Attack in Different Languages
Discover 'Attack' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'attack' carries significant weight, signifying a forceful offensive action against someone or something. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, movies, and historical accounts, where it often denotes pivotal moments of conflict and struggle. Understanding the translation of 'attack' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures perceive and address confrontational situations.
For instance, in Spanish, 'attack' is 'ataque', while in French, it's 'attaque'. In German, it's 'Angriff', and in Japanese, it's ' Koshi'. These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also offer a glimpse into the unique cultural perspectives on aggression and self-defense.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a world history buff, or someone interested in broadening your cultural horizons, exploring the translations of 'attack' can be a fascinating journey. Continue reading to discover more about the word 'attack' in various languages.
Attack
Attack in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | aanval | ||
| The Afrikaans word "aanval" can also refer to a fit of illness or an attack of nerves. | |||
| Amharic | ማጥቃት | ||
| The word ማጥቃት "attack" can also mean "to seize" or "to take by force" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | kai hari | ||
| Hausa word 'kai hari' can also mean to be 'furious'. | |||
| Igbo | ọgụ | ||
| In the context of the Nigerian civil war (1960s) the Igbo term ọgụ was often glossed as "enemy attack" in English, but its broader semantic field includes any type of attack or battle, whether offensive or defensive, civil, or international. | |||
| Malagasy | fanafihana | ||
| The word "fanafihana" in Malagasy is derived from the root word "fana" meaning "to destroy". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuukira | ||
| The verb kuukira in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also mean 'to strike, to injure or to cause harm'. | |||
| Shona | kurwisa | ||
| The word "kurwisa" can also mean "to hit" or "to strike" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | weerar | ||
| In Somali folklore, "weerar" can also refer to evil spirits that attack people and cause harm. | |||
| Sesotho | hlasela | ||
| The word "hlasela" also means "to startle" or "to frighten" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | shambulio | ||
| The word "shambulio" can also mean "disaster" or "calamity". | |||
| Xhosa | uhlaselo | ||
| The word 'uhlaselo' also carries the meanings of 'charge' and 'raid' | |||
| Yoruba | kolu | ||
| The Yoruba term "kolu" also means "fight" or "struggle" in addition to its primary meaning of "attack." | |||
| Zulu | ukuhlasela | ||
| The word 'ukuhlasela' in Zulu, can also mean 'to make a mistake' or 'to cause trouble' | |||
| Bambara | ka bin | ||
| Ewe | dze avu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igitero | ||
| Lingala | kobundisa | ||
| Luganda | okulumba | ||
| Sepedi | hlasela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | to hyɛ | ||
Attack in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | هجوم | ||
| هجوم (hujūm) comes from the root هجم (hajama) "to rush at", and can also mean "onslaught", "assault", or "invasion". | |||
| Hebrew | לִתְקוֹף | ||
| The Hebrew word "לתקוף" can also mean "to strike" or "to hit". | |||
| Pashto | برید | ||
| The word "برید" also means "to cut" or "to separate" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | هجوم | ||
| هجوم (hujūm) comes from the root هجم (hajama) "to rush at", and can also mean "onslaught", "assault", or "invasion". | |||
Attack in Western European Languages
| Albanian | sulm | ||
| The word "sulm" in Albanian also means "assault", "rape", "violation", or "aggression". | |||
| Basque | erasoa | ||
| The term "erasoa" shares roots with the noun "eraso" meaning "wound" or "injury". | |||
| Catalan | atacar | ||
| "Atacar" derives from *attaccare*, and refers to both hitting and fixing objects (as in attacking a nail to a wall). | |||
| Croatian | napad | ||
| The noun 'napad' originated from the verb 'nasti' ('to force', 'to attack', mostly used when attacking with a sharp tool) | |||
| Danish | angreb | ||
| The Danish word "angreb" derives from the Old Norse "ágreip" and means both "to attack" and "to grapple with". | |||
| Dutch | aanval | ||
| "Aanval" can also refer to a medical seizure or spasm. | |||
| English | attack | ||
| Attack can refer to either military or verbal aggression, with roots in French and Italian languages. | |||
| French | attaque | ||
| The word "attaque" in French can also mean "beginning" or "attempt", and comes from the Latin word "attactus", meaning "touch" or "contact". | |||
| Frisian | oanfal | ||
| The word 'oanfal' is also used in Frisian to refer to a military invasion or a surprise attack. | |||
| Galician | ataque | ||
| The Galician word "ataque" is likely derived from the Old English word "attaque", | |||
| German | attacke | ||
| The word "Attacke" can also refer to a heart attack or a sudden illness. | |||
| Icelandic | árás | ||
| Árás also means "funeral repast" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | ionsaí | ||
