Breathe in Different Languages
Discover 'Breathe' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Breathing is a fundamental aspect of life, connecting us all to the world around us. It's a simple, yet powerful act that is often taken for granted. The significance of 'breathe' extends beyond the physical, encompassing concepts of relaxation, mindfulness, and even survival in many languages and cultures.
Throughout history, breath has been a source of inspiration for artists, philosophers, and scientists alike. In various spiritual traditions, breath is considered the life force, or 'prana,' 'chi,' or 'ruah,' that animates all living beings. In literature, breath is a symbol of life, love, and the human experience.
Given the cultural importance of breath, it's no wonder that people might be interested in learning how to say 'breathe' in different languages. By doing so, they not only expand their vocabulary but also gain a deeper appreciation for the diverse ways in which people around the world express this universal concept.
Here are some translations of 'breathe' in various languages, from the romantic French 'respirer' to the melodic Hawaiian 'hā.
Breathe
Breathe in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | asemhaal | ||
| The Afrikaans word 'asemhaal' is derived from the Dutch word 'ademhalen', which itself originates from 'adem' ('breath') and 'halen' ('to fetch'). | |||
| Amharic | መተንፈስ | ||
| The Amharic word "መተንፈስ" (breathe) derives from the root word "ነፈስ" (breath, spirit) and is related to "መንፈስ" (soul). | |||
| Hausa | numfasawa | ||
| The word "numfasawa" is derived from the Arabic word "nafas", meaning "breath". | |||
| Igbo | kuo ume | ||
| Kuo ume can also mean 'to revive' or 'to recuperate' | |||
| Malagasy | miaina | ||
| The word "miaina" also means "life" and is related to the word "aina", which means "land" or "country" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | puma | ||
| Nyanja 'puma' can also mean 'scent' or 'smell'. | |||
| Shona | fema | ||
| The word "fema" also means "to recover" or "to take a break" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | neefso | ||
| The word "neefso" is derived from the Proto-Cushitic verb "*nefsa", meaning to breathe or blow. | |||
| Sesotho | hema | ||
| Hema can also refer to a particular phase of initiation when girls learn about pregnancy. | |||
| Swahili | kupumua | ||
| Kupumua also means 'to rest' or 'to be at peace' in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | phefumla | ||
| The Xhosa word "phefumla" also means "to be happy". | |||
| Yoruba | simi | ||
| Simi can also refer to "to blow" or "to huff" | |||
| Zulu | phefumula | ||
| The word "phefumula" also carries spiritual or aromatic connotations. | |||
| Bambara | ka ninakili | ||
| Ewe | gbɔ ya | ||
| Kinyarwanda | humeka | ||
| Lingala | kopema | ||
| Luganda | okussa | ||
| Sepedi | hema | ||
| Twi (Akan) | home | ||
Breathe in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | نفس | ||
| The word 'نفس' in Arabic also means 'self', 'soul', and 'breath of life'. | |||
| Hebrew | לִנְשׁוֹם | ||
| "לִנְשׁוֹם" (breathe) shares its root letters with "נְשָׁמָה" (soul), pointing to the idea that breath is essential for life and the connection between the physical and spiritual. | |||
| Pashto | تنفس | ||
| 'تنفس' means both 'to breathe' and 'to smell' in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | نفس | ||
| The word 'نفس' in Arabic also means 'self', 'soul', and 'breath of life'. | |||
Breathe in Western European Languages
| Albanian | marr frymë | ||
| While "marr frymë" literally means "take air," it also means "to rest". | |||
| Basque | arnasa hartu | ||
| In Basque, the word “arnasa hartu” literally means “taking oxygen”. | |||
| Catalan | respira | ||
| The etymology of respira is from Latin "respiro" meaning "draw air to the lungs" | |||
| Croatian | disati | ||
| "Disati" shares its root with "duh" (spirit) and "smrad" (stench), reflecting its primordial meaning as "to emit air or vapor." | |||
| Danish | træk vejret | ||
| ''Træk vejret'' translates to both ''breathe'' and ''draw a line'', as ''vejr'' can mean both ''weather'' and ''line''. | |||
| Dutch | ademen | ||
| The original meaning of the Dutch word "ademen" was "to smell" | |||
| English | breathe | ||
| The word "breathe" is derived from the Middle English word "brethen," meaning "to exhale," and is related to the Old English word "brēoðan," meaning "to blow." | |||
| French | respirer | ||
| The word "respirer" also means "to exhale" or "to sigh" in French. | |||
| Frisian | sykhelje | ||
| Galician | respirar | ||
| In Galician, "respirar" can also refer to breathing underwater, unlike the Spanish "respirar", that only refers to breathing air | |||
| German | atmen | ||
| The verb "atmen" is derived from the Old High German word "ātum", which originally meant "to blow" or "to breathe out". | |||
| Icelandic | anda | ||
| In Old Norse, 'anda' meant 'to die by drowning'. | |||
| Irish | breathe | ||
