Bomb in Different Languages
Discover 'Bomb' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'bomb' carries a significant weight in our vocabulary, often associated with destruction and power. From military warfare to disarming unexploded devices, this term has a wide range of uses and cultural importance. Moreover, its translation in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how various cultures and languages perceive and address this concept.
Did you know that the first military use of a bomb was in 1277 during the Song Dynasty in China? Or that the word 'bomb' comes from the Greek word 'bombos,' which means 'booming'? Understanding the translation of 'bomb' in different languages can also help us appreciate the historical and cultural contexts of this powerful term.
For instance, in Spanish, 'bomb' is 'bomba,' while in French, it's 'bombe.' In German, it's 'Bombe,' and in Japanese, it's '爆弾 (bakudan).' These translations not only help us communicate effectively across languages and cultures but also offer a glimpse into the historical and cultural significance of this term.
Bomb
Bomb in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bom | ||
| The Afrikaans word "bom" derives from the Dutch word "bom," meaning tree. It can refer to a fruit-bearing tree or a bomb. | |||
| Amharic | ቦምብ | ||
| Amharic ቦምብ is also used to refer to the sound created by the act of falling | |||
| Hausa | bam | ||
| The Hausa word "bam" originated from the Fulfulde language, and was used to describe the traditional cannon and its projectiles. | |||
| Igbo | bombu | ||
| "Bombu" can mean "to swell" or "to bubble up" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | baomba | ||
| In Malagasy, "baomba" also refers to a large, round fruit of the baobab tree. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | bomba | ||
| In Nyanja (Chichewa), "bomba" also refers to a large, round, edible fruit similar in appearance to a pumpkin. | |||
| Shona | bhomba | ||
| In Shona, the term 'bhomba' also carries the meaning of 'a magical or medicinal object' or 'something with the potential to cause destruction'. | |||
| Somali | bambo | ||
| Somali "bambo" may derive from Bantu "bambu," or from Swahili "bombo," referring to the sound of an explosion. | |||
| Sesotho | bomo | ||
| While the word "bomo" means "bomb" in Sesotho, it also refers to a type of traditional beer in Southern Africa. | |||
| Swahili | bomu | ||
| Bomu is ultimately derived from the Latin word "bomba", but can also refer to fireworks, explosions, or even someone who is angry and out of control. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhombu | ||
| The Xhosa word "ibhombu" also means "thunder" or "a loud noise". | |||
| Yoruba | bombu | ||
| The Yoruba term for "explosion," "bombu," may also denote an unexpected, abrupt action that causes great damage and shock, like when an individual experiences a significant financial loss. | |||
| Zulu | ibhomu | ||
| In addition to 'bomb', 'ibhomu' can mean 'grenade' or 'grenade launcher' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | bɔnbu dɔ | ||
| Ewe | bɔmb | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igisasu | ||
| Lingala | bombe ya kobwaka | ||
| Luganda | bbomu | ||
| Sepedi | pomo ya | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔtopae a wɔde tow | ||
Bomb in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قنبلة | ||
| The word "قنبلة" can also mean "grenade" in Arabic, deriving from the Greek "κώνωψ". | |||
| Hebrew | פְּצָצָה | ||
| The word "פְּצָצָה" (p'tsatsah) is also used figuratively in Hebrew to mean "a great success" or "a big hit". | |||
| Pashto | بم | ||
| The Pashto word "بم" (bomb) is derived from the Persian word "بم" (grenade). | |||
| Arabic | قنبلة | ||
| The word "قنبلة" can also mean "grenade" in Arabic, deriving from the Greek "κώνωψ". | |||
Bomb in Western European Languages
| Albanian | bombë | ||
| Bombë in Albanian can also refer to "ball" or "shot" in sports and games, as well as "blow" or "knock" in colloquial speech. | |||
| Basque | bonba | ||
| The Basque word "bonba" also means "bell" or "drum" and is possibly onomatopoeic in origin. | |||
| Catalan | bomba | ||
| The Catalan word "bomba" is derived from the Greek "bombyx", meaning "silkworm", and refers to the spherical shape of a silkworm cocoon. | |||
| Croatian | bomba | ||
| In Croatian, "bomba" can also refer to a chocolate chip cookie, while its diminutive form "bombica" means a small bomb or a round candy. | |||
| Danish | bombe | ||
| In Danish, the word "bombe" can also refer to a dessert or a type of candy. | |||
| Dutch | bom | ||
| In Dutch, "bom" can also refer to a tree trunk or the cotton wool used to ignite fireworks. | |||
| English | bomb | ||
| Despite its negative modern connotation, "bomb" originally meant "a hum" or "buzzing sound" in Latin. | |||
| French | bombe | ||
| The French word "bombe" can also refer to a dessert consisting of a frozen mousse covered in a hard chocolate shell. | |||
| Frisian | bom | ||
| In Frisian, "bom" can also refer to a buzzing sound or a hollow sound. | |||
| Galician | bomba | ||