| The Irish word 'ionsaí' originates from the Latin 'invasio' and the French 'invasion,' both meaning 'invasion'. | |||
| Italian | attacco | ||
| The Italian word "attacco" derives from the Old French "attaque," which has the alternate meaning of "fastening" or "binding." | |||
| Luxembourgish | ugrëff | ||
| The origin of the Luxembourgish word "Ugrëff" can be found in the Frankish word "upharjan" which means "to raise". | |||
| Maltese | attakk | ||
| The word 'attakk' is borrowed from Italian 'attaco' meaning 'a tie, bond' and is ultimately of Germanic origin, from Proto-Germanic *takōn ('to fix, arrange, make ready'). | |||
| Norwegian | angrep | ||
| The Norwegian word "angrep" is a compound of Old Norse "á" and "grepja", meaning "to seize" or "to take hold of". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ataque | ||
| "Ataque" comes from the Arabic "aṭ-ṭāqa" through the Spanish "ataque" and means a "strong impulse". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ionnsaigh | ||
| The word 'ionnsaigh' also refers to a 'charge', 'rush' or 'onset'. | |||
| Spanish | ataque | ||
| In chess, an "ataque" is also a combination in which a player has three consecutive checks. | |||
| Swedish | ge sig på | ||
| The word 'ge sig på' can also mean 'to attack', 'to make an attempt', or 'to get involved in'. | |||
| Welsh | ymosodiad | ||
| The word 'ymosodiad' in Welsh is derived from the Latin word 'aggressio', meaning 'an attack' or 'assault'. | |||
Attack in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | атака | ||
| The word "атака" (attack) also means "a stroke" in tennis or boxing. | |||
| Bosnian | napad | ||
| The word "napad" can also mean "infringement" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | атака | ||
| The word "атака" is derived from the French word "attaque" and also means "offensive" or "raid". | |||
| Czech | záchvat | ||
| The word "Záchvat" can also refer to a seizure or paroxysm, derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*zъčętъ" meaning "to begin, start". | |||
| Estonian | rünnak | ||
| The Estonian word "rünnak" (attack) is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*runno" (movement, attack), which is also related to the Finnish word "rynnätä" (to attack) and the Hungarian word "roham" (attack). | |||
| Finnish | hyökkäys | ||
| "Hyökkäys" originally meant "to take in" or "to steal". | |||
| Hungarian | támadás | ||
| Originally meant "assaulting", the word can also be used in the context of the "attack" in a chess game | |||
| Latvian | uzbrukums | ||
| The word "uzbrukums" can also refer to a sudden illness or misfortune. | |||
| Lithuanian | ataka | ||
| The word "ataka" is also used in Lithuanian to refer to a sudden illness or seizure. | |||
| Macedonian | напад | ||
| The word "напад" also has a secondary meaning of "onset" or "assault". | |||
| Polish | atak | ||
| The Polish word "atak" also means "heart attack". | |||
| Romanian | atac | ||
| The Romanians took the word "atac" from the French "attaque" which itself derived from the Italian "attacco", both meaning "attack". | |||
| Russian | атака | ||
| In Russian, the word "атака" can also be figuratively translated as "to charge at someone", e.g. to start a public debate in an accusatory fashion. | |||
| Serbian | напад | ||
| The word "напад" is a noun that can refer to a sudden onset of illness, an act of aggression, or a violent assault. | |||
| Slovak | útok | ||
| The word "útok" also means "impact" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | napad | ||
| In Proto-Slavic, "napadъ" could also mean an "assaulting" or "violent" person. | |||
| Ukrainian | напад | ||
| The word "напад" comes from Proto-Slavic "*nopadъ", meaning "to fall upon", or "to fall by". | |||
Attack in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আক্রমণ | ||
| The word "আক্রমণ" also means "occupation" in Bengali, reflecting its historical use in the context of colonial warfare. | |||
| Gujarati | હુમલો | ||
| "હુમલો" is derived from the Hindi word "हुमला" and is often used to refer to physical violence or armed conflict. | |||
| Hindi | हमला | ||
| The word 'हमला' is derived from the Arabic word 'hamla', meaning 'to charge' or 'to attack'. | |||
| Kannada | ದಾಳಿ | ||
| ದಾಳಿ (daali) also means 'sprouting' or 'sprout' in Kannada, and is related to the word 'daal' (meaning 'pulse') in Hindi. | |||
| Malayalam | ആക്രമണം | ||
| The Malayalam word | |||
| Marathi | हल्ला | ||
| The word “हल्ला” also has other Marathi meanings including “noise” and “confusion” and comes from the Sanskrit word “halla” which can mean “noise” and “festivities”. | |||
| Nepali | आक्रमण | ||
| The word "आक्रमण" (attack) derives from the Sanskrit word "क्राम" (to step or go) and connotes a forceful or aggressive action or movement against someone or something | |||
| Punjabi | ਹਮਲਾ | ||
| ਹਮਲਾ, which is also used in Hindi, comes from the Arabic word ḥamla and has the alternate meaning of 'pregnancy' in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ප්රහාරය | ||
| ප්රහාරය ('praharaya') derives from Sanskrit 'prahara' with synonyms 'fight', 'contest', 'strife', 'assault', 'battery', 'onslaught', 'offensive', 'invasion', 'aggress', 'encroachment', 'trespass'. It also means to beat, strike, assail, hit, and smite. | |||
