Bother in Different Languages
Discover 'Bother' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'bother' is a common English expression that holds significant meaning in everyday conversations. It is used to express annoyance, irritation, or to inquire about inconvenience. But have you ever wondered how to say 'bother' in different languages? Understanding the translation of this word can provide insight into cultural nuances and expand your linguistic repertoire.
For instance, in Spanish, 'bother' can be translated to 'molestar,' while in French, it becomes 'deranger.' In German, the word 'stören' is used, and in Japanese, ' molestare' (モレスター) is the equivalent term. These translations not only help in cross-cultural communication but also reveal how different languages and cultures view and express annoyance or inconvenience.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or someone looking to connect with people from different backgrounds, learning the translations of 'bother' can be a fun and enlightening experience. Keep reading to discover more translations of this common English word.
Bother
Bother in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | pla | ||
| Pla is derived from the French word 'plaisir', meaning 'pleasure' or 'enjoyment'. | |||
| Amharic | ያስቸግር | ||
| "ያስቸግር" can also be translated as "inconvenience" or "hassle." | |||
| Hausa | damu | ||
| Damu can also refer to a 'nuisance', 'embarrassment', or 'trouble', or even something 'bad' or 'evil'. | |||
| Igbo | inye nsogbu | ||
| "Inye nsogbu" shares the same root as "nsogbu" ("problem"), and has the literal meaning of "this is a problem." | |||
| Malagasy | manelingelina | ||
| The word "manelingelina" is related to the word "lingehina", which means "heavy" or "difficult". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuvuta | ||
| "Kuvuta" can also mean "to disturb" or "to annoy". | |||
| Shona | zvinonetsa | ||
| The word "zvinonetsa" can also refer to the act of making noise or causing a disturbance. | |||
| Somali | dhib | ||
| The word "dhib" can also refer to a "bad habit" or a "problem." | |||
| Sesotho | khathatseha | ||
| The word "khathatseha" is also used to describe a state of restlessness or unease. | |||
| Swahili | wasumbua | ||
| "Wasumbua" also means "to give someone a hard time" or "to make someone's life difficult." | |||
| Xhosa | khathaza | ||
| In isiXhosa, the verb 'khathaza' has a deeper meaning of disturbance or interruption, implying a violation or disruption of a person's tranquility. | |||
| Yoruba | ribee | ||
| The verb "ribee" ("bother") derives from the Yoruba word "ribiri," meaning "to shake something or make a disturbance." | |||
| Zulu | hlupha | ||
| The Zulu word "hlupha" also means "to push" or "to shove". | |||
| Bambara | ka tɔɔrɔ | ||
| Ewe | ɖe fu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kubabaza | ||
| Lingala | kotungisa | ||
| Luganda | okusumbuwa | ||
| Sepedi | tshwenya | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ha ho | ||
Bother in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يزعج | ||
| The word "يزعج" (bother) comes from the Arabic root "زعج" (to move or shake), which is also the root of the word "زجاج" (glass), as glass is a material that can be easily moved or shaken. | |||
| Hebrew | לְהטרִיד | ||
| The root ט-ר-ד in "לְהטרִיד" also means: to dispel, to drive away, and to shake off. | |||
| Pashto | ځورول | ||
| "ځورول" ("bother") is also used to refer to physical discomfort or illness, and is thought to be related to the Persian word "zor", meaning "force". It can imply oppression or coercion. | |||
| Arabic | يزعج | ||
| The word "يزعج" (bother) comes from the Arabic root "زعج" (to move or shake), which is also the root of the word "زجاج" (glass), as glass is a material that can be easily moved or shaken. | |||
Bother in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shqetësoj | ||
| The Albanian word 'shqetësoj' is derived from the Proto-Albanian form '*hqetos', meaning 'to remove something' or 'to make something go away'. | |||
| Basque | traba egin | ||
