Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'burn' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, representing a wide range of concepts, from physical fire to emotional passion. Its cultural importance is evident in various idiomatic expressions, such as 'burn the midnight oil' or 'burn with anger.' Understanding its translation in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures express similar ideas.
For instance, in Spanish, 'burn' translates to 'quemar,' which is also used to describe strong emotions like love or anger. In German, 'brennen' not only means 'to burn' but also 'to study intently,' reflecting the dedication and focus required for learning. In Japanese, 'moeru' is the term for 'to burn,' and it's a crucial concept in traditional arts like pottery and calligraphy.
Below, you'll find a comprehensive list of 'burn' translations in various languages, showcasing the richness and diversity of human languages and cultures. Explore and enjoy!
Afrikaans | brand | ||
The word "brand" in Afrikaans also has the secondary meaning of "type". | |||
Amharic | ማቃጠል | ||
In Amharic, "ማቃጠል" can also mean "to make very hot" or "to roast". | |||
Hausa | ƙone | ||
The Hausa word "ƙone" can also mean "boil" or "stew". | |||
Igbo | ọkụ | ||
Malagasy | handoro | ||
In Malagasy, 'handoro' also refers to 'firewood' and 'heat'. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutentha | ||
In certain contexts, "kutentha" can also be used figuratively to describe strong emotions such as anger or embarrassment | |||
Shona | kupisa | ||
The noun 'kupisa' is derived from the verb 'kutsva' meaning 'to burn'. | |||
Somali | gubasho | ||
The word "gubasho" is also used figuratively to describe intense anger or emotional pain. | |||
Sesotho | chesa | ||
The Sesotho word "chesa" also means "to erase" or "to cancel". | |||
Swahili | choma | ||
In Swahili, "choma" also refers to charred food or roasted meat. | |||
Xhosa | ukutshisa | ||
The word "ukutshisa" in Xhosa is also used to describe the sensation of pain or discomfort felt in the presence of extreme heat. | |||
Yoruba | jo | ||
The Yoruba word "jo" also means "be heated or warmed" in a broad sense. | |||
Zulu | ukusha | ||
The verb 'ukusha' also means 'to shine' or 'to reflect light', and is related to the noun 'ukukhanya' meaning 'light'. | |||
Bambara | ka jeni | ||
Ewe | bi dzo | ||
Kinyarwanda | gutwika | ||
Lingala | kozikisa | ||
Luganda | okwookya | ||
Sepedi | fiša | ||
Twi (Akan) | hye | ||
Arabic | حرق | ||
The Arabic word "حرق" not only translates to "burn" but can also refer to the "cauterization" procedure in medicine. | |||
Hebrew | לשרוף | ||
The Hebrew word "לשרוף" (lishroph) can also refer to the act of scorching or roasting something. | |||
Pashto | سوځول | ||
The word "سوځول" also means "to light" in Pashto. | |||
Arabic | حرق | ||
The Arabic word "حرق" not only translates to "burn" but can also refer to the "cauterization" procedure in medicine. |
Albanian | djeg | ||
"Djeg" comes from the Proto-Albanian form "*dege-/*dage-", of unknown origin, and is cognates with the Slavic word for "burn": "жгѫ" ("žgǫ"). | |||
Basque | erre | ||
The Basque word «erre» also means «tell», as in «erre egiak» («tell the truth») and «erre gezurrak» («tell lies») | |||
Catalan | cremar | ||
The Catalan verb "cremar" comes from the Latin word "cremare," which means "to set on fire." The word has also been used to refer to the process of cremation, which is the act of burning a body após death. | |||
Croatian | izgorjeti | ||
The word "izgorjeti" also means "run out of fuel". | |||
Danish | brænde | ||
The word "brænde" in Danish comes from the Old Norse word "brandr," which could refer to both "fire" and "a sword," suggesting a deep connection between the two concepts. | |||
Dutch | brandwond | ||
Brandwond can also mean a fire or a source of fire, or something that can be set on fire, similar to its English etymology (brand). | |||
English | burn | ||
The word "burn" can also refer to a type of injury caused by heat or chemicals, or a state of extreme heat. | |||
French | brûler | ||
The word "brûler" is derived from the Latin "prurīre", meaning "to itch". This is reflected in the fact that the word can also be used figuratively to mean "to irritate" or "to aggravate". | |||
Frisian | burn | ||
It is also used to describe a hot sensation or a feeling of irritation. | |||
Galician | queimar | ||
In Galician, "queimar" can also mean "to kiss" or "to toast". | |||
German | brennen | ||
