Behavior in Different Languages
Discover 'Behavior' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Behavior is a fundamental aspect of human and animal life, encompassing the actions and reactions that define how we interact with the world around us. Its significance extends beyond the individual, shaping social norms, cultural traditions, and even international relations.
Throughout history, the study of behavior has fascinated philosophers, scientists, and scholars alike. From the ancient Greek concept of 'ethos' to the modern English term 'behavior', this concept has been explored and interpreted in countless ways, reflecting the diverse perspectives of different cultures and epochs.
Understanding the translation of 'behavior' in different languages is more than just a linguistic exercise. It's a window into the values, beliefs, and customs of people around the world. For instance, the Spanish 'comportamiento' not only shares the root 'comport' with the English word, but also carries a similar connotation of 'carrying oneself in a particular way'. Meanwhile, the Chinese translation '行为' (xíngwéi) combines the characters for 'walk' and 'action', suggesting a dynamic and active interpretation of behavior.
Stay tuned to explore more translations of behavior in different languages.
Behavior
Behavior in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gedrag | ||
| The word "gedrag" is of Dutch origin and can also refer to the movement of heavenly bodies in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | ባህሪ | ||
| The word "ባህሪ" (behavior) is derived from the root "ብህር" (character), and can also refer to someone's personality or nature. | |||
| Hausa | hali | ||
| The word "hali" can also refer to physical appearance or physical attributes. | |||
| Igbo | omume | ||
| The word 'omume' (behavior) in Igbo can also refer to 'way of life' or 'conduct'. | |||
| Malagasy | fitondrantena | ||
| The word “fitondrantena” in Malagasy comes from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root *tuŋkuḍ, which means “to squat” or “to sit on one's heels.” | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | khalidwe | ||
| The word "khalidwe" can also be used to describe the way in which someone moves or acts. | |||
| Shona | maitiro | ||
| The word "maitiro" in Shona can also refer to character or manner, and is related to the word "muitiro," which means custom or tradition. | |||
| Somali | dhaqanka | ||
| In Somali, "dhaqanka" not only means "behavior" but also "culture" or "tradition". | |||
| Sesotho | boitshwaro | ||
| The word "boitshwaro" translates to "behavior" in English and stems from the root word "itshwaara", which means "to act" or "to behave". | |||
| Swahili | tabia | ||
| "Tabia" also means "custom" or "usage" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | indlela yokuziphatha | ||
| The word 'indlela yokuziphatha' literally translates to 'the way of behaving'. | |||
| Yoruba | ihuwasi | ||
| The word "ihuwasi" is derived from the verb "hu" (to do) and the noun "wasi" (manner), hence it carries the meaning of "manner of doing" or "conduct". | |||
| Zulu | ukuziphatha | ||
| The Zulu word 'ukuziphatha' is derived from the verb 'ukuziphatha' meaning 'to hold oneself', and refers to one's conduct or demeanor. | |||
| Bambara | jogo | ||
| Ewe | nuwɔna | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imyitwarire | ||
| Lingala | ezaleli | ||
| Luganda | enneeyisa | ||
| Sepedi | maitshwaro | ||
| Twi (Akan) | suban | ||
Behavior in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | سلوك | ||
| سلوك is a verb that means 'to walk' or 'to conduct oneself,' and is related to the word 'path' ('طريق'). | |||
| Hebrew | התנהגות | ||
| התנהגות can also mean 'conduct' or 'manner'. | |||
| Pashto | چلند | ||
| The word "چلند" can also mean "conversation" or "interaction" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | سلوك | ||
| سلوك is a verb that means 'to walk' or 'to conduct oneself,' and is related to the word 'path' ('طريق'). | |||
Behavior in Western European Languages
| Albanian | sjellje | ||
| "Sjellje" is also used in Albanian as a way to say "demeanor" or the way a person acts or presents themselves. | |||