| "Traba egin" derives from "traba", meaning "impediment", and "egin", meaning "do" or "make". | |||
| Catalan | molestar | ||
| The word "molestar" in Catalan originates from the Latin word "molestare," meaning "to trouble" or "to disturb." | |||
| Croatian | gnjaviti | ||
| The word 'gnjaviti' is most likely derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kenḱ- ('to torment, harass'). | |||
| Danish | forstyrre | ||
| The word "forstyrre" comes from the Old Danish word "styr", meaning "disturbance" or "commotion". | |||
| Dutch | dwars zitten | ||
| The word "dwarszitten" literally means "to sit across," but it also refers to annoying someone by getting in their way or interrupting them. | |||
| English | bother | ||
| In the 14th century, "bother" also meant "to make a loud, confused noise".} | |||
| French | déranger | ||
| The verb "déranger" in French comes from the Old French "desrengier", meaning "to put out of order" or "to disarrange, | |||
| Frisian | lêst | ||
| The Frisian word "lêst" is also used metaphorically to describe "trouble" or "inconvenience". | |||
| Galician | molestar | ||
| The Galician word "molestar" is derived from the Latin "molestare," with the original meaning of "to make a burden or difficulty," and the secondary meaning of "to harm or injure." | |||
| German | mühe | ||
| The word "Mühe" derives from the Middle High German "müeje," meaning "effort," and is related to the English "moil." | |||
| Icelandic | nenna | ||
| The word "nenna" can also mean "fuss" or "worry". | |||
| Irish | bodhraigh | ||
| Bodhraigh also means 'deaf' in Irish Gaelic and is likely cognate with 'bothar' meaning 'road', so it can also mean 'off-road' | |||
| Italian | fastidio | ||
| The word "fastidio" in Italian derives from the Latin word "fastidium", which can also mean "disgust" or "loathing". | |||
| Luxembourgish | stéieren | ||
| The word "stéieren" likely derives from the Old High German "stören," meaning "to disturb" or "to hinder." | |||
| Maltese | jolqot | ||
| "Jolqot" is derived from the Italian word "giocare" (to play) and also means "playful" or "mischievous". | |||
| Norwegian | bry | ||
| The word "bry" in Norwegian, meaning "bother," is related to the Old Norse word "bryggja," meaning "to bridge" or "to build." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | incomodar | ||
| The verb "incomodar" is derived from the Latin "incommodare" meaning "to cause trouble or inconvenience". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cuir dragh air | ||
| Spanish | molestia | ||
| The Spanish word "molestia" derives from the Latin "molestus", meaning "burdensome" or "tiresome". | |||
| Swedish | besvära sig | ||
| The Swedish word "besvära sig" is related to the German word "beschweren", meaning "to complain". | |||
| Welsh | trafferthu | ||
| The word "trafferthu" derives from the Middle Welsh word "traferth" meaning "trouble" or "difficulty". | |||
Bother in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | турбаваць | ||
| "Турбаваць" came from the Polish "turbować" in the 15th century and originally meant "to worry" or "to disturb". | |||
| Bosnian | smetati | ||
| Etymology: From Proto-Slavic *smetati (*sъmetati, *sъmetnoti), meaning “to mix, throw together”. Related to "smjesa" - mix and "metati" - throw. | |||
| Bulgarian | притеснявам се | ||
| The Bulgarian verb "притеснявам се" derives from the noun "теснота" (narrowness, tightness), originally meaning "to feel constrained or uncomfortable, to be in a tight spot". | |||
| Czech | obtěžovat | ||
| The verb "obtěžovat" in Czech has a broader meaning than "bother", including "to burden", "to trouble", "to disturb", and "to molest". | |||
| Estonian | viitsima | ||
| The word "viitsima" may also mean "feel like", as in "I don't feel like going out." | |||
| Finnish | vaivautua | ||
| "Vavautua" also means "to suffer" and is related to the word "vaiva" (pain) | |||
| Hungarian | zavar | ||
| The word "zavar" originates from the Slavic word "zъvati" which means to "call out" or "invite". | |||
| Latvian | apnikt | ||
| "Apnikt" comes from Proto-Indo-European *op- "to obstruct, choke up". | |||
