Anxiety in Different Languages
Discover 'Anxiety' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Anxiety
Anxiety in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | angs | ||
| The word "angs" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "angst", which means "fear" or "dread". | |||
| Amharic | ጭንቀት | ||
| The word ጭንቀት can also refer to a physical burden or a state of being oppressed. | |||
| Hausa | damuwa | ||
| Hausa 'damuwa' comes from a verb meaning to 'be in suspense', and Arabic 'da'm' meaning 'blood' | |||
| Igbo | nchegbu | ||
| Nchegbu is a verb that means 'to be anxious,' while its noun form nchegbu means 'anxiety' or 'worry'. | |||
| Malagasy | fanahiana | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "fanahiana" also means "concern" or "care". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nkhawa | ||
| The Nyanja word 'nkhawa' primarily means 'anxiety', but it can also refer to 'worry' or 'concern'. | |||
| Shona | kushushikana | ||
| The word "kushushikana" can also refer to a feeling of unease or disquiet. | |||
| Somali | walaac | ||
| Derived from "walaa" (to be anxious) and "ac" (intensity), "walaac" denotes a state of intense anxiety. | |||
| Sesotho | ho tšoenyeha | ||
| Swahili | wasiwasi | ||
| Swahili wasiwasi (anxiety) is etymologically related to 'heavy' in the Bantu languages. | |||
| Xhosa | ixhala | ||
| "Ixhala" derives from the verb "ukuxhala" meaning "to fear" or "to be afraid" and is often used to describe a feeling of foreboding or trepidation. | |||
| Yoruba | ṣàníyàn | ||
| The word `ṣàníyàn` also means `restlessness` or `worry` in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ukukhathazeka | ||
| The word "ukukhathazeka" in Zulu is derived from the root "-kha" (to tire), indicating a state of mental and emotional exhaustion. | |||
| Bambara | jɔrɔ | ||
| Ewe | dzitsitsi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | guhangayika | ||
| Lingala | susi | ||
| Luganda | okweraliikirira | ||
| Sepedi | tlalelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | brɛ | ||
Anxiety in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | القلق | ||
| The word "القلق" can also refer to a type of bird, a particular species of partridge, in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | חֲרָדָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "חרדה" ("anxiety") also means "fear" or "terror" and is related to the verb "חרד" ("to tremble"). | |||
| Pashto | اضطراب | ||
| The word "اضطراب" is also used in Pashto to refer to a "disorder" or "condition". | |||
| Arabic | القلق | ||
| The word "القلق" can also refer to a type of bird, a particular species of partridge, in Arabic. | |||
Anxiety in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ankth | ||
| The Albanian word "ankth" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ank(h)-," meaning "to choke," and is related to the Greek word "άγχος" (ankhos), meaning "strangulation," and the Latin word "angere," meaning "to distress." | |||
| Basque | antsietatea | ||
| The word "antsietatea" in Basque is a loanword from the Latin "anxietas", meaning "disquietude" or "trouble." | |||
| Catalan | ansietat | ||
| The Catalan word "ansietat" derives from the Latin "anxietas" meaning "distress" or "trouble". | |||
| Croatian | anksioznost | ||
| Anksioznost, derived from the Latin "anxietas," also carries the connotation of intense concern, unease, or worry in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | angst | ||
| In Danish, "angst" retains its original German meaning of "fear" or "dread". | |||
| Dutch | ongerustheid | ||
| "Ongrustheid" (anxiety) derives from "onrust" (agitation/disquiet), ultimately going back to "rust" (rest), but with the prefix "on-" negating or reversing the meaning. | |||
| English | anxiety | ||
| Stemming from Latin root "angere," meaning to choke, "anxiety" can also refer to physical sensations of constriction, tightness, or discomfort. | |||
