Being in different languages

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

Afrikaanswees
The word "wees" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "wezen", meaning "to be" or "to exist".
Amharicመሆን
The Amharic word "መሆን" (also spelled "ymhnon") means "being" or "to be" and also carries the connotation of "essence" or "nature" in certain contexts.
Hausakasancewa
Kasancewa in Hausa derives from the Arabic word "ka'ina" meaning "existing".
Igboịbụ
The word ịbụ (being) derives from the root verb 'bụ' (to be or exist), and can also refer to essence, nature, or character.
Malagasyny 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.
Shonakuva
In the Korekore dialect of Shona, "kuva" also means "to be alive."
Somaliahaansho
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."
Sesothoho ba
The word “ho ba” can also mean “existent”.
Swahilikuwa
The word "kuwa" in Swahili also means "to become" or "to exist".
Xhosaukuba
Ukuba, originally 'to fall', reflects the notion that existence is akin to being cast into a physical world of form.
Yorubajije
The word 'jije' in Yoruba also means 'food' and the act of 'eating'.
Zuluukuba
The word 'ukuba' in Zulu can also refer to the process of 'becoming' or 'existing.'
Bambarani fɛn
Ewenu gbagbe
Kinyarwandakuba
Lingalakozala
Lugandaokubeera
Sepedisebopiwa
Twi (Akan)reyɛ

Being in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicيجرى
The Arabic word "يجرى" can refer to a state of existence, as well as the action of running or flowing.
Hebrewלהיות
The Hebrew word for "being" is "להיות" which also means "to become" or "to happen".
Pashtoشتون
The word "شتون" is a synonym of "بودل" , meaning "to occur", and also refers to having a large amount of milk (for animals).
Arabicيجرى
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

Albanianqenie
The word "qenie" is also used in Albanian to refer to existence or essence.
Basqueizatea
The term “izatea” is the philosophical equivalent of the Greek “ousia” or the Latin “essentia”, i.e. the ultimate nature of entities.
Catalanestar
The Catalan word "estar" derives from the Latin "stare", meaning "to stand", and can also signify physical or emotional states.
Croatianbiće
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«.
Danishvære
The Danish word "være" is cognate with the English word "ware" and can also mean "goods" or "merchandise".
Dutchwezen
The Dutch word 'wezen' can mean 'substance', 'essence' and is related to the English word 'wise'.
Englishbeing
The word "being" derives from the Old English word "beon" and can refer to existence, an entity, or a creature.
Frenchétant
The French word "étant" comes from the Latin word "ens", which means "thing" or "essence".
Frisianwêzen
The Frisian word "wêzen" relates to the Old English "wesan" and Old Norse "vera", which also mean "to be".
Galicianestar
Galician “estar” derives from Latin stare “to stand”, while Portuguese and Spanish estar “to be” derives from Latin esse “to be”.
Germansein
In medieval German, "Sein" also meant "appearance" or "presence", a meaning still retained in the adjective "scheinbar" (apparent).
Icelandicvera
As well as meaning "being" (the act of existing), "vera" can also mean "pain", "sorrow" or "injury" in Icelandic.
Irishbheith
The word "bheith" can also mean "existence" or "presence" in Irish.
Italianessere
In Italian, “essere” also means “to exist,” “to be present,” and “to happen.”
Luxembourgishsinn
The etymology of 'sinn' (as a noun) is Old and Middle High German 'wesen' ('creature or being').
Malteseqed
In Maltese, "qed" can also refer to "doing" or "becoming".
Norwegianå 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 Gaelicbhith
The word "bhith" can also refer to existence or reality, and is often used in philosophical contexts.
Spanishsiendo
The word "siendo" in Spanish can also mean "while" or "because".
Swedishvarelse
In Old Norse, ”vers“ meant ”man“, ”woman“ or ”human“, while ”vera“ meant ”to exist“ or ”to live“.
Welshbod
The word "bod" can also refer to a dwelling or a physical entity.

Being in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianбыццё
The word "быццё" in Belarusian is derived from the verb "быць" (to be), and can also refer to existence, essence, or nature.
Bosnianbiti
The word "biti" also means "existence" and "life" in Bosnian.
Bulgarianбитие
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".
Czechbytost
The word 'byt' has dual meanings: 'being' and 'apartment'.
Estonianolemine
The word "olemine" can also refer to a state of existence or the essence of something.
Finnisholeminen
The word 'oleminen' also implies 'existence' or 'essence'.
Hungarianlény
The word "lény" is derived from the Proto-Ugric word "*elen", which also means "man" or "human being".
Latvianbūtne
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".
Lithuanianesamas
The word "esamas" shares its root with "esu" (am, is, are), but is usually translated as "being".
Macedonianбитие
The Macedonian word "битие" has roots in various Slavic languages, including Old Church Slavonic and Serbian.
Polishistota
In Slavic languages, "istota" originally meant "substance, foundation, or essence" before it acquired its current meaning of "being."
Romanianfiind
The Romanian word for 'being' can also refer to a 'fiend' or an 'apparition'.
Russianбудучи
The word "будучи" also has the meaning of "being located" in space or time.
Serbianбити
The word "бити" is also used in Serbian to denote "existence" or "essence".
Slovakbytie
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
Slovenianbiti
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'.
Ukrainianбуття
The word 'буття' can also refer to 'existence' or 'reality', and is closely related to the word 'світ' (world).