| In Galician, “bomba” can also refer to a kind of potato soup, a type of firework, or a derogatory term for someone who talks a lot. | |||
| German | bombe | ||
| In German, the word "Bombe" also refers to a type of pastry filled with cream or fruit. | |||
| Icelandic | sprengja | ||
| "Sprengja" in Icelandic literally translates to "burst" or "shatter". | |||
| Irish | buama | ||
| The Irish word "buama" (bomb) originates from the French word "bombe" (cannon shell) and was borrowed into Irish in the 18th century. | |||
| Italian | bomba | ||
| In Italian, "bomba" can also refer to a pastry filled with cream or custard. | |||
| Luxembourgish | bomb | ||
| In Luxembourgish language, the borrowed word "Bomb" can also mean "a huge amount" | |||
| Maltese | bomba | ||
| In Maltese, | |||
| Norwegian | bombe | ||
| In Norwegian, the word "bombe" also refers to a round cake with ice cream or cream filling. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | bombear | ||
| "Bombear" also means "to pump" or "to inflate" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | boma | ||
| The Gaelic word "boma" has other meanings, including "shelter" or "den". | |||
| Spanish | bomba | ||
| Bomba translates to "pump" in Spanish, but also has alternate meanings: a firecracker or a derogatory term for a flamboyant or boastful person. | |||
| Swedish | bomba | ||
| In Swedish, "bomba" also means "pump" and "hose". | |||
| Welsh | bom | ||
| The word "bom" in Welsh, besides meaning "bomb", can also mean "explosion" or "bang". | |||
Bomb in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | бомба | ||
| The Belarusian word "бомба" (bomb) originates from the French word "bombe". | |||
| Bosnian | bomba | ||
| In Bosnian, 'bomba' can also be used informally to describe a lie or an exaggeration | |||
| Bulgarian | бомба | ||
| The Bulgarian word "бомба" also means "hot pepper" and "gossip". | |||
| Czech | bombardovat | ||
| The verb "bombardovat" derives from the French "bombarder" and Latin "bombus" meaning "deep sound". | |||
| Estonian | pomm | ||
| In Estonian, "pomm" can refer to a "bomb" or to "an apple" depending on the context of the sentence. | |||
| Finnish | pommi | ||
| In Finnish, "pommi" also refers to "a large explosion" or "a complete disaster". | |||
| Hungarian | bomba | ||
| "Bomba" was originally used in Hungarian as a slang term for "something excellent". | |||
| Latvian | bumba | ||
| It's also an onomatopoeia for the sound of something falling or hitting something. | |||
| Lithuanian | bomba | ||
| The word "bomba" also means "bumblebee" or "bumblebee's nest" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | бомба | ||
| The Macedonian word "бомба" also means "a big lie". | |||
| Polish | bomba | ||
| "Bomba" in Polish can also refer to a chocolate praline or a type of Polish vodka. | |||
| Romanian | bombă | ||
| "Bombă" is a Romanian word that originally meant "a large bell" or "a big explosion of noise", and it is related to the Slavic word "bomba" which means "a drum". | |||
| Russian | бомбить | ||
| The word "бомбить" can also mean "to bombard" or "to attack" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | бомба | ||
| The word "бомба" in Serbian can also mean "news" or "sensation". | |||
| Slovak | bomba | ||
| The Slovak word 'bomba' also has the alternate meaning of 'something exceptional' or 'something great'. | |||
| Slovenian | bomba | ||
| "Bomba" also means "pumpkin" in Slovenian, originating from the Italian word "zucca bomba" | |||
| Ukrainian | бомба | ||
| In Ukrainian, "бомба" can mean both a bomb, and in slang, something amazing. | |||
Bomb in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বোমা | ||
| The word 'বোমা' comes from the French word 'bombe' meaning 'sphere' or 'hollow globe' | |||
| Gujarati | બૉમ્બ | ||
| The Gujarati word "બૉમ્બ" (bomb) is derived from the Latin word "bombus", meaning "buzzing" or "humming". | |||
| Hindi | बम | ||
| The Hindi word "बम" can also refer to a loud thunderclap during a storm or to a very large and sudden sound. | |||
| Kannada | ಬಾಂಬ್ | ||
| The word 'ಬಾಂಬ್' is derived from the Greek word 'βόμβος' (bombos), meaning 'a deep sound'. | |||
| Malayalam | ബോംബ് | ||
| The term "bomb" (ബോംബ്) comes from the Greek word bombyzeo, meaning "to spin". | |||
| Marathi | बॉम्ब | ||
| In Marathi, the term "बॉम्ब" can also refer to a heavy or impactful object, or a person who is impressive or extraordinary. | |||
| Nepali | बम | ||
| The word "बम" (bomb) in Nepali can also refer to a type of sweet pastry. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੰਬ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਬੰਬ" or "bomb" can mean not only an actual bomb (a dangerous explosive), but also a type of sweet dessert. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බෝම්බය | ||
| The word "බෝම්බය" (bomb) originates from the Sanskrit word "भ्रामक" (bhramara), meaning "wandering bee" or "bumblebee". | |||
| Tamil | குண்டு | ||
| The term 'குண்டு' can also denote a 'sphere, bead, circle/cycle, round thing, bullet-shot', or refers to 'things which are round' in physical form. | |||
| Telugu | బాంబు | ||
| The word "bomb" in Telugu also means "a big noise". That's because "bomb" is a loan word from English, and it was originally used to describe the sound of an explosion. | |||