| Lithuanian | vargti | ||
| "Vargti" is derived from the Lithuanian verb "varstyti," meaning "to open," or "to untie. | |||
| Macedonian | пречи | ||
| The word "пречи" (bother) in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*prěčiti", meaning "to block" or "to hinder". | |||
| Polish | zawracać głowę | ||
| The Polish idiom "zawracać głowę" means "to bother" literally, but its literal meaning is "to turn the head around". | |||
| Romanian | deranja | ||
| The word "deranja" is derived from the Slavic word "draniti", meaning "to tear" or "to scratch". | |||
| Russian | беспокоить | ||
| The Russian word беспокоить (bother) is derived from the Old Church Slavonic verb покоити (to bring to peace), and also means 'to disturb' and 'to worry'. | |||
| Serbian | сметати | ||
| The word "сметати" (smetati) is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *met-, meaning "to cast, throw, or sweep". It can also mean "to prevent, hinder, or obstruct" in some contexts. | |||
| Slovak | obťažovať | ||
| Obťažovať can also mean to "besiege" or to "harass". | |||
| Slovenian | moti | ||
| The word "moti" in Slovenian can also mean "to bother" or "to worry". | |||
| Ukrainian | турбувати | ||
| The word “турбувати” derives from the Proto-Slavic “turb” which has the same meaning. | |||
Bother in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিরক্ত | ||
| "বিরক্ত" (bother) comes from the Sanskrit "virakta", meaning "detached" or "free from interest". | |||
| Gujarati | પરેશાન | ||
| The word 'પરેશાન' comes from the Persian word 'pareshaan', meaning 'scattered' or 'disordered'. | |||
| Hindi | नाक में दम करना | ||
| Literally translates to "to suffocate", implying a feeling of distress or annoyance. | |||
| Kannada | ತೊಂದರೆ | ||
| The word "ತೊಂದರೆ" (bother) in Kannada originally meant "difficulty", but is also used to refer to a source of annoyance, a nuisance or an inconvenience. | |||
| Malayalam | ശല്യപ്പെടുത്തുക | ||
| Marathi | त्रास | ||
| The word "त्रास" in Marathi originally meant "disease" but now means "bother". | |||
| Nepali | चिन्ता | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word 'चिन्ता' means 'to think' and is the root of the word 'चिन्तन' ('meditation'). | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਰੇਸ਼ਾਨ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කරදර | ||
| The Sinhala word "කරදර" can also refer to a fine, tax, or assessment imposed on land or property. | |||
| Tamil | தொந்தரவு | ||
| The Tamil word தொந்தரவு also means 'a swelling', 'trouble', or 'an affliction' | |||
| Telugu | ఇబ్బంది | ||
| The word "ఇబ్బంది" (ibbandhi) can also mean "difficulty" or "trouble". | |||
| Urdu | زحمت | ||
| The word "زحمت" also means "trouble" or "hardship" in Urdu. | |||
Bother in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 烦 | ||
| 烦 originates from the word '番' (fān), which means 'foreigner', implying that 'annoyance' stems from external factors. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 煩 | ||
| 煩 (bother) is a pictograph of a woman holding a stick to beat someone, or to swat away flies. | |||
| Japanese | わざわざ | ||
| The term 'わざわざ' can also refer to excessive formality or unnecessary effort, highlighting the Japanese cultural emphasis on politeness and efficiency. | |||
| Korean | 귀찮음 | ||
| 귀찮음 is also used to refer to a person who is easily annoyed or bothered. | |||
| Mongolian | санаа зовох | ||
| The Mongolian word "санаа зовох" comes from the Mongolian verb "санах", meaning "to think or care", and the noun "зовох", meaning "disturbance or worry". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထိတ်လန့် | ||
Bother in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mengganggu | ||
| The word "mengganggu" derives from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word *gangu "to harass, disturb, make a noise", akin to Javanese gangguan "disturbance, trouble" and Malay ganggu "to interrupt, bother". | |||
| Javanese | repot | ||
| The word “repot” also means to cook rice in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | រំខាន | ||