The word "Brennen" in German can also refer to the process of distilling alcohol or the sensation of internal burning, especially due to a fever. | |||
Icelandic | brenna | ||
The word "brenna" in Icelandic also refers to a glacier or ice cap, reflecting its role in shaping the landscape through its melting waters. | |||
Irish | sruthán | ||
Sruthán can also mean "small stream" or "brook". | |||
Italian | bruciare | ||
Italian “bruciare” is derived from the Latin “*adburere,” or “burn off,” referring more specifically to cremation or ritual burning. | |||
Luxembourgish | verbrennen | ||
The Luxembourgish word "verbrennen" is derived from the Old High German word "verbrinnan" and also has the meaning of "to incinerate". | |||
Maltese | ħruq | ||
The Maltese word "ħruq" is derived from the Arabic word "harq", meaning "burning", and can also refer to a "fever" or "heat". | |||
Norwegian | brenne | ||
The Norwegian word "brenne" also means "sting" or "ache" and is related to the English word "burn." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | queimar | ||
In Brazilian Portuguese, "queimar" can also mean "to spend (money)" as in "queimar dinheiro" | |||
Scots Gaelic | losgadh | ||
Etymology: losgadh (to burn) is derived from Old Irish loscad (to burn), from Proto-Celtic *losco- (to burn). | |||
Spanish | quemar | ||
The verb "quemar" comes from the Latin "comburere" meaning "to burn completely". | |||
Swedish | bränna | ||
Welsh | llosgi | ||
The alternate literal meaning of 'llosgi' is to burn or scorch |
Belarusian | апёк | ||
In some contexts, the Belarusian word "апёк" can also mean "a sunburn" or "an ulcer". | |||
Bosnian | gori | ||
The word 'gori' also refers to a type of traditional Bosnian footwear made of burnt wool. | |||
Bulgarian | горя | ||
The word "горя" (pronounced with an accent on the second syllable) also means "to suffer", "to be in pain" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | hořet | ||
The word "hořet" also means "to hurt", referring to physical or emotional pain. | |||
Estonian | põlema | ||
The verb "põlema" also means "to be on fire" or "to glow" in Estonian. | |||
Finnish | polttaa | ||
Polttaa also means 'to fry' (food) and 'to burn' (wood). | |||
Hungarian | éget | ||
The Hungarian word 'éget' also means 'he/she/it/ burns' which is the third person singular present form of the verb 'ég' meaning 'to burn'. | |||
Latvian | sadedzināt | ||
"Sadegtināt" could also refer to burning one's mind and soul by acquiring new knowledge and wisdom. | |||
Lithuanian | deginti | ||
Its cognates can be found in some other Baltic and Slavic languages, but the precise etymology is unclear. | |||
Macedonian | изгори | ||
The noun 'изгори' in Macedonian, besides its verb form, also means 'firewood' and 'wood shavings'. | |||
Polish | palić się | ||
The word "palić się" in Polish also means "to blush" or "to be ashamed". | |||
Romanian | a arde | ||
The Romanian word "a arde" shares a common etymological root with the Latin verb "ardere" and the English word "arson." | |||
Russian | сжечь | ||
The verb "сжечь" (burn) is cognate with the Polish "spalić" (burn), the Czech "spálit" (burn), and the Slovak "spáliť" (burn). | |||
Serbian | горети | ||
"Горети" in Serbian also means "to be zealous about something" | |||
Slovak | horieť | ||
The Slovak word "horieť" can also mean "to shine" or "to be on fire". | |||
Slovenian | opeklina | ||
The Slovenian word "opeklina" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *opěka, meaning "heat", "warmth" or "fire". | |||
Ukrainian | опік | ||
The word "опік" originated from the Proto-Slavic "opĕka", which can also mean "charr" or "coal" depending on the region where it's used. |
Bengali | পোড়া | ||
"পোড়া" can also refer to something cooked by being heated, or something roasted or toasted. | |||
Gujarati | બર્ન | ||
The word "બર્ન" (burn) in Gujarati can also refer to a type of small earthenware pot used for cooking or storing liquids. | |||
Hindi | जलाना | ||
The word "जलाना" also refers to "to cook" or "to be angry" in Hindi. | |||
Kannada | ಬರ್ನ್ | ||
The Kannada word ಬರ್ನ್ is also used to mean 'to itch' or 'to tingle', likely due to the burning sensation associated with these feelings. | |||
Malayalam | പൊള്ളുക | ||
പൊള്ളുക can either refer to the sensation of burning or to inflammation of body tissue. | |||
Marathi | जाळणे | ||
"जाळणे" is related to the Sanskrit word "jval", from Indo-European root "gʷel-", also present in "glow" and "gleam". | |||
Nepali | जलाउनु | ||
In Nepali, the word "जलाउनु" not only means to burn something, but also to light a fire or to set something on fire. | |||
Punjabi | ਸਾੜ | ||
