Being in Different Languages
Discover 'Being' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Being is a profound and multifaceted concept that transcends language and culture. It signifies existence, identity, and the essence of life. The word 'being' has been explored in various philosophical, spiritual, and literary traditions, making it a subject of great cultural importance.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'being' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how diverse cultures perceive and express this fundamental concept. For instance, the German word 'Dasein' – popularized by philosopher Martin Heidegger – specifically refers to human existence as being-in-the-world, emphasizing our inherent connection to our surroundings.
In Spanish, 'ser' and 'estar' both translate to 'to be', but they convey different nuances: 'ser' denotes a permanent state or essence, while 'estar' expresses a temporary condition. These distinctions reveal the language's subtlety in capturing the complexities of being.
Stay tuned as we delve into the translations of 'being' in a variety of languages, shedding light on the fascinating ways cultures around the world grapple with this universal concept.
Being
Being in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | wees | ||
| The word "wees" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "wezen", meaning "to be" or "to exist". | |||
| Amharic | መሆን | ||
| The Amharic word "መሆን" (also spelled "ymhnon") means "being" or "to be" and also carries the connotation of "essence" or "nature" in certain contexts. | |||
| Hausa | kasancewa | ||
| Kasancewa in Hausa derives from the Arabic word "ka'ina" meaning "existing". | |||
| Igbo | ịbụ | ||
| The word ịbụ (being) derives from the root verb 'bụ' (to be or exist), and can also refer to essence, nature, or character. | |||
| Malagasy | ny hoe | ||
| Ny hoe, used in expressions signifying existence, such as ny hoe ao, "there is water,'’ and ny hoe olona ao, "there are people,'’ also means "stay" as a verb and "place" as a noun; there is also a homorganic nasal variant, ihoe, "here". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kukhala | ||
| "Kukhala" also refers to the state of existence, a condition, or an event. | |||
| Shona | kuva | ||
| In the Korekore dialect of Shona, "kuva" also means "to be alive." | |||
| Somali | ahaansho | ||
| In the Somali language, "ahaansho" has a literal meaning of "being" or "existence," but it also carries metaphorical connotations of "wholeness," "authenticity," and "true nature." | |||
| Sesotho | ho ba | ||
| The word “ho ba” can also mean “existent”. | |||
| Swahili | kuwa | ||
| The word "kuwa" in Swahili also means "to become" or "to exist". | |||
| Xhosa | ukuba | ||
| Ukuba, originally 'to fall', reflects the notion that existence is akin to being cast into a physical world of form. | |||
| Yoruba | jije | ||
| The word 'jije' in Yoruba also means 'food' and the act of 'eating'. | |||
| Zulu | ukuba | ||
| The word 'ukuba' in Zulu can also refer to the process of 'becoming' or 'existing.' | |||
| Bambara | ni fɛn | ||
| Ewe | nu gbagbe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kuba | ||
| Lingala | kozala | ||
| Luganda | okubeera | ||
| Sepedi | sebopiwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | reyɛ | ||
Being in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يجرى | ||
| The Arabic word "يجرى" can refer to a state of existence, as well as the action of running or flowing. | |||
| Hebrew | להיות | ||
| The Hebrew word for "being" is "להיות" which also means "to become" or "to happen". | |||
| Pashto | شتون | ||
| The word "شتون" is a synonym of "بودل" , meaning "to occur", and also refers to having a large amount of milk (for animals). | |||
| Arabic | يجرى | ||
| The Arabic word "يجرى" can refer to a state of existence, as well as the action of running or flowing. | |||
Being in Western European Languages
| Albanian | qenie | ||
| The word "qenie" is also used in Albanian to refer to existence or essence. | |||
| Basque | izatea | ||
| The term “izatea” is the philosophical equivalent of the Greek “ousia” or the Latin “essentia”, i.e. the ultimate nature of entities. | |||
| Catalan | estar | ||
| The Catalan word "estar" derives from the Latin "stare", meaning "to stand", and can also signify physical or emotional states. | |||
| Croatian | biće | ||
| The Croatian word »biće« is related to the Serbian word »biće«, the Czech word »být«, the Polish word »być«, the Russian word »быть« and the Lithuanian word »būti«. | |||
| Danish | være | ||
| The Danish word "være" is cognate with the English word "ware" and can also mean "goods" or "merchandise". | |||
| Dutch | wezen | ||
| The Dutch word 'wezen' can mean 'substance', 'essence' and is related to the English word 'wise'. | |||
| English | being | ||
| The word "being" derives from the Old English word "beon" and can refer to existence, an entity, or a creature. | |||
| French | étant | ||
| The French word "étant" comes from the Latin word "ens", which means "thing" or "essence". | |||
| Frisian | wêzen | ||
| The Frisian word "wêzen" relates to the Old English "wesan" and Old Norse "vera", which also mean "to be". | |||
| Galician | estar | ||