Being in South Asian Languages

Bengaliহচ্ছে
হচ্ছে is derived from the Sanskrit verb 'bhavati' meaning 'to become' or 'to exist'.
Gujaratiહોવા
"હોવા" can mean 'owning' or 'possessing' too, not just the state or fact of existing.
Hindiकिया जा रहा है
The Hindi word "होना" (being) can also mean "to become" or "to happen."
Kannadaಅಸ್ತಿತ್ವ
The word "ಅಸ್ತಿತ್ವ" is derived from the Sanskrit root "अस्" meaning "to be", and has alternate meanings of "existence" and "essence".
Malayalamഉള്ളത്
"ഉള്ളത്" comes from "उल्लसित" (ullasita), meaning "rejoiced, full of high spirits" in Sanskrit, and can also mean "being" in Malayalam.
Marathiअस्तित्व
The Marathi word "अस्तित्व" (existence) derives from the Sanskrit word "सत्ता" (essence), implying the inherent nature or quality of an entity.
Nepaliहुनु
"हुनु" (being), is a verb in Nepali language, which shares its etymology with an Indo-Aryan word for "being" or "to exist".
Punjabiਹੋਣ
The word "ਹੋਣ" in Punjabi can also refer to "becoming" or "existence".
Sinhala (Sinhalese)පැවැත්ම
Tamilஇருப்பது
The Tamil word "இருப்பது" can also refer to "living creatures" or "the state of existence".
Teluguఉండటం
The word "ఉండటం" can also mean "to exist" or "to be present".
Urduہونے 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".
Korean존재
The word "존재" (being) in Korean can also refer to an existence or a substance.
Mongolianбайх
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

Indonesianmakhluk
The word "makhluk" in Indonesian is derived from the Arabic word "khalq," meaning "creation" or "creature."
Javanesedadi
The Javanese word "dadi" can also mean "to become, to happen," or "to exist, to be real"
Khmerត្រូវបាន
The word "ត្រូវបាន" can also mean "to become" or "to have to do something".
Laoເປັນ
The Lao word "ເປັນ" can also mean "to become" or "to have become".
Malaymenjadi
"Menjadi" can also mean "to become" or "to happen".
Thaiการเป็น
The Thai word “การเป็น” can also refer to “position, existence, being in an esteemed position, or the essence of something”.
Vietnamesehiện 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

Azerbaijaniolmaq
The word "olmaq" in Azerbaijani also denotes existence, occurrence, or presence.
Kazakhболу
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.
Kyrgyzболуу
In the Uyghur language, "болуу" also means "to become, to grow, to develop"}
Tajikбудан
Tajiki word "будан" (budan) is an equivalent of Persian word "بودن" (budan), derived from the Proto-Indo-European word "*bʰuH-/*bʰewH-" meaning "to grow".
Turkmenbolmak
Uzbekbo'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.
Uyghurbeing

Being in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianka noho ʻana
"E noho ana ma ka mea" (to dwell in something) is a common expression in Hawaiian.
Maorihe tangata
The Maori word 'he tangata', meaning 'being', also refers to 'a person, an individual, a human being'.
Samoantagata
"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

Aymaraukhamaña
Guaraniupévo

Being in International Languages

Esperantoestanta
The Esperanto word "estanta" is also used in Esperanto poetry to mean "the one who is" or "the one who exists."
Latinquod
The Latin word "quod" also means "that" or "because" depending on the context.

Being in Others Languages

Greekνα εισαι
The Greek word "να εισαι" can also mean "to be born" or "to live."
Hmongua
The word "ua" in Hmong can also mean "to become" or "to exist."
Kurdishbûn
The term "bûn" in Kurdish has alternate meanings such as "occurrence, existence, presence" and "essential attribute, characteristic, nature".
Turkisholmak
The word "olmak" in Turkish is also a command, meaning "be become" or "exist."}
Xhosaukuba
Ukuba, originally 'to fall', reflects the notion that existence is akin to being cast into a physical world of form.
Yiddishזייַענדיק
The Yiddish word 'זייַענדיק' can also mean 'existing' or 'present'.
Zuluukuba
The word 'ukuba' in Zulu can also refer to the process of 'becoming' or 'existing.'
Assamesebeing
Aymaraukhamaña
Bhojpuriहोखल
Dhivehiވުން
Dogriहोआ करदा
Filipino (Tagalog)pagiging
Guaraniupévo
Ilocanoaddaan ti
Kriofɔ bi
Kurdish (Sorani)بوون
Maithiliप्राणी
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯑꯣꯏꯕ
Mizoni
Oromota'uu
Odia (Oriya)ହେବା
Quechuaser
Sanskritस्थितवत्‌
Tatarбулу
Tigrinyaፍጥረት
Tsongakuva

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