Burden in Different Languages
Discover 'Burden' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'burden' carries a significant weight in our daily lives, representing responsibilities, obligations, and difficulties that we all face. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, music, and art, where the concept of burden is often explored as a means to express struggle, perseverance, and triumph. Understanding the translation of 'burden' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures perceive and address life's challenges.
For instance, the German word 'Last' translates to 'burden,' reflecting the country's emphasis on hard work and dedication. Meanwhile, in Japan, 'onus' is translated as 'onsha,' emphasizing the individual's responsibility in carrying their burden. In Spain, 'carga' not only means 'burden' but also refers to a 'load' or 'charge,' reflecting the country's rich history of exploration and discovery.
Below, you will find a comprehensive list of translations of 'burden' in various languages, shedding light on the diverse ways that cultures around the world conceptualize and address life's challenges.
Burden
Burden in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | las | ||
| The word "las" can also refer to a type of trap or snare used for hunting. | |||
| Amharic | ሸክም | ||
| "ሸክም" also refers to a person or thing that is a source of trouble or annoyance. | |||
| Hausa | nauyi | ||
| Hausa speakers may also use «nauyi» to mean «tax» or a «present». | |||
| Igbo | ibu | ||
| The Igbo word "ibu" may also refer to a homestead or a community. | |||
| Malagasy | izay manavesatra | ||
| The word "Izay Manavesatra" can also mean "the weight of responsibility" or "the burden of guilt". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | cholemetsa | ||
| The word "cholemetsa" also means "difficult" or "hard". | |||
| Shona | mutoro | ||
| Mutoro in Shona may also refer to a gift of appreciation given in return for a favor. | |||
| Somali | culays | ||
| Somali culays 'burden' may be cognate with Proto-Cushitic *qaw 'to carry on the back'. | |||
| Sesotho | moroalo | ||
| The word "moroalo" in Sesotho also refers to a problem or difficulty, suggesting that burdens can be both physical and emotional. | |||
| Swahili | mzigo | ||
| The word "mzigo" can also refer to a person's responsibilities or their obligations to others. | |||
| Xhosa | umthwalo | ||
| "Umthwalo" can also mean "responsibility" or "obligation" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | ẹrù | ||
| Ẹ̀rù is also used to refer to a person who is responsible for carrying burdens or performing difficult tasks. | |||
| Zulu | umthwalo | ||
| 'Umthwalo' is also used to refer to a traditional Zulu dance that celebrates the harvest | |||
| Bambara | doni | ||
| Ewe | agba | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umutwaro | ||
| Lingala | bozito | ||
| Luganda | omugugu | ||
| Sepedi | morwalo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adesoa | ||
Burden in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عبء | ||
| The Arabic word "عبء" ("burden") is derived from the root "ع ب ب" ("to bind" or "to tie"). | |||
| Hebrew | נטל | ||
| "נטל" (burden) is related to the word "נטל" (to plant), suggesting that burdens are often like seeds that grow over time. | |||
| Pashto | بار | ||
| The word "بار" ("burden") in Pashto also commonly refers to "fruit" or "crop". | |||
| Arabic | عبء | ||
| The Arabic word "عبء" ("burden") is derived from the root "ع ب ب" ("to bind" or "to tie"). | |||
Burden in Western European Languages
| Albanian | barrë | ||
| Albanian's word "barrë" meaning "burden" comes from Greek "βάρος" (varos) meaning burden, weight, "βαρύνω" (varino) meaning to weigh down, overburden, make heavy, harass, vex, trouble, load, oppress, "βαρύς" (varis) meaning heavy, burdensome, oppressive, grievous, serious, grievous, important, dignified, etc. | |||
| Basque | zama | ||
| The Basque word “zama” (burden) derives from “sama” (equal) | |||
| Catalan | càrrega | ||
| The term "càrrega" in Catalan, derived from the Latin "carricare", also refers to a person's obligations or responsibilities. | |||
| Croatian | teret | ||
| The word "teret" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *tertъ, meaning "to rub" or "to grind." | |||
| Danish | byrde | ||
| The Danish word "byrde" can also refer to a ship's cargo or a person's responsibilities. | |||
| Dutch | last | ||
| The Dutch word "last" can also refer to a ship's cargo or a person's obligations. | |||
| English | burden | ||
| The word "burden" comes from the Old English word "byrd" which means "load" or "weight". | |||
| French | fardeau | ||
| The Old French word "fardel" referred to a bundle carried by a traveler, while the modern French word "fardeau" can also mean a charge or responsibility. | |||
| Frisian | lêst | ||
| It is derived from Middle Dutch 'lest' and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hlaiþ-staz 'loaded thing' (cognates: Latin 'onus' (burden) and Icelandic 'hlast' (burden). | |||
| Galician | carga | ||
| Galician "carga" comes from Latin "carica" and can also mean "load" or "cargo". | |||
| German | belastung | ||