| French | anxiété | ||
| "Anxiété" is derived from the Latin "anxietas" meaning "affliction" or "torment" | |||
| Frisian | eangst | ||
| The Frisian word "eangst" is cognate with the English word "anguish" and the German word "Angst" | |||
| Galician | ansiedade | ||
| The word "ansiedade" in Galician comes from the Latin word "anxietas", which means "distress or oppression". | |||
| German | angst | ||
| The word "Angst" is derived from the Old High German word "angust," meaning "narrow" or "cramped." | |||
| Icelandic | kvíði | ||
| The word "kvíði" also means "belly" or "womb" in Icelandic, hinting at the physical symptoms associated with anxiety. | |||
| Irish | imní | ||
| The word "imní" in Irish shares the same root as "anm" (soul or mind), suggesting a connection between anxiety and the inner workings of the psyche. | |||
| Italian | ansia | ||
| The word "ansia" in Italian is derived from the Latin "anxius," meaning "filled with anxiety or distress," and has been used since the 14th century | |||
| Luxembourgish | angschtgefiller | ||
| The word "Angschtgefiller" comes from the German word "Angst", which means "fear" or "dread". | |||
| Maltese | ansjetà | ||
| The word derives from the Latin "anxietas" meaning "trouble of mind" or "oppression" and is related to the verb "angere" meaning "to choke," "to strangle" or "to vex." | |||
| Norwegian | angst | ||
| In Norwegian, "angst" originally referred to a narrow passage or gorge, highlighting the feeling of constriction associated with anxiety. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ansiedade | ||
| The word "ansiedade" comes from the Latin "anxietas", which means "distress, trouble, or anguish." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | imcheist | ||
| The term "imcheist" is derived from the Irish word "imchéist," meaning both "anxiety" and "lack of means." | |||
| Spanish | ansiedad | ||
| "Ansiedad" in Spanish derives from the Latin "anxietas", meaning "distress, grief, or angina". | |||
| Swedish | ångest | ||
| In Swedish, 'ångest' originally referred to physical pain, especially in the chest, but has come to mean 'anxiety' or 'mental anguish'. | |||
| Welsh | pryder | ||
| The word "pryder" in Welsh can also refer to a "worry" or "concern". | |||
Anxiety in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | непакой | ||
| The word "непакой" can also refer to a feeling of unease or restlessness. | |||
| Bosnian | anksioznost | ||
| The word "anksioznost" (anxiety) derives from the Latin word "anxietas", which means "trouble, worry, or distress". | |||
| Bulgarian | безпокойство | ||
| "Безпокойство" in Bulgarian shares a related etymology with the verb "покоить" meaning "to give peace or rest." | |||
| Czech | úzkost | ||
| The Czech word "úzkost" is derived from the verb "úžit", meaning "to narrow," and is related to the English word "angst." | |||
| Estonian | ärevus | ||
| Ärevus is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *ärvä, meaning a 'fast, agile' and 'fierce'. | |||
| Finnish | ahdistus | ||
| "Ahdistus" is derived from the verb "ahdistaa," meaning "to constrict" or "to make narrow." | |||
| Hungarian | szorongás | ||
| "Szorongás" in Hungarian originally referred to a physical narrowing or constriction, but it has come to refer to mental anguish. | |||
| Latvian | trauksme | ||
| Trauksme is also a Latvian verb that means to make nervous. | |||
| Lithuanian | nerimas | ||
| "Nerimas" comes from the verb "nerti," to dive or plunge, and likely developed from a sense of sinking or drowning. | |||
| Macedonian | вознемиреност | ||
| The word "вознемиреност" derives from the Slavic root "nemiren", meaning "uneasy" or "restless." | |||
| Polish | niepokój | ||
| The word "niepokój" in Polish derives from the Proto-Slavic word *nepokojь, which originally meant "lack of peace" or "disorder". | |||