| Galician “estar” derives from Latin stare “to stand”, while Portuguese and Spanish estar “to be” derives from Latin esse “to be”. | |||
| German | sein | ||
| In medieval German, "Sein" also meant "appearance" or "presence", a meaning still retained in the adjective "scheinbar" (apparent). | |||
| Icelandic | vera | ||
| As well as meaning "being" (the act of existing), "vera" can also mean "pain", "sorrow" or "injury" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | bheith | ||
| The word "bheith" can also mean "existence" or "presence" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | essere | ||
| In Italian, “essere” also means “to exist,” “to be present,” and “to happen.” | |||
| Luxembourgish | sinn | ||
| The etymology of 'sinn' (as a noun) is Old and Middle High German 'wesen' ('creature or being'). | |||
| Maltese | qed | ||
| In Maltese, "qed" can also refer to "doing" or "becoming". | |||
| Norwegian | å være | ||
| In Norwegian, the word "å være" also means "to exist" or "to occur". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ser | ||
| In Portuguese 'ser' is etymologically related to the verb 'estar' (to be) and the Latin word 'esse' (to be). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bhith | ||
| The word "bhith" can also refer to existence or reality, and is often used in philosophical contexts. | |||
| Spanish | siendo | ||
| The word "siendo" in Spanish can also mean "while" or "because". | |||
| Swedish | varelse | ||
| In Old Norse, ”vers“ meant ”man“, ”woman“ or ”human“, while ”vera“ meant ”to exist“ or ”to live“. | |||
| Welsh | bod | ||
| The word "bod" can also refer to a dwelling or a physical entity. | |||
Being in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | быццё | ||
| The word "быццё" in Belarusian is derived from the verb "быць" (to be), and can also refer to existence, essence, or nature. | |||
| Bosnian | biti | ||
| The word "biti" also means "existence" and "life" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | битие | ||
| The word "битие" can also refer to the state of existing or the process of becoming, and is related to the Sanskrit word "bhav" meaning "to become". | |||
| Czech | bytost | ||
| The word 'byt' has dual meanings: 'being' and 'apartment'. | |||
| Estonian | olemine | ||
| The word "olemine" can also refer to a state of existence or the essence of something. | |||
| Finnish | oleminen | ||
| The word 'oleminen' also implies 'existence' or 'essence'. | |||
| Hungarian | lény | ||
| The word "lény" is derived from the Proto-Ugric word "*elen", which also means "man" or "human being". | |||
| Latvian | būtne | ||
| Latvian word "būtne" is cognate with Lithuanian "būtis" and the Old Prussian "buts" and means "essence" or "nature" in the sense of "the underlying reality of something". | |||
| Lithuanian | esamas | ||
| The word "esamas" shares its root with "esu" (am, is, are), but is usually translated as "being". | |||
| Macedonian | битие | ||
| The Macedonian word "битие" has roots in various Slavic languages, including Old Church Slavonic and Serbian. | |||
| Polish | istota | ||
| In Slavic languages, "istota" originally meant "substance, foundation, or essence" before it acquired its current meaning of "being." | |||
| Romanian | fiind | ||
| The Romanian word for 'being' can also refer to a 'fiend' or an 'apparition'. | |||
| Russian | будучи | ||
| The word "будучи" also has the meaning of "being located" in space or time. | |||
| Serbian | бити | ||
| The word "бити" is also used in Serbian to denote "existence" or "essence". | |||
| Slovak | bytie | ||
| The word 'bytie' in Slovak traces its roots back to Proto-Slavic 'byti', 'existence', which also gave rise to 'byt', 'dwelling', 'bytnosť', 'essence', 'podstata', 'substance', and 'substanzia', 'substance', via Latin | |||
| Slovenian | biti | ||
| The root bit- comes from an Indo-European root *bʰū- meaning 'to grow' and is also a cognate with the English words 'be' and 'been'. | |||
| Ukrainian | буття | ||
| The word 'буття' can also refer to 'existence' or 'reality', and is closely related to the word 'світ' (world). | |||
Being in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | হচ্ছে | ||
| হচ্ছে is derived from the Sanskrit verb 'bhavati' meaning 'to become' or 'to exist'. | |||
| Gujarati | હોવા | ||
| "હોવા" can mean 'owning' or 'possessing' too, not just the state or fact of existing. | |||
| Hindi | किया जा रहा है | ||
| The Hindi word "होना" (being) can also mean "to become" or "to happen." | |||
| Kannada | ಅಸ್ತಿತ್ವ | ||
| The word "ಅಸ್ತಿತ್ವ" is derived from the Sanskrit root "अस्" meaning "to be", and has alternate meanings of "existence" and "essence". | |||
| Malayalam | ഉള്ളത് | ||
| "ഉള്ളത്" comes from "उल्लसित" (ullasita), meaning "rejoiced, full of high spirits" in Sanskrit, and can also mean "being" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | अस्तित्व | ||
| The Marathi word "अस्तित्व" (existence) derives from the Sanskrit word "सत्ता" (essence), implying the inherent nature or quality of an entity. | |||
| Nepali | हुनु | ||
| "हुनु" (being), is a verb in Nepali language, which shares its etymology with an Indo-Aryan word for "being" or "to exist". | |||
| Punjabi | ਹੋਣ | ||
| The word "ਹੋਣ" in Punjabi can also refer to "becoming" or "existence". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පැවැත්ම | ||