| The word "Belastung" in German can also mean "stress" or "load". | |||
| Icelandic | byrði | ||
| The term "byrði" has different meanings, from "weight" to "carrying load" in modern Icelandic, whereas in medieval Icelandic it could also mean "freight" or "ship cargo". | |||
| Irish | ualach | ||
| Ualach is also used as a way of referring to a person who is carrying a burden | |||
| Italian | fardello | ||
| The word 'fardello' may also refer to a bundle or package, or in a figurative sense, a difficult or troublesome matter. | |||
| Luxembourgish | belaaschtung | ||
| Belaaschtung's roots lie in the Indo-European root "*bher-/*bherg-", meaning "to bear" or "to carry". | |||
| Maltese | piż | ||
| "Piż" is the same word as "weight" in Italian and French, and also related to the English word "poise". | |||
| Norwegian | byrde | ||
| The Norwegian word "byrde" can also refer to a child or a descendant. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | fardo | ||
| The word "fardo" also means "bale" or "package" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eallach | ||
| The word "eallach" can also refer to a beast of burden or a portage. | |||
| Spanish | carga | ||
| The Spanish word "carga" originally meant a load carried on the back of an animal, and is derived from the Latin word "carrus," meaning "cart". | |||
| Swedish | börda | ||
| The word "börda" is derived from the Old Norse word "byrðr", which means "load" or "responsibility". | |||
| Welsh | baich | ||
| Welsh 'baich' may derive from an Old Irish word meaning either 'fettered' or 'captive'. | |||
Burden in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цяжар | ||
| In Belarusian, "цяжар" (burden) also means "weight" or "importance". | |||
| Bosnian | teret | ||
| The word "teret" in Bosnian is also used to refer to a musical instrument resembling a drum, made of goat or calf skin stretched tightly over a circular wooden frame. | |||
| Bulgarian | тежест | ||
| The word "тежест" is also used to refer to weight, gravity, or importance. | |||
| Czech | zátěž | ||
| The original meaning of the Czech word 'zátěž' referred to the weight of heavy armor used in combat. | |||
| Estonian | koorem | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning of "burden", "koorem" can also be used figuratively to refer to a heavy task or responsibility. | |||
| Finnish | taakka | ||
| The word "taakka" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*takka" meaning "load" or "baggage". | |||
| Hungarian | teher | ||
| "Teher" also means "load" in the sense of a ship's cargo, as in "a ship laden with merchandise was lost at sea" or "a plane carries a heavy teher of fuel for its trip". | |||
| Latvian | slogs | ||
| "Slodzs" means a burden in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | našta | ||
| "Našta" also means "corpse" in Polish and "freight" in German. | |||
| Macedonian | товар | ||
| The word "товар" originally meant "property" or "assets" in Old Church Slavonic. | |||
| Polish | obciążenie | ||
| In Polish, "obciążenie" can also mean "load" in the context of engineering or "mortgaging" referring to property ownership. | |||
| Romanian | povară | ||
| The word "povară" in Romanian also means "heavy responsibility". | |||
| Russian | бремя | ||
| The Russian word "бремя" originally meant "log, timber" before acquiring its current meaning of "burden". | |||
| Serbian | терет | ||
| The word "терет" can also mean "difficulty" or "hardship" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | bremeno | ||
| In Slovak, "bremeno" can refer to both a physical burden or a moral one | |||
| Slovenian | breme | ||
| The word 'breme' in Slovenian also means 'load', 'weight', or 'responsibility'. | |||
| Ukrainian | тягар | ||
| "Тягар" is cognate with the Greek word "temenos," meaning a piece of land set apart for a temple and the gods and thus reserved for their use only. | |||
Burden in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বোঝা | ||
| বোঝা can also mean 'to understand' or 'to carry on one's shoulders'. | |||
| Gujarati | બોજ | ||
| The word "બોજ" ("burden") in Gujarati also refers to a specific unit of weight, typically used to measure agricultural produce. | |||
| Hindi | बोझ | ||
| The word "बोझ" (bojh) also means "load", "weight", or "responsibility" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಹೊರೆ | ||
| The word "ಹೊರೆ" (hoore) can also refer to a load or a responsibility. | |||
| Malayalam | ഭാരം | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit 'bhara' meaning 'to carry', 'bhāram' also refers to heaviness, duty, obligation, or responsibility in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | ओझे | ||
| The Marathi word "ओझे" can also refer to "responsibilities" or "troublesome situations." | |||
| Nepali | बोझ | ||
| The word "बोझ" can also mean "a responsibility" or "a task". | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੋਝ | ||
| The word "ਬੋਝ" can also mean "trouble" or "anxiety" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බර | ||
| The word "බර" (burden) is derived from the Sanskrit word "भार" (bhara), meaning "to carry" or "to lift." | |||
| Tamil | சுமை | ||