| The Irish word | |||
| Italian | respirare | ||
| The Italian word "respirare" ultimately derives from the Latin verb "spirare", meaning "to blow", and is related to other words like "spirit" and "inspire." | |||
| Luxembourgish | ootmen | ||
| The German word 'atmen', meaning 'to breathe', may also have influenced the word 'ootmen', as the languages are closely related. | |||
| Maltese | nifs | ||
| The word "nifs" can also mean "scent" or "breath." | |||
| Norwegian | puste | ||
| The Old Norse word "pusta" also referred to panting or gasping. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | respirar | ||
| In Portuguese, "respirar" also means "sigh" (in the sense of a deep breath). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | anail | ||
| The word "anail" in Scots Gaelic can also mean "aspiration" or "breath" in a philosophical sense. | |||
| Spanish | respirar | ||
| "Respirar" in Spanish derives from the Latin "respirare," meaning both "to breathe" and "to get a break from work." | |||
| Swedish | andas | ||
| The word 'andas' also means 'duck' in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | anadlu | ||
| The verb 'anadlu' is also used poetically to mean 'to live', 'to survive', or 'to continue' in Welsh. | |||
Breathe in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дыхаць | ||
| The word | |||
| Bosnian | diši | ||
| The word "diši" in Bosnian also derives from "disati" (to breathe deeply), which can mean "gasp" or "pant". | |||
| Bulgarian | дишайте | ||
| The word "дишайте" also means "to smoke" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | dýchat | ||
| Czech word "dýchat" originates from Proto-Slavic term for "air". It's cognate to Lithuanian "džiūti" which means "to dry out". | |||
| Estonian | hingata | ||
| The word "hingata" is also used to mean "to take a break". | |||
| Finnish | hengittää | ||
| Hengittää can also mean 'rest', 'be free from work' or 'have no worries'. | |||
| Hungarian | lélegzik | ||
| The word lélegzik is also used to describe the action of a bellows, a device that pumps air. | |||
| Latvian | elpot | ||
| Elpot also refers to "live", "be alive" and "survive", among other related concepts. | |||
| Lithuanian | kvėpuoti | ||
| The word "kvėpuoti" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kʷep-ē/o-", meaning "to breathe" or "to blow". | |||
| Macedonian | дишат | ||
| The verb "дишат" (breathe) is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*dyxati", which also means "to blow" or "to puff." | |||
| Polish | oddychać | ||
| "Oddychać" derives from "oddy", meaning "rest". | |||
| Romanian | a respira | ||
| The Romanian word "a respira" derives from Latin "respirare", meaning both "to breathe" and "to rest". | |||
| Russian | дышать | ||
| The verb "дышать" can also mean "to live" or "to exist" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | диши | ||
| The word "диши" is related to the Proto-Slavic root "*dъšа", which also means "soul, life". | |||
| Slovak | dýchať | ||
| The word "dýchať" in Slovak is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*dyxati" and is related to the Latin "spirare" and the English "spirit". | |||
| Slovenian | dihati | ||
| The word "dihati" in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *dyhati, which is related to the English word "to die". | |||
| Ukrainian | дихати | ||
| "Дихати" comes from Proto-Slavic "dъxati" meaning "to blow, breathe, or pant"} | |||
Breathe in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শ্বাস | ||
| The word "শ্বাস" (breathe) in Bengali is derived from the Sanskrit word "श्वास" (breath), and also refers to the vital breath or life force. | |||
| Gujarati | શ્વાસ | ||
| "શ્વાસ" is borrowed from Sanskrit, where it can also mean "spirit" or "life force" | |||
| Hindi | साँस लेना | ||
| "साँस लेना" can be broken down into its roots to mean "giving life (प्राण) to air (वायु)" or "taking away (अपा) its impurity (न)". | |||
| Kannada | ಉಸಿರಾಡು | ||
| The Kannada word "ಉಸಿರಾಡು" may also mean "life force" or "spirit". | |||
| Malayalam | ശ്വസിക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | श्वास घ्या | ||
| While "श्वास घ्या" generally translates to "breathe," it's also connected to "life breath," emphasizing its vital role in existence. | |||
| Nepali | सास | ||
| The Nepali word "सास" (breathe) is cognate with the Sanskrit word "श्वास" (breath), and also means "mother-in-law" in both languages. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਾਹ | ||
| The word "ਸਾਹ" in Punjabi also refers to a unit of time, specifically a moment or an instant. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හුස්ම ගන්න | ||
| The Sinhala word හුස්ම ගන්න (husma ganna) was originally used to describe the process of drawing in air through the nose. | |||
| Tamil | சுவாசிக்கவும் | ||
| "சுவாசிக்கவும்" originated from the Sanskrit word "svasi" meaning "to inhale", and it also means "to take a break" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | he పిరి | ||