| Tamil | தாக்குதல் | ||
| Telugu | దాడి | ||
| The word "దాడి" can also refer to a raid or a plundering expedition. | |||
| Urdu | حملہ | ||
| It is cognate with the word 'حمل' which means 'to bear' or 'to carry' in Arabic. | |||
Attack in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 攻击 | ||
| In addition to its common meaning of "attack", the word "攻击" can also mean "criticism" or "argumentation". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 攻擊 | ||
| The word is also used metaphorically to describe criticism. | |||
| Japanese | 攻撃 | ||
| "攻撃" can also be a noun referring to an attacker's style or tactic, which has been adopted in Japanese basketball lingo. | |||
| Korean | 공격 | ||
| The word "공격" also means "to prosecute" or "to accuse" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | халдлага | ||
| "Хадлага" originated from the word "хад" (stone), as an attack in Mongolian warfare often involved a stone rain on the enemy in the past. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တိုက်ခိုက်မှု | ||
Attack in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menyerang | ||
| The word "menyerang" also carries the meaning of "to slander" or "to speak ill of someone" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | nyerang | ||
| In Indonesian, 'nyerang' can also mean an 'attack on someone's character or reputation'. | |||
| Khmer | វាយប្រហារ | ||
| The Cambodian word វាយប្រហារ ('attack') can also carry the more figurative meaning of 'to criticize someone or something'} | |||
| Lao | ໂຈມຕີ | ||
| The Lao word "ໂຈມຕີ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "jamati" meaning "to press together, to gather." | |||
| Malay | serang | ||
| "Serang" in Malay can also refer to a type of traditional Malay sword or a person who attacks. | |||
| Thai | โจมตี | ||
| โจมตี comes from the Sanskrit word "ajmi"," meaning "to move, to go towards". | |||
| Vietnamese | tấn công | ||
| The word "tấn công" can also mean "offensive" or "accusation" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | atake | ||
Attack in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | hücum | ||
| The word "hücum" in Azerbaijani also translates to "ambition" or "zeal". | |||
| Kazakh | шабуыл | ||
| The word "шабуыл" in Kazakh can also refer to a sudden raid or incursion. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кол салуу | ||
| The word "кол салуу" can also mean "to strike" or "to hit" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | ҳамла | ||
| The word “ҳамла“ in Persian originally meant a “foray” but its meaning gradually changed to a more general sense, “attack.” | |||
| Turkmen | hüjüm | ||
| Uzbek | hujum | ||
| The word 'hujum' is derived from the Arabic word 'hujjūm' and also means 'crowd' or 'riot'. | |||
| Uyghur | ھۇجۇم | ||
Attack in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻouka | ||
| Hoʻouka also means to stab or thrust, or to push or shove something. | |||
| Maori | whakaeke | ||
| In addition to meaning "attack" in Maori, "whakaeke" can also mean "to break" or "to defeat". | |||
| Samoan | osofaʻiga | ||
| The word 'osofaʻiga' may also refer to a 'fortified stronghold' or a 'place of refuge'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pag-atake | ||
| "Pag-atake" (Tagalog) also means "to approach" or "to go towards" someone or something. | |||
Attack in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chhukt'aña | ||
| Guarani | g̃uahẽmbaite | ||
Attack in International Languages
| Esperanto | ataki | ||
| The Esperanto word "ataki" is derived from the English word "attack" and is also commonly used to refer to a sudden illness or misfortune. | |||
| Latin | impetus | ||
| The Latin word "impetus" can also mean "impulse", "momentum", or "force". | |||
Attack in Others Languages
| Greek | επίθεση | ||
| The word "επίθεση" is derived from the word "επιθίθημι," which means "to place upon" or "to lay upon". | |||
| Hmong | nres | ||
| The word "nres" in Hmong can also refer to an ambush or a raid. | |||
| Kurdish | êriş | ||
| The Kurdish word "êriş" derives from the Persian "ārīz", which has the alternate meaning of "arrival". | |||
| Turkish | saldırı | ||
| The word "saldırı" also refers to a sudden onset of pain or illness. | |||
| Xhosa | uhlaselo | ||
| The word 'uhlaselo' also carries the meanings of 'charge' and 'raid' | |||
| Yiddish | באַפאַלן | ||
| The Yiddish word "באַפאַלן" also means "to fall" or "to be overcome". | |||
| Zulu | ukuhlasela | ||
| The word 'ukuhlasela' in Zulu, can also mean 'to make a mistake' or 'to cause trouble' | |||
| Assamese | আক্ৰমণ | ||
| Aymara | chhukt'aña | ||
| Bhojpuri | हमला | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަމަލާ ދިނުން | ||
| Dogri | हमला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | atake | ||
| Guarani | g̃uahẽmbaite | ||
| Ilocano | atake | ||
| Krio | atak | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هێرشکردن | ||
| Maithili | हमला करनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯥꯟꯗꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | bei | ||
| Oromo | haleellaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆକ୍ରମଣ | ||
| Quechua | wayka | ||
| Sanskrit | आक्रमण | ||
| Tatar | һөҗүм | ||
| Tigrinya | መጥቃዕቲ | ||
| Tsonga | hlasela | ||