| Basque | portaera | ||
| Basque word "portaera" also means "conduct", "attitude" and "demeanor". | |||
| Catalan | comportament | ||
| In Castilian Spanish, the term comportament refers to a compartment or drawer in a piece of furniture, while in Catalan, it exclusively denotes behavior. | |||
| Croatian | ponašanje | ||
| In Croatian, "ponašanje" also refers to a demeanor or conduct, especially in a social context. | |||
| Danish | opførsel | ||
| While the word "opførsel" directly translates to mean "behavior," it can also mean "performance" or "conduct". | |||
| Dutch | gedrag | ||
| The word "gedrag" in Dutch can also refer to someone's conduct or demeanor. | |||
| English | behavior | ||
| The word "behavior" derives from the Latin word "habere," meaning "to have" or "to hold," and originally referred to the manner in which someone held themselves. | |||
| French | comportement | ||
| In Old French, "comportement" meant "attitude, way of holding oneself". | |||
| Frisian | hâlden en dragen | ||
| 'Hâlden en dragen' is also an archaic expression meaning 'living and carrying,' especially of livestock. | |||
| Galician | comportamento | ||
| The Galician word "comportamento" comes from the Latin "comportare," meaning "to carry together" or "to endure." | |||
| German | verhalten | ||
| Verhalten can also mean 'the attitude towards something' | |||
| Icelandic | hegðun | ||
| The term hegðun has an etymological origin in the word hegða, which signifies "to keep, observe or tend". | |||
| Irish | iompar | ||
| The Irish word "iompar" also refers to "port" and "carriage" and derives from the Latin word "importare". | |||
| Italian | comportamento | ||
| In Italian, "comportamento" can also mean "deportment" or "conduct". | |||
| Luxembourgish | verhalen | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Verhalen" is derived from the German word "Verhalten", which in turn originates from the Middle High German "verhalten" (to carry oneself). | |||
| Maltese | imġieba | ||
| The word "imġieba" is derived from the Arabic word "majaba" meaning "answer". | |||
| Norwegian | oppførsel | ||
| The word "oppførsel" is derived from the Old Norse word "uppføra," meaning "to bring up" or "to educate." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | comportamento | ||
| "Comportamento" derives from the Latin verb "comportare," meaning "to bring together" or "to assemble," implying a composite or organized nature. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | giùlan | ||
| Giùlan, in addition to referring to behavior, can also mean "bearing," "conduct," or "demeanor. | |||
| Spanish | comportamiento | ||
| "Comportamiento" (behavior) shares its root with "comportarse" which comes from the French "comporter" which originated from the Late Latin "comportare" meaning "to carry together, conduct, or behave." | |||
| Swedish | beteende | ||
| The word 'beteende' derives from the Latin verb 'betare', meaning 'to beat', referring to the external manifestations of internal states. | |||
| Welsh | ymddygiad | ||
| 'Ymddygiad' comes from the Welsh words 'ymddyg' meaning 'to behave' and 'iad' meaning 'the state of'. | |||
Behavior in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | паводзіны | ||
| The word "паводзіны" in Belarusian is derived from the verb "паводзіць", which means "to drive, to guide, or to manage". | |||
| Bosnian | ponašanje | ||
| The word 'ponašanje' can also mean 'demeanor', 'conduct', or 'bearing' | |||
| Bulgarian | поведение | ||
| The word "поведение" has a similar meaning in Bulgarian and French, and is ultimately derived from the Latin word "habere," meaning "to have." | |||
| Czech | chování | ||
| The word "chování" also means "breeding" or "upbringing" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | käitumine | ||
| Estonian word "käitumine" translates to "behavior," but derives from the verb="käima" (to walk), and the suffix="-mine" (characterized by), so literally meaning "a manner of walking." | |||
| Finnish | käyttäytymistä | ||
| The word "käyttäytymistä" in Finnish literally translates to "use of oneself". | |||
| Hungarian | viselkedés | ||