| The word ភអងអ ("bother") derives from ភុង ("disturb") + អឨឡ ("cause a problem"). | |||
| Lao | ລົບກວນ | ||
| In Lao, ລົບກວນ (bɔ̂ːp kwàhn) literally means "to disturb" or "to remove a disturbance", and is used in a similar way to "bother". It may also be used as a more polite way of asking someone to leave or end a conversation. | |||
| Malay | bersusah payah | ||
| The Malay word "bersusah payah" literally means "difficult work" or "toil". | |||
| Thai | รำคาญ | ||
| The word รำคาญ (bother) is derived from the Sanskrit word "rancana", meaning "preparation", and originally referred to the annoyance caused by excessive preparation or attention to detail. | |||
| Vietnamese | làm phiền | ||
| "Làm phiền" can literally mean "do busy things" and is also used to ask someone to do something for you politely. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | abala | ||
Bother in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | narahat et | ||
| "Narahat et" means also "worry, concern, anxiety, trouble, disquiet" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | мазалаңыз | ||
| "Мазалаңыз" is borrowed from Russian "маза", used in the gambling context. | |||
| Kyrgyz | убара | ||
| Tajik | ташвиш | ||
| "Ташвиш" originates from the Arabic "تشويش", denoting "confusion", "disturbance", "perturbation". | |||
| Turkmen | azar ber | ||
| Uzbek | bezovta qil | ||
| The word "bezovta qil" in Uzbek literally translates to "make useless (something)". | |||
| Uyghur | ئاۋارە | ||
Bother in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻoluhi | ||
| The word "hoʻoluhi" in Hawaiian can also refer to "to annoy" or "to worry". | |||
| Maori | whakararuraru | ||
| The word "whakararuraru" can also mean "to make a nuisance of oneself" or "to be a pest." | |||
| Samoan | faʻasoesā | ||
| Faʻasoesā (bother), in Samoan usage, carries an implied negative connotation beyond just causing mild disturbance and can describe acts such as provocation or harassment. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | abala | ||
| "Abála" can also mean "obstacle, hindrance, obstruction." | |||
Bother in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mulistaña | ||
| Guarani | moangekói | ||
Bother in International Languages
| Esperanto | ĝeni | ||
| In Sanskrit, "jani" means "to beget" or "to produce," reflecting the idea of causing a disturbance, inconvenience, or annoyance. | |||
| Latin | pugnes | ||
| Pugnes can also mean 'fight' in Latin, a meaning related to its original sense as 'to hit' | |||
Bother in Others Languages
| Greek | ενόχληση | ||
| The Greek word ενοχληση can also refer to an irritation, disturbance, or annoyance. | |||
| Hmong | thab | ||
| The Hmong word "thab" originally meant "to be full" or "to be satisfied," but has taken on the additional meaning of "to be bothered" or "annoyed" over time. | |||
| Kurdish | ked | ||
| The word "ked" in Kurdish can also mean "trouble", "annoyance", "hardship", or "difficulty". | |||
| Turkish | zahmet | ||
| "Zahmet" comes from the Persian word "zaḥmat" meaning "fatigue". | |||
| Xhosa | khathaza | ||
| In isiXhosa, the verb 'khathaza' has a deeper meaning of disturbance or interruption, implying a violation or disruption of a person's tranquility. | |||
| Yiddish | אַרן | ||
| The Yiddish word "אַרן" can also mean "to hurry" or "to be annoyed." | |||
| Zulu | hlupha | ||
| The Zulu word "hlupha" also means "to push" or "to shove". | |||
| Assamese | আমনি পোৱা | ||
| Aymara | mulistaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | झंझट | ||
| Dhivehi | އަޅާލުން | ||
| Dogri | भ्रा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | abala | ||
| Guarani | moangekói | ||
| Ilocano | ringgoren | ||
| Krio | ambɔg | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بێزارکردن | ||
| Maithili | परेशानी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯟꯖꯤꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tibuai | ||
| Oromo | jeequu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ୟସ୍ତ ହୁଅ | | ||
| Quechua | piñachiy | ||
| Sanskrit | अधिबाधते | ||
| Tatar | борчу | ||
| Tigrinya | ምርባሽ | ||
| Tsonga | karhata | ||