "raw."
Korean살아 있는
'살아 있는' (alive) is a compound word formed from '살다' (to live) and '있는' (existing).
Mongolianамьд
The Mongolian word
Myanmar (Burmese)အသက်ရှင်လျက်

Alive in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianhidup
Hidup in Indonesian derives from a Sanskrit word meaning 'life'.
Javaneseurip
The word 'urip' in Javanese also refers to a person's life force or soul.
Khmerនៅរស់
The word "នៅរស់" in Khmer can also refer to being "awake" or "conscious".
Laoມີຊີວິດຢູ່
Malayhidup
The word "hidup" in Malay is also used to mean "to live" or "to exist".
Thaiยังมีชีวิตอยู่
The word "ยังมีชีวิตอยู่" can also be translated as "to be living" or "to be in existence."
Vietnamesesống sót
"Sống sót" also means "living", "surviving," or "existing."
Filipino (Tagalog)buhay

Alive in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanidiri
"Diri" means "vertical, erect, upright" or "to stand, rise" in Azerbaijani.
Kazakhтірі
The word "тірі" can also mean "quick" or "swift" in Kazakh.
Kyrgyzтирүү
"Тирүү" comes from the Turkic root *tir- meaning "to live" and is related to the word "тири" meaning "life".
Tajikзинда
The word "зинда" is derived from Persian and means both "alive" and "aware".
Turkmendiri
Uzbektirik
"Tirik" also means "uncooked" and derives from Proto-Turkic *tirik "warm".
Uyghurھايات

Alive in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianke ola nei
"Ke ola nei" also means "being well, in good health" and "prospering, successful".
Maorie ora ana
The Maori word "e ora ana" comes from the Proto-Polynesian word "*ora", meaning "life" or "health".
Samoanola
"Ola" has the secondary meaning of "to be alert, lively, vigilant, or attentive".
Tagalog (Filipino)buhay
"Buhay" can also refer to one's life (abstract), livelihood, or fortune (good or bad).

Alive in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarajakawi
Guaraniaiko

Alive in International Languages

Esperantovivanta
In Latin, "vivanta" means "living" and is the origin of the Esperanto word "vivanta".
Latinvivus
The Latin word "vivus" also means "bright," "glowing," or "lively."

Alive in Others Languages

Greekζωντανός
The Greek word "ζωντανός" (alive) comes from the ancient Greek word "ζάω" (to live), which is also related to the English word "zoology".
Hmongciaj sia
The morpheme "cia" is used in some words to denote a state of animation, such as in 'ciaj sia' (alive) or 'ciaj npab' (restless)
Kurdishjînde
"Jînde" can also mean "awake," "vigilant," or "conscious."
Turkishcanlı
The word "canlı" in Turkish also refers to "lively" objects or events, while its root "can" means "soul" or "life force."
Xhosauyaphila
"Uyaphila" also refers to someone who is doing well, healthy and prosperous.
Yiddishלעבעדיק
The Yiddish word לעבעדיק also means "lively" or "animated."
Zuluuyaphila
The Zulu word "uyaphila" can also mean "to be well" or "to be in good health".
Assameseজীৱন্ত
Aymarajakawi
Bhojpuriजिंदा
Dhivehiދިރިހުރި
Dogriजींदा
Filipino (Tagalog)buhay
Guaraniaiko
Ilocanosisibiag
Kriogɛt layf
Kurdish (Sorani)زیندوو
Maithiliजीवित
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯑꯍꯤꯡꯕ
Mizonung
Oromojiraataa
Odia (Oriya)ଜୀବନ୍ତ
Quechuakawsaq
Sanskritजीवित
Tatarтере
Tigrinyaነባሪ
Tsongahanya

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