| Telugu 'he పిరి' meaning 'to inhale' is cognate with Bengali 'phephri-te' ('to blow'). | |||
| Urdu | سانس لینا | ||
Breathe in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 呼吸 | ||
| The character 呼 in '呼吸' also means 'call' or 'shout', implying that taking a breath is an active process. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 呼吸 | ||
| ' 呼吸 ' also signifies to ' rest ' or ' take ease ' . | |||
| Japanese | 呼吸する | ||
| The word '呼吸する' ('breathe') in Japanese also means to "receive" or "accept". | |||
| Korean | 숨을 쉬다 | ||
| 숨 (숨김) + 쉬다 (들숨 내숨), 숨 쉬다의 본래 뜻은 숨을 멈추었다가 쉬는 것 | |||
| Mongolian | амьсгалах | ||
| Амьсгалах originates from the Mongolian word "амь" (life), suggesting that breathing is central to life. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှူ | ||
| The word "ရှူ" can also mean "to live" or "to exist". | |||
Breathe in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bernafas | ||
| The Indonesian word "bernafas" also signifies having life or being alive. | |||
| Javanese | ambegan | ||
| The Javanese word "ambegan" can also refer to the movement of a body part. | |||
| Khmer | ដកដង្ហើម | ||
| The Khmer word "ដកដង្ហើម" also means "respiration", "breathing", or "the act of breathing". | |||
| Lao | ຫາຍໃຈ | ||
| Malay | bernafas | ||
| The word "bernafas" in Malay originates from Sanskrit "nir" (out) and "vas" (to live), meaning "to live out" or "to exhale". | |||
| Thai | หายใจ | ||
| "หายใจ" also means "calm" or "stop crying" when used in a certain context. | |||
| Vietnamese | thở | ||
| "Thở" can also mean "to sigh" or "to gasp". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | huminga | ||
Breathe in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | nəfəs al | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "nəfəs al" also refers to the act of "taking a rest or break." | |||
| Kazakh | тыныс алу | ||
| The word "тыныс алу" can also mean "to rest" or "to take a break" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | дем алуу | ||
| In Kyrgyz, the word “дем алуу” derives from the Turkic root *deme-, meaning “to blow”, and shares similarities with the Kazakh "дем алу", Azerbaijani "dəm almaq", and Turkish "nefes almak" | |||
| Tajik | нафас кашидан | ||
| The verb phrase "нафас кашидан" can also mean to "sigh", "gasp", "pant", or to take "a deep breath" | |||
| Turkmen | dem al | ||
| Uzbek | nafas oling | ||
| The Uzbek word "nafas oling" is a compound word meaning both "to breathe" and "to have breath odor." | |||
| Uyghur | نەپەس ئېلىڭ | ||
Breathe in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hanu | ||
| The word "hanu" is also used to refer to the soul or breath of life, and is sometimes translated as "spirit". | |||
| Maori | manawa | ||
| The Maori word 'manawa' also refers to the human soul, spirit, or essence. | |||
| Samoan | manava | ||
| The term "manava" in Samoan is derived from the word "mana," which means "life force" or "power." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | huminga | ||
| The Tagalog word "huminga" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*hiŋaŋ", which also means "breath" or "to breathe". | |||
Breathe in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | samsuña | ||
| Guarani | pytuhẽ | ||
Breathe in International Languages
| Esperanto | spiri | ||
| "Spiri" comes from the Latin "spirare" meaning "to breathe" and also "to hope". | |||
| Latin | respirare | ||
| Latin verb 'respirare' also means 'recover consciousness', 'regain one's senses', 'return to life' or 'recover'. | |||
Breathe in Others Languages
| Greek | αναπνέω | ||
| In Ancient Greek, "αναπνέω" was also used in the sense of "revive" or "recuperating". | |||
| Hmong | ua pa | ||
| "Ua pa" means "to speak" and is also an onomatopoeia for the sound of breathing. | |||
| Kurdish | bîngirtin | ||
| The word "bîngirtin" in Kurdish is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰrengʰ-, meaning "to make a sound". | |||
| Turkish | nefes almak | ||
| The word "nefes almak" can also mean "to relax"} | |||
| Xhosa | phefumla | ||
| The Xhosa word "phefumla" also means "to be happy". | |||
| Yiddish | אָטעמען | ||
| The Yiddish word "אָטעמען" also means "to take a breath" or "to sigh". | |||
| Zulu | phefumula | ||
| The word "phefumula" also carries spiritual or aromatic connotations. | |||
| Assamese | শ্বাস-প্ৰশ্বাস | ||
| Aymara | samsuña | ||
| Bhojpuri | सांस लिहल | ||
| Dhivehi | ނޭވާލުން | ||
| Dogri | साह् लैना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | huminga | ||
| Guarani | pytuhẽ | ||
| Ilocano | aganges | ||
| Krio | blo | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هەناسە | ||
| Maithili | सांस लेनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯤꯡꯁꯥ ꯁ꯭ꯋꯔ ꯍꯣꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thaw | ||
| Oromo | hafuura baafachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନିଶ୍ୱାସ ନିଅ | ||
| Quechua | samay | ||
| Sanskrit | श्वसिति | ||
| Tatar | сулыш | ||
| Tigrinya | ተንፍስ | ||
| Tsonga | hefemula | ||