| Tamil | இருப்பது | ||
| The Tamil word "இருப்பது" can also refer to "living creatures" or "the state of existence". | |||
| Telugu | ఉండటం | ||
| The word "ఉండటం" can also mean "to exist" or "to be present". | |||
| Urdu | ہونے کی وجہ سے | ||
Being in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 存在 | ||
| 存在 (“being”) is also used as an attributive verb (ex. 存在的意义 “meaning of existence”) or a postposition to indicate the existence of something (ex. 桌子上存在一本书 “there is a book on the table”). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 存在 | ||
| The word "存在" can also mean "existing" or "existence". | |||
| Japanese | であること | ||
| The word "であること" can also mean "existence" or "essence". | |||
| Korean | 존재 | ||
| The word "존재" (being) in Korean can also refer to an existence or a substance. | |||
| Mongolian | байх | ||
| In the Mongolian language, the word "байх" also refers to a state of existence, presence, or possession. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖြစ်ခြင်း | ||
Being in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | makhluk | ||
| The word "makhluk" in Indonesian is derived from the Arabic word "khalq," meaning "creation" or "creature." | |||
| Javanese | dadi | ||
| The Javanese word "dadi" can also mean "to become, to happen," or "to exist, to be real" | |||
| Khmer | ត្រូវបាន | ||
| The word "ត្រូវបាន" can also mean "to become" or "to have to do something". | |||
| Lao | ເປັນ | ||
| The Lao word "ເປັນ" can also mean "to become" or "to have become". | |||
| Malay | menjadi | ||
| "Menjadi" can also mean "to become" or "to happen". | |||
| Thai | การเป็น | ||
| The Thai word “การเป็น” can also refer to “position, existence, being in an esteemed position, or the essence of something”. | |||
| Vietnamese | hiện hữu | ||
| The word "hiện hữu" is derived from the Chinese word "现", meaning "to manifest" or "to appear". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagiging | ||
Being in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | olmaq | ||
| The word "olmaq" in Azerbaijani also denotes existence, occurrence, or presence. | |||
| Kazakh | болу | ||
| The Kazakh word "болу" ('being') is also related to the word "бол" ('to grow') in the Turkic languages, suggesting a connection between existence and growth. | |||
| Kyrgyz | болуу | ||
| In the Uyghur language, "болуу" also means "to become, to grow, to develop"} | |||
| Tajik | будан | ||
| Tajiki word "будан" (budan) is an equivalent of Persian word "بودن" (budan), derived from the Proto-Indo-European word "*bʰuH-/*bʰewH-" meaning "to grow". | |||
| Turkmen | bolmak | ||
| Uzbek | bo'lish | ||
| The word "bo'lish" has a passive form suffix "-inish" which is added to a verb to form an abstract noun, meaning a result of action, or a state of being. | |||
| Uyghur | being | ||
Being in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ka noho ʻana | ||
| "E noho ana ma ka mea" (to dwell in something) is a common expression in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | he tangata | ||
| The Maori word 'he tangata', meaning 'being', also refers to 'a person, an individual, a human being'. | |||
| Samoan | tagata | ||
| "Tagata" can also refer to a person, an individual, or a human being. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagiging | ||
| The Tagalog word "pagiging" originates from the root "pag-", which signifies an ongoing state or process. | |||
Being in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ukhamaña | ||
| Guarani | upévo | ||
Being in International Languages
| Esperanto | estanta | ||
| The Esperanto word "estanta" is also used in Esperanto poetry to mean "the one who is" or "the one who exists." | |||
| Latin | quod | ||
| The Latin word "quod" also means "that" or "because" depending on the context. | |||
Being in Others Languages
| Greek | να εισαι | ||
| The Greek word "να εισαι" can also mean "to be born" or "to live." | |||
| Hmong | ua | ||
| The word "ua" in Hmong can also mean "to become" or "to exist." | |||
| Kurdish | bûn | ||
| The term "bûn" in Kurdish has alternate meanings such as "occurrence, existence, presence" and "essential attribute, characteristic, nature". | |||
| Turkish | olmak | ||
| The word "olmak" in Turkish is also a command, meaning "be become" or "exist."} | |||
| Xhosa | ukuba | ||
| Ukuba, originally 'to fall', reflects the notion that existence is akin to being cast into a physical world of form. | |||
| Yiddish | זייַענדיק | ||
| The Yiddish word 'זייַענדיק' can also mean 'existing' or 'present'. | |||
| Zulu | ukuba | ||
| The word 'ukuba' in Zulu can also refer to the process of 'becoming' or 'existing.' | |||
| Assamese | being | ||
| Aymara | ukhamaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | होखल | ||
| Dhivehi | ވުން | ||
| Dogri | होआ करदा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagiging | ||
| Guarani | upévo | ||
| Ilocano | addaan ti | ||
| Krio | fɔ bi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بوون | ||
| Maithili | प्राणी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | ni | ||
| Oromo | ta'uu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ହେବା | ||
| Quechua | ser | ||
| Sanskrit | स्थितवत् | ||
| Tatar | булу | ||
| Tigrinya | ፍጥረት | ||
| Tsonga | kuva | ||