| The Hungarian word "viselkedés" originates from the word "viselni" meaning "to wear", referring to the outward manifestation of someone's inner disposition. | |||
| Latvian | uzvedība | ||
| The word "uzvedība" also means "conduct" or "demeanor" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | elgesys | ||
| The word "elgesys" in Lithuanian comes from the verb "elgtis," which means "to act". | |||
| Macedonian | однесување | ||
| The word "однесување" in Macedonian can also refer to "demeanor" or "conduct." | |||
| Polish | zachowanie | ||
| Polish "zachowanie" has the same etymology as English "conversation", meaning "staying together" | |||
| Romanian | comportament | ||
| The Romanian word comportament is derived from the French word comportement, meaning "behavior," and is ultimately derived from the Latin word comportare, meaning "to carry together." | |||
| Russian | поведение | ||
| The word "behavior" in Russian, "поведение", can also refer to "conduct" or "manners". | |||
| Serbian | понашање | ||
| The word 'ponašanje' comes from the verb 'ponašati se', which means 'to behave' or 'to act'. It can also refer to 'conduct', 'demeanor', or 'bearing'. | |||
| Slovak | správanie | ||
| The Slovak word "správanie" can also refer to a news story or report, or to the administration of justice in a court of law. | |||
| Slovenian | vedenje | ||
| This word can also refer to skill, knowledge, talent, experience, mastery, wisdom, or the process of learning and acquiring skills. | |||
| Ukrainian | поведінки | ||
| Поведінки also means "deportment" and is a plural form of the noun "поведінка". | |||
Behavior in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আচরণ | ||
| আচরণ derives from the Sanskrit word 'चार' (movement, conduct, or behavior) and also means 'practice' or 'usage' in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | વર્તન | ||
| The word "વર્તન" is derived from the Sanskrit word "वर्तन" (vartan), which means "to turn, to move". | |||
| Hindi | व्यवहार | ||
| The word "व्यवहार" (vyavahara) in Hindi also means "conduct", "dealing", or "transaction". | |||
| Kannada | ನಡವಳಿಕೆ | ||
| The word "ನಡವಳಿಕೆ" can also refer to a specific type of behavior, such as the "conduct of a person" or the "manner of acting or behaving". | |||
| Malayalam | പെരുമാറ്റം | ||
| The word "പെരുമാറ്റം" (perumattam) in Malayalam originally meant "manner of conduct befitting a king". | |||
| Marathi | वर्तन | ||
| The word "वर्तन" (vartana) is derived from the Sanskrit root "वृत्" (vrt) meaning "to turn, to behave". | |||
| Nepali | व्यवहार | ||
| The word "व्यवहार" can also mean "conduct" or "transaction". | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਵਹਾਰ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හැසිරීම | ||
| The word "හැසිරීම" can be derived from the Sanskrit word "चार" (chāra), meaning "to move" or "to conduct oneself." | |||
| Tamil | நடத்தை | ||
| The Tamil word | |||
| Telugu | ప్రవర్తన | ||
| The Sanskrit word 'pravarta' means 'to move' or 'to act', and the Telugu word 'ప్రవర్తన' is derived from it. | |||
| Urdu | سلوک | ||
| The Urdu word "سلوک" (behavior) is derived from the Arabic word "سَلُوك" and also refers to a system of spiritual practices in Sufism. | |||
Behavior in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 行为 | ||
| The word "行为" (behavior) in Chinese also refers to "activity" or "conduct". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 行為 | ||
| 行為 is also a Buddhist term meaning "karmic retribution". | |||
| Japanese | 動作 | ||
| "動作" can also mean "an action" or "a move". | |||
| Korean | 행동 | ||
| The word "hangdong" (행동) is also used to refer to "action" or "conduct" in a legal or ethical context. | |||
| Mongolian | зан байдал | ||
| The word 'зан байдал' in Mongolian can also refer to the nature or disposition of a person. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အပြုအမူ | ||
Behavior in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tingkah laku | ||
| The Indonesian word "tingkah laku" can also refer to a person's behavior, demeanor, or conduct. | |||
| Javanese | tingkah laku | ||
| The Javanese word "tingkah laku" can also mean "posture" or "manner of carrying oneself". | |||
| Khmer | ឥរិយាបទ | ||