| The word "சுமை" also means "total weight of a vehicle" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | భారం | ||
| భారం in Telugu can also mean "importance" or "responsibility". | |||
| Urdu | بوجھ | ||
| The word "بوجھ" can also mean "responsibility" or "duty" in Urdu. | |||
Burden in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 负担 | ||
| The word “负担” is composed of two characters: “负” (fù), meaning “to bear” or “to carry,” and “担” (dàn), meaning “a load” or “a burden.” | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 負擔 | ||
| 負擔 can also mean to ‘afford’ something. | |||
| Japanese | 負担 | ||
| The word 負担 (futan) literally means "divide equally" in Japanese, indicating its origins as a communal responsibility. | |||
| Korean | 부담 | ||
| '부담' is a Sino-Korean word that literally means 'to bear something on one's back' or 'to carry a load' | |||
| Mongolian | ачаа | ||
| The word "ачаа" can refer to a load carried by a pack animal or a person, or figuratively to a problem or task that demands attention. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝန်ထုပ်ဝန်ပိုး | ||
Burden in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | beban | ||
| In Malay, "beban" also means "debt". | |||
| Javanese | momotan | ||
| "Momotan" can also refer to a wooden beam on a house's roof used for hanging things. | |||
| Khmer | បន្ទុក | ||
| The Khmer word បន្ទុក can also mean 'responsibility' or 'charge'. | |||
| Lao | ພາລະ | ||
| The word 'ພາລະ' can also refer to a duty, obligation, or responsibility. | |||
| Malay | beban | ||
| "Beban" also means "weight," especially with regards to importance or significance. | |||
| Thai | ภาระ | ||
| The word "ภาระ" in Thai can also mean "duty" or "responsibility". | |||
| Vietnamese | gánh nặng | ||
| "Gánh nặng" is also the name of a traditional wooden carrying frame used in Vietnam, usually carried on one's shoulders with two baskets attached at its ends. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pasan | ||
Burden in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yük | ||
| "Yük" also means "upwards/up" in Azerbaijani, indicating its use as a directional reference in addition to its primary meaning of "burden." | |||
| Kazakh | ауыртпалық | ||
| The Kazakh word "ауыртпалық" can also refer to a "difficulty" or a "problem". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жүк | ||
| The word 'жүк' is also used to refer to 'cargo' or 'load' in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | бори | ||
| The word 'бори' can also refer to a type of heavy load or responsibility. | |||
| Turkmen | ýük | ||
| Uzbek | yuk | ||
| The word "yuk" can also refer to a unit of weight equal to approximately 66 pounds or a tax or levy, especially one that is burdensome. | |||
| Uyghur | يۈك | ||
Burden in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ukana | ||
| "Ukana" also means "to bend or bow" in Hawaiian, as in bowing one's head in respect. | |||
| Maori | taumahatanga | ||
| In Maori, 'taumahatanga' also refers to the spiritual burden of caring for others. | |||
| Samoan | avega | ||
| The word "avega" can also refer to a heavy load that is carried on the back or shoulders. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pasan | ||
| The word "pasan" can also refer to a "share or portion allotted to an individual within a larger cooperative effort". | |||
Burden in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | q'ipi | ||
| Guarani | mba'erepy | ||
Burden in International Languages
| Esperanto | ŝarĝo | ||
| The word "ŝarĝo" may also mean "rank" or "load" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | onus | ||
| "Onus" also means "divine message" or "prophecy" in Latin. | |||
Burden in Others Languages
| Greek | βάρος | ||
| The word "βάρος" in Greek can also refer to a heavy object or a weight. | |||
| Hmong | nra hnyav | ||
| The Hmong word "nra hnyav" originates from the Proto-Hmong-Mien word *braːŋ "heavy" | |||
| Kurdish | bar | ||
| In Kurdish, "bar" can also refer to a load carried on the head. | |||
| Turkish | sorumluluk | ||
| The word "sorumluluk" in Turkish can also refer to "responsibility" or "duty." | |||
| Xhosa | umthwalo | ||
| "Umthwalo" can also mean "responsibility" or "obligation" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | אָנוואַרפן | ||
| The Yiddish word "אָנוואַרפן" (burden) is derived from the German word "aufwerfen" (to impose, to cast upon), which in turn originates from the Middle High German word "üfe werfen" (to throw on). | |||
| Zulu | umthwalo | ||
| 'Umthwalo' is also used to refer to a traditional Zulu dance that celebrates the harvest | |||
| Assamese | বোজা | ||
| Aymara | q'ipi | ||
| Bhojpuri | बोझा | ||
| Dhivehi | ބުރައެއް | ||
| Dogri | भार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pasan | ||
| Guarani | mba'erepy | ||
| Ilocano | baklay | ||
| Krio | lod | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بار | ||
| Maithili | बोझ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯣꯠꯂꯨꯝ | ||
| Mizo | phurrit | ||
| Oromo | ba'aa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭାର | ||
| Quechua | qipi | ||
| Sanskrit | भारः | ||
| Tatar | йөк | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓላፍነት | ||
| Tsonga | ndzwalo | ||