| Urdu | بم | ||
| The word "بم" can also refer to "deafness" in Urdu. | |||
Bomb in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 炸弹 | ||
| The character '炸' in '炸弹' originally meant 'to fry', hence the word's extended meaning of 'a small explosive device'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 炸彈 | ||
| 炸彈 in Chinese can also mean 'a disaster' or 'a big problem' | |||
| Japanese | 爆弾 | ||
| "爆弾" can also mean "scoop" or "hot news" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 폭탄 | ||
| The Korean word for "bomb" is 폭탄 (pok-tan), a compound of 폭 (pok, "to explode") and 탄 (tan, "object"). | |||
| Mongolian | бөмбөг | ||
| The Mongolian word "бөмбөг" also means "a round or spherical object", like a ball or a marble. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဗုံး | ||
| ဗုံး can also mean “a lump of something” or “a pile of something”. | |||
Bomb in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bom | ||
| In Indonesian, "bom" can also refer to textiles, especially those imported from India or Persia. | |||
| Javanese | bom | ||
| In Javanese, "bom" also means "to brag" or "to boast". | |||
| Khmer | គ្រាប់បែក | ||
| The term "គ្រាប់បែក" can also refer to a round or bullet in Khmer, highlighting its connection to the act of "breaking" or "shattering". | |||
| Lao | ລູກລະເບີດ | ||
| Malay | bom | ||
| In Malay, "bom" can also refer to a type of traditional pastry filled with sweet potato or coconut. | |||
| Thai | ระเบิด | ||
| The word "ระเบิด" in Thai also means "to explode" or "to burst". | |||
| Vietnamese | bom | ||
| In Vietnamese, "bom" can also mean "spring" or "coil" when used in the context of traditional medicine. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bomba | ||
Bomb in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bomba | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "bomba" also means "a piece of very good news" or "a big surprise". | |||
| Kazakh | бомба | ||
| The Kazakh word for "bomb" is "бома," which also refers to a shelter for livestock during the winter months. | |||
| Kyrgyz | бомба | ||
| The Kyrgyz word “бомба” also means “a sweet treat made of flour, butter, sugar, and nuts.” | |||
| Tajik | бомба | ||
| «Бомба» в переводе с таджикского означает также «сладкий, вкусный». | |||
| Turkmen | bomba | ||
| Uzbek | bomba | ||
| "Bomba" means "explosion" or "thunder" and is used in the Uzbek language | |||
| Uyghur | بومبا | ||
Bomb in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pōā | ||
| Pōā in Hawaiian can also refer to an explosive sound, a bursting or cracking noise, or a sudden violent eruption, and is cognate with the Māori word 'pōhā' which means 'to explode'. | |||
| Maori | poma | ||
| The Maori word "poma" can also refer to the fruit from a fruit-bearing tree. | |||
| Samoan | pomu | ||
| Pomu is a loanword from English with an alternate meaning in Samoan: 'to explode'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bomba | ||
| The Tagalog word "bomba" can also refer to a dance from Pangasinan province. | |||
Bomb in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | bomba | ||
| Guarani | bomba rehegua | ||
Bomb in International Languages
| Esperanto | bombo | ||
| "Bombo" is also an adjective meaning "magnificent." | |||
| Latin | bomb | ||
| In Latin, "bomb" originally meant "a loud noise" or "a buzzing sound". | |||
Bomb in Others Languages
| Greek | βόμβα | ||
| In ancient Greek it meant "buzzing" and it was related to the sound bees make. Today it is used to describe a loud noise or the sound of thunder. | |||
| Hmong | foob pob | ||
| The Hmong word "foob pob" (bomb) is derived from the Chinese "pào" (砲), which also means "cannon".} | |||
| Kurdish | bimbe | ||
| The word "bimbe" is also used to refer to a "female child" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | bomba | ||
| In Turkish, "bomba" can also refer to sensational news or an extraordinary person. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhombu | ||
| The Xhosa word "ibhombu" also means "thunder" or "a loud noise". | |||
| Yiddish | באָמבע | ||
| "באָמבע" was used in Yiddish to refer to "cotton" in addition to its more familiar meaning of "bomb". | |||
| Zulu | ibhomu | ||
| In addition to 'bomb', 'ibhomu' can mean 'grenade' or 'grenade launcher' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | বোমা | ||
| Aymara | bomba | ||
| Bhojpuri | बम के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޮން ގޮއްވާލައިފި އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | बम | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bomba | ||
| Guarani | bomba rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | bomba | ||
| Krio | bɔm we dɛn kin yuz | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بۆمب | ||
| Maithili | बम | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯕꯣꯝꯕꯨꯂꯥ ꯊꯥꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | bomb a ni | ||
| Oromo | boombii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବୋମା | ||
| Quechua | bomba | ||
| Sanskrit | बम्बः | ||
| Tatar | бомба | ||
| Tigrinya | ቦምባ | ||
| Tsonga | bomo | ||