The word "ਸਾੜ" in Punjabi also means "to be worn down or decayed". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පිළිස්සීම | ||
Tamil | எரிக்க | ||
The word "எரிக்க" in Tamil can also mean "to shine" or "to give off light". | |||
Telugu | బర్న్ | ||
In Telugu, "burn" can also refer to something that is very hot or spicy. | |||
Urdu | جلانا | ||
Chinese (Simplified) | 烧伤 | ||
烧伤 (shao shang) is a Chinese idiomatic phrase meaning 'to suffer a devastating loss or injury' | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 燒傷 | ||
"燒傷" (shāo shāng) can also mean "scald" or "sunburn". | |||
Japanese | 燃やす | ||
The Japanese word 燃やす (moyasu) also means 'to kindle', 'to set ablaze', 'to ignite', and 'to scorch'. | |||
Korean | 타다 | ||
타다 (tada) can also mean "to ride" or "to be on" in Korean. | |||
Mongolian | шатаах | ||
Mongolian "шатаах" shares a common root with the verb "шэдэх," meaning "to burn something"} | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | မီးလောင် | ||
Indonesian | membakar | ||
Membakar's root word 'bakar' relates to the Sanskrit word 'bhagra' meaning 'fire' or 'glow'. | |||
Javanese | kobong | ||
The Javanese word 'kobong' also means 'fire'. | |||
Khmer | ដុត | ||
The Khmer word 'ដុត' ('dot') derives from the Sanskrit word 'duhu' and its root word 'dah', both meaning 'to burn'. | |||
Lao | ບາດແຜ | ||
Malay | bakar | ||
Bakar is also used as a colloquial term for giving photocopies. | |||
Thai | เผาไหม้ | ||
The Thai word "เผาไหม้" (burn) also means "to be destroyed" or "to be ruined". | |||
Vietnamese | đốt cháy | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | paso | ||
Azerbaijani | yandırmaq | ||
"Yandırmaq" also means "to fall into debt" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | күйдіру | ||
The word "күйдіру" can also mean "to be heated", "to be lit", "to be roasted", "to be charred", or "to be burnt". | |||
Kyrgyz | күйүк | ||
The verb "күйүк" also refers to getting sunburnt. | |||
Tajik | сӯхтан | ||
In Tajik, "сӯхтан" (burn) is also a colloquialism to express regret and is derived from the word "сӯз" (pain). | |||
Turkmen | ýakmak | ||
Uzbek | kuyish | ||
The word "kuyish" is also used in Uzbek to describe the process of making something brown or black by exposing it to heat. | |||
Uyghur | كۆيدۈرۈش | ||
Hawaiian | kuni | ||
The word "kuni" in Hawaiian also means "to turn red" or "to be hot". | |||
Maori | wera | ||
In Maori mythology, Wera is a fire god and ancestor associated with the concept of purification and renewal through burning. | |||
Samoan | mu | ||
Samoan "mu" not only means "to burn," but can also mean "to ignite," "to cook," or "to kindle." | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | paso | ||
The Tagalog word "paso" also means "burn", like the sun's rays on the skin. |
Aymara | phichhaña | ||
Guarani | hapy | ||
Esperanto | bruligi | ||
Bruligi is also used figuratively to mean 'to consume' or 'to destroy'. | |||
Latin | adolebitque | ||
In some cases, "adolescent" derives from the Latin "adolebitque," meaning "to grow up" or "to mature." |
Greek | έγκαυμα | ||
The Greek word "έγκαυμα" can also refer to a rash or an inflammation of the skin. | |||
Hmong | hlawv | ||
The word "hlawv" has Proto-Hmong-Mien roots and is used to describe wounds and the sensation of pain in other Hmong-Mien dialects. | |||
Kurdish | birîna şewatê | ||
The word "birîna şewatê" in Kurdish also means "the act of getting burned" and "the state of being burned". | |||
Turkish | yanmak | ||
The Turkish word "yanmak" also means "to be deceived". | |||
Xhosa | ukutshisa | ||
The word "ukutshisa" in Xhosa is also used to describe the sensation of pain or discomfort felt in the presence of extreme heat. | |||
Yiddish | ברענען | ||
The Yiddish word "ברענען" also means "to be intoxicated" or "to suffer from a burning sensation, such as heartburn. | |||
Zulu | ukusha | ||
The verb 'ukusha' also means 'to shine' or 'to reflect light', and is related to the noun 'ukukhanya' meaning 'light'. | |||
Assamese | জ্বলা | ||
Aymara | phichhaña | ||
Bhojpuri | जलन | ||
Dhivehi | އެނދުން | ||
Dogri | छाल्ला | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | paso | ||
Guarani | hapy | ||
Ilocano | puoran | ||
Krio | bɔn | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | سووتان | ||
Maithili | जरनाइ | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯩ ꯆꯥꯛꯄ | ||
Mizo | kang | ||
Oromo | gubuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଜଳ | ||
Quechua | kañay | ||
Sanskrit | जलन | ||
Tatar | яндыру | ||
Tigrinya | ምቅጻል | ||
Tsonga | tshwa | ||