| The Khmer word "ឥរិយាបទ" (behavior) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आर्यापथ" (āryāpatha), meaning "noble conduct". It can also refer to postures or gestures. | |||
| Lao | ພຶດຕິ ກຳ | ||
| Malay | tingkah laku | ||
| "Tingkah laku" can literally be translated as "action appearance", suggesting a close relationship between external actions and internal states. | |||
| Thai | พฤติกรรม | ||
| 'พฤติกรรม' derives from the Sanskrit word 'pravrutti' meaning 'to behave, to conduct oneself'. | |||
| Vietnamese | hành vi | ||
| In Vietnamese, "hành vi" can also refer to actions or conduct. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pag-uugali | ||
Behavior in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | davranış | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word "davranış" is also used to describe a person's actions, conduct, or demeanor. | |||
| Kazakh | мінез-құлық | ||
| "Мінез-құлық" can also refer to moral or ethical conduct and can be used to describe a person's nature, values, and attitudes. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жүрүм-турум | ||
| The term “жүрүм-турум” is frequently used in the context of social norms and values. | |||
| Tajik | рафтор | ||
| The Tajik word рафтор is derived from the Persian word رفتار, which also means "behavior." | |||
| Turkmen | özüni alyp baryş | ||
| Uzbek | xulq-atvor | ||
| "Xulq-atvor" has Arabic origins and also means morality, conduct and character. | |||
| Uyghur | ھەرىكەت | ||
Behavior in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hana | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'hana' also means 'work' or 'craft', reflecting the idea that behavior is a manifestation of one's skills and abilities. | |||
| Maori | whanonga | ||
| The word "whanonga" also has connotations of "custom" and "tradition" within the Maori culture. | |||
| Samoan | amio | ||
| The word "amio" in Samoan also means a traditional performance of dance and song. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pag-uugali | ||
| "Pag-uugali" also means "customs, habits, or manners". | |||
Behavior in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kumpurtasiwi | ||
| Guarani | hapykuere | ||
Behavior in International Languages
| Esperanto | konduto | ||
| The word "konduto" in Esperanto can also refer to a conduct or a conduit, and derives from the Latin word "conductus" meaning "leading" or "guiding". | |||
| Latin | mores | ||
| The Latin word 'mores' can also refer to customs, traditions, or moral principles. | |||
Behavior in Others Languages
| Greek | η συμπεριφορα | ||
| The word "η ΣΥΜΠΕΡΙΦΟΡΑ" comes from the Greek word "σύμπερι" (symperi) meaning "together" and "φέρω" (fero) meaning "to bear or carry." | |||
| Hmong | cwj pwm | ||
| "Cwj pwm" can also mean "conduct" or "manners." | |||
| Kurdish | xwenîşandinî | ||
| Xwenîşandinî has an alternate meaning of "training, education, teaching, instruction" in Kurdish, derived from the Persian word "tarbīyat" with the same meaning. | |||
| Turkish | davranış | ||
| The word "davranış" also means "act", "deed", "conduct", "action" or "attitude" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | indlela yokuziphatha | ||
| The word 'indlela yokuziphatha' literally translates to 'the way of behaving'. | |||
| Yiddish | נאַטור | ||
| From the Hebrew "הִתְנַּהֲגוּת" ("hitnahagut"), meaning "behavior," and also used in Ashkenazi Hebrew for "conduct". | |||
| Zulu | ukuziphatha | ||
| The Zulu word 'ukuziphatha' is derived from the verb 'ukuziphatha' meaning 'to hold oneself', and refers to one's conduct or demeanor. | |||
| Assamese | আচৰণ | ||
| Aymara | kumpurtasiwi | ||
| Bhojpuri | बेवहार | ||
| Dhivehi | އުޅުން | ||
| Dogri | ब्यहार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pag-uugali | ||
| Guarani | hapykuere | ||
| Ilocano | panagtignay | ||
| Krio | biev | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕەفتار | ||
| Maithili | व्यवहार | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯤꯆꯠ ꯁꯥꯖꯠ | ||
| Mizo | nungchang | ||
| Oromo | amala | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ୟବହାର | ||
| Quechua | comportamiento | ||
| Sanskrit | व्यवहार | ||
| Tatar | тәртип | ||
| Tigrinya | ባህርያት | ||
| Tsonga | hanyelo | ||