| Romanian | anxietate | ||
| The Romanian word "anxietate" comes from Latin "anxietas" meaning "distress" or "trouble". | |||
| Russian | беспокойство | ||
| The Russian word "беспокойство" has alternate meanings of "disturbance" and "trouble." | |||
| Serbian | анксиозност | ||
| The word "анксиозност" is derived from the Greek word "ἄγχος", which means "strangling" or "suffocation". | |||
| Slovak | úzkosť | ||
| Úzkosť derives from the Slovak word "úzky" meaning "narrow", referring to the feeling of being confined or restricted. | |||
| Slovenian | anksioznost | ||
| The word "anksioznost" in Slovenian is derived from the Latin word "anxietas", meaning "anxiety, distress, or worry." | |||
| Ukrainian | тривожність | ||
| The word "тривожність" (anxiety) derived from the Old East Slavic verb "тревожити," which also means "to disturb" or "to alarm." | |||
Anxiety in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উদ্বেগ | ||
| "উদ্বেগ'' (udbega) is cognate to the Sanskrit root 'viveg', which means 'shaking', and is also the origin of the Hindi 'vibhram'. This implies an original sense of physical trembling. | |||
| Gujarati | ચિંતા | ||
| The Gujarati word "ચિંતા" (anxiety) is derived from the Sanskrit word "cinta" (thought or worry). | |||
| Hindi | चिंता | ||
| The Hindi word "चिंता" originates from the Sanskrit root "cit" meaning "to think" or "to consider", suggesting a state of preoccupation with thoughts. | |||
| Kannada | ಆತಂಕ | ||
| In Kannada, "ಆತಂಕ" is a cognate of the Sanskrit word "आतङ्क" which means "fear" or "terror." | |||
| Malayalam | ഉത്കണ്ഠ | ||
| The word 'ഉത്കണ്ഠ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'utkantha', meaning 'longing' or 'desire'. | |||
| Marathi | चिंता | ||
| The Marathi word "चिंता" comes from the Sanskrit word "चिन्ता", which means "thought" or "reflection". | |||
| Nepali | चिन्ता | ||
| The word "चिन्ता" in Nepali is thought to have evolved from the Sanskrit word "चिन्तामणि," which translates to "the jewel that fulfils wishes." | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਿੰਤਾ | ||
| The word "ਚਿੰਤਾ" in Punjabi can also mean "thought" or "worry". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කාංසාව | ||
| The word "කාංසාව" is also used to refer to a type of brass used in making utensils. | |||
| Tamil | கவலை | ||
| The Tamil word `கவலை` has other connotations like 'concern' and can refer to the concept of 'care' | |||
| Telugu | ఆందోళన | ||
| "ఆందోళన" originates from the Sanskrit word "उद्वेजन", which means "disquiet" or "perturbation". | |||
| Urdu | اضطراب | ||
| اضطراب, in Arabic, also means disorder, confusion, perturbation, or turbulence. | |||
Anxiety in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 焦虑 | ||
| In Chinese, 焦虑 (jiāolǜ) has a double meaning: 1. anxiety, 2. eager or impatient. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 焦慮 | ||
| In Chinese, “焦慮” is also used to refer to a state of great impatience or dissatisfaction. | |||
| Japanese | 不安 | ||
| The word "不安" (fuan) in Japanese originally meant "instability" or "not being at peace," and it has also been used to describe the feeling of being "uncertain" or "doubtful." | |||
| Korean | 걱정 | ||
| The Korean word 걱정 (anxiety) is thought to derive from Middle Chinese 'huò-diǎn' ( preocupación, inquietud). | |||
| Mongolian | сэтгэлийн түгшүүр | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စိုးရိမ်ခြင်း | ||
Anxiety in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kegelisahan | ||
| The root word 'gelisah' means 'restless', and is often associated with physical discomfort. | |||
| Javanese | kuatir | ||
| The word 'kuatir' (anxiety) in Javanese has the alternate meaning of 'to worry' or 'to be concerned about something'. | |||
| Khmer | ការថប់បារម្ភ | ||
| Lao | ຄວາມກັງວົນໃຈ | ||
| Malay | kegelisahan | ||
| The word "kegelisahan" comes from the root word "gelisah", which means "to be restless or uneasy". | |||
| Thai | ความวิตกกังวล | ||
| The Thai word "ความวิตกกังวล" (anxiety) derives from Pali and Sanskrit roots relating to fear, worry, and trembling. | |||
| Vietnamese | sự lo ngại | ||
| "Sự lo ngại" also refers to "apprehensiveness" in the sense of having uncertainty about the future or something coming. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkabalisa | ||
Anxiety in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | narahatlıq | ||
| "Narahatlıq" in Azerbaijani literally means "unrest" or "discomfort" and is related to the word "rahat" meaning "ease" or "comfort". | |||
| Kazakh | мазасыздық | ||
| The word "мазасыздық" in Kazakh is closely related to the concept of "time" and originally meant "lack of time" or "being in a hurry". | |||
| Kyrgyz | тынчсыздануу | ||
| Тынчсыздануу is also used in Kyrgyz to describe the discomfort and anticipation felt before a major event or task. | |||
| Tajik | изтироб | ||
| The word "изтироб" also means "research" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | alada | ||
| Uzbek | tashvish | ||
| The word "tashvish" in Uzbek ultimately derives from the Persian word "tashvīsh," meaning "worry"} | |||
| Uyghur | تەشۋىش | ||
Anxiety in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hopohopo | ||
| Hopohopo can also refer to a person who is anxious. | |||
| Maori | manukanuka | ||
| In Maori, the word 'manukanuka' is also used to describe a restless or agitated state of mind. | |||
| Samoan | popole | ||
| The word "popole" is also used to describe a feeling of restlessness or unease. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagkabalisa | ||
| Pagkabalisa also carries negative connotation that pertains to being impatient and fretful. | |||
Anxiety in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qarita | ||
| Guarani | py'atarova | ||
Anxiety in International Languages
| Esperanto | angoro | ||
| The word "angoro" in Esperanto is derived from the Latin word "angor" meaning "strangling" and also refers to the feeling of constriction and suffocation that can accompany anxiety. | |||
| Latin | anxietatem | ||
| The Latin word "anxietatem" originally referred to a choking sensation or shortness of breath. | |||
Anxiety in Others Languages
| Greek | ανησυχία | ||
| The word "ανησυχία" derives from the Greek verb "ανησυχώ," meaning "to be troubled" or "to be concerned." | |||
| Hmong | ntxhov siab | ||
| The Hmong word "ntxhov siab" has a complex etymology and can also refer to fear or concern. | |||
| Kurdish | meraq | ||
| The Kurdish word "meraq" (anxiety) shares its root with "meraqi", meaning "enthusiasm" in Turkish. | |||
| Turkish | kaygı | ||
| The word "kaygı" in Turkish also means "concern" or "worry". | |||
| Xhosa | ixhala | ||
| "Ixhala" derives from the verb "ukuxhala" meaning "to fear" or "to be afraid" and is often used to describe a feeling of foreboding or trepidation. | |||
| Yiddish | דייַגעס | ||
| The word "דייַגעס" also refers to a physical sensation, such as a cramp in the stomach. | |||
| Zulu | ukukhathazeka | ||
| The word "ukukhathazeka" in Zulu is derived from the root "-kha" (to tire), indicating a state of mental and emotional exhaustion. | |||
| Assamese | উদ্বেগ | ||
| Aymara | qarita | ||
| Bhojpuri | चिंता | ||
| Dhivehi | ކަންބޮޑުވުން | ||
| Dogri | घबराट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkabalisa | ||
| Guarani | py'atarova | ||
| Ilocano | parikut | ||
| Krio | wɔri | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دڵەڕاوکێ | ||
| Maithili | चिन्ता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯔꯥꯡꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hlauhthawnna | ||
| Oromo | yaaddoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚିନ୍ତା | ||
| Quechua | ansiedad | ||
| Sanskrit | उद्वेगः | ||
| Tatar | борчылу | ||
| Tigrinya | ጭንቀት | ||
| Tsonga